Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1863-10-29
THE PRESIDENTS REPLY TO THE RADICALS

We hope that all our readers have given an at
tentivs perusa to the letter of President Lincoln
in reply to the application made by the Radical
Emancipatonists of Missouri, as printed by us on
Tuesday last. If we do not mistake its purport,
the les1 will be read with great satisfaction by ALL
except of course those who have done the con-
servative cause in Missouri good service by ELI
citing such paper from the President.
The three things demanded by the Radicals
were
First That Gen. Schofeld shall be relieved and Gen.
Butler be appointed commander Of the military depart
msnt Of Missouri;
Second That the System of enrolled militia in Missouri
may be broken up and national forces be substituted for
it; aSG, TIA. .,.,,;on. i. !, .,,ov.a .
vote who are not entitled by law to do So"
The first two of these requests are denied by the
Presid ent for reasons which all candid minds will
pronounce satisfactory aud conclusive. The third
request concurring it does with obvious princ-
ples Of public right and duty, was granted; but it
IL important to observe that, in enforcing the regu
lation under this head, the law of Missouri, and
not any caprice of the military powers, is made the
guide Of Gen. Schofeld's conduct The injuno-
ton is: .
AT elections that those and only those allow
TO vote who emit led to do by the laws OF Missouri
including of those laws the restriction laid by the Mis-
souri, Convention upon those who may have participated in
the re be!ion."
If, from the conclusions of the President we
proceed to consider the argumentative portion Of
his reply, we think there will be found abundant
reasons to admire the cearness and frankness with
which Mr.. Lincoln states his propositions, while
reasoning cogently against the views and purposes
Of the Radical Emancipationists. With character
istie fippancy, where the character and good nams
Of individuals stand in the way Of their designs,
these men, it seems, had ascribcd to the alleged
pro-slavery afnities Of Gen. Scho6eld, and of the
enrolled militia of Missouri the suferings and
wrongs endured by some Union men in that State.
The President, however, with equal force and can
dor, puts all such gratuitous representations to
shame when he explains the origin of these wrongs
on "morc charitable" as well as " more rational
hypothesis" as follows:
1--WE are in civil In such cases there always is
main question: but in this that question perpleI
ing cOmpound-UniOn and Slavery 1t thus becomes
question not OF two sides merely but of ut least four sides
among those who for the Union saying nothing
of those who are against it. Thus those who are for
the Union puh but not 1hout slavery those for nth
out but not Dih those for it pih phoa but prefer
il ioith and those for ii i icithoH but prefer it
otth ut Among these again subdivision of those who
for gradual but not for immediate and who
for Immediate but for gradual extinction of slavery
easy to conceive that all shades opinion and
even more may be sine rely entertained by honest and
truthful Yet all being for the Union by Of
these differences each will prefer different way Of
tanning the Union At once sincerity questioned, and
motives are assailed. Actual coming blood grows
hot, and blood 10 spilled Thought il forced from old
channels INTO confusion Deception breeds aud thrves
Confidence dies and al suspicion regns Each man
i'm Nh n neigh borI ssth
him. Revenge and reclamation follow. And all this, as be-
fore sad may be among honest men only But this Is not
all Every foul bird comes abroad and every dirty rep
tile rises up. These add to confusion Strong
sures deemed indispensable bat harsh at best such
mske worse by INSTRUMENTATION. Murders for old
grud aud murders for pe proceed under any cloak that
will best cover for the occasion.
These amply account for what has occurred in
Missouri, without ascribng il to the weakness or wicked
ness OF any General"
Whether regarded as graphic picture of civil
war in all its horrors, de6nition of the
elements which enter into that now desoating Mis-
souri,, this sketch is equally effective. 1t will be
seen that the President has sympathy with those
anti slavery zealots who would fam make subscrip-
ton to their views the test Of "oyalty" Indeed,
it is evident, that, tried by their standard, the
President must after the publication Of this letter,
be pronounced greatly wanting, as indeed Mr..
Drtks, the Cnarman OF the haulohl ueputatl0n,
assumes to pronounce him, when he says, in full
view of Mr.. Lincoln's declared position
I'VE fars him appropriate opportunity for signify
ing that he accord Di the Radical Union ssnti
ntn Which il every where riring, and viii be the
trolling force in The elections State aud National in 1864;
bit he declined 10 embrace IT, This, however should be
no encouragement to to any who think with
The safety OF the cOuniry 10 that Radicasm which
would strike at the rebellion with every available means
and which de- to the overthrow or the
rebellion to destroy utterly its sole and le-the
institution of slavery The loyal people OF the land
rapidly embracing that great truth and he ho rejects
ignores niH ipe 10 and regret his mistake
The mistake committed by Mr.. Drake is COM
mon one among politicians Of his GLASS. He as
sumts that the Radical Union sentiment is the
true, as it is, he thinks, sure to be the predomi-
nant sentiment in the next Presidential election,
and he accordingly wonders that consideration of
the latter fact did not help the President to diff
fercnt conclusion, and significantly expresses the
opinion that the President I" will live to see and
regret bis mistake" This, we suppose, is meant
to intimate that the President need no longer count
on the political preferences Of the Radical Eman-
cipationists.
Nor do we see very clearly how, with his poiti-
cal views, Mr.. Lincoln could ever expect the sup