Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1863-10-26

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= .sg- isa as1 C. D. DRAKE.
st. Louis, October %, 1868. as
THE PRESIDENTS LETTER.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, October 5, 1868.
Hon. Charles D. Drake and Others, Com
naittee:
GENTLEMEN: Your original address,
presented on the 30th ultimo, and the
four supplementary ones presented on the
/ Sd instant, have been carefully consid-
cred. hope you will regard the other
duties claiming my attention, together
with the great length and Importance Of
those documents, as constituting suth-
cient apology for my not having respond
ed sooner.
These papers, framed for a common
object, consist of the things demanded,
and the reasons for demanding them.
The things demanded are
First That General Scho6eld shall be
relieved, and General Butler be appoint
ed as Commander of the Military De-
partment of Missouri;
Second. That the system of Enrolled
Militia in Missouri may be broken up,
and national forces be substituted for it;
and
! Third That at elections, persons may
not be allowed to vote who are not enti-
tied by law to do so.
Among the reasons given, enough of
suffering and wrong to Union men, is
certainly, and I suppose, truly stated.
\ ct the whole case as presented, fails to
convince me that General Scho6eld, or
the Enrolled Militia, is responsible for
that suffering and wrong. The whole
can be explained OIL more charitable,
and as | think, more rational hypothe-
sis.
We are in civil war. In such cases
there always is main question; but in
this case that question is perplexing
compound-Union and Slavery 1t thus
becomes question not of two sides
merely, but of at least four sides, even
among those who are for the Union, say
ing nothing of those who are against it.
Thus, those who are for the Union loith,
but not acithout slavery-those for it
scithoH but not With-those for it Nth
or aoithOut, but prefer it NTH, and those
for it NTH or aoithout, but prefer it Nth
out ~t
Among these again, in subdivision
of those who are for gradual, but not for
Immediate, and those who are for iDan,e-
diGte, but not for gradual extinction of
slavery.
/ 1t is easy to conceive that all these
shades of opinion and even more, may
be sincerely entertained by.honest and
truthful men. Yet, all being for the
Union, by reason of these differences,
each will prefer different way of sus-
tanning the Union At once, sincerity is
questioned, and motives are assailed.
Actual war coming, blood grows hot, and
blood is spilled Thoughts forced from
old channels into confusion Deception
breeds and thrives. Confidence dies,
and universal suspicion reigns Each
man feels an impulse to kill his neighbor
lest he be killed by him. Revenge and
r-t~l;~t;o.. follow. And all ErlIs, as be-
fore said, may bO- s----o-.6 honest men
only. But this is not all Every foul
bird comes abroad, and every dirty rep
tile rises up These add crime to con-
fusion. Strong measures deemed indis-
pensable, hat harsh at best, such men
make worse by mal-a lministration. Muir
ders for old grudges, and murders for
! pelf proceed under any cloak that will
best cover for the occasion
These causes amply account for what
has occurred in Missouri, without ascrib-
ing it to the weakness or wickedness Of
any General The newspaper files,
those chroniclers of current events, will
show that the evils now complained of
were quite as prevalent nnder Fremont,
Hunter, Halleck, and Curtis, as under
Schofeld IF the former had greater
5 force opposed to them, they also had
greater force with which to meet it.
When the organized rebel army left the
State, the main Federal force had to go
also, leaving the Department Command
er at home, relatively no stronger than
before, Without disparaging any, af
firm with confidence, that no Command
er of that Department has, in proportion
to his means, done better than General
Schofeld. a
The first specific charge against Gen
! eral Schofed is, that the Enrolled Mill
tia was placed under his command,
whereas, it had not been placed under
|. the command of General Curtis The
fact, believe is true; but you do not
point out, nor can l conceive how that
! did, or could iniure loyal men, or the
Union cause. se'ae
!. You charge that upon General Curtis
being superseded by General Schofeld,
: Franklin A Dick was superseded by
James o. Broadhead, as Provost Marshal
General. No very specific showing is
= made as to how this did or could iniure
the Union cause. 1t recalls, however,
the condition Of things, as presented to
: me, which led to change of Command
5 er for that Department -i3l1
To restrain contTaband intelligence
and trade, system ofsearches, seizures,
: permits, and passes, had been introduced,
5 i think, by General Fremont When
General Halleck came,' he found and
continued this system, and added an or.
i der, applicable to some parts of the State,
d to levy and collect contributions from
:, noted rebels, to compensate losses, and
relieve destitution caused by the rebel
"A lion The action of General Fremont
n and General Halleck, as stated, consti
q tuted a sort of system, which General
g Curtis found in full operation when he
IL took command of the Department That
IS there was necessity for something -ot
4 the sort was clear; but that it could only
;e be justified by stern necessity, and that
S it was liable to great abuse in admins
h tration, was equally clear Agents tc
n execute it, contrary to the great Prayer
y were led into temptation. Some might
i while others would not resist that temp
H. tation. 1T was not possible to hold any
n to very strict accountability and those
n yielding to the temptation would sci
to permits and passes to those who would
IS pay most, and most readily for them
he and would seize property ard collec
levies in the aptest way to FL! their OWL
be pockets Money being the object, tn,
ar man having money, whether loyal or dis
IN LOYAL. would be q victim. This nractic