Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-09-08
LATEST FROM THE UNITED STATES.
IMPORTANT LETTER FROM ABRAHAM
LINCOLN.
FIJI Exposition Of lis Tiers on the Prospect
and Conditions Of Peace.
THE NEGRO QUESTION REVIEWED,

We have received copy of the Baltimore
American of the Sd inst, containing the fol-
lowing letter from the President Of the United
States to the Springfield Mass meeting:
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WAsuINGToN, August 70.
Hon. james T. Conkiiny:
NJ Dear .Sr-Yuur Iet;ef inviting me to
attend Il mass meeting Of unconditional Union
men, 10 be held at the Capitol Of illinois on
the 81 day of September, has been received
1t would I've very agreeable to ire TO thus meet
my old friends 1T my own homo, but cannot
Just now be absent from this city 81 long as
visit there would require.
The 7,cetinS Is to be Of all those who main
t:..a unconditional devotion to the Union, aud
l am sure my old political friends will thank
me for rendering, rs | dg, the nations graft
tude to those other noble men whom no lartl-
san malice or partisan hope can make false II
the ration's life. Tucrc are those who are
dissatisfied with me. To such wouli say:
you desire peace and You blame me that "e
do not have it. But how can We obtain 1t
There are but three conceivable ways. First:
to suppress the rebellion BY force Vi arms
This am trying to do. Are you for 1t? II
you are, so lar we are agreed. II you are
not for it, We are not agreed.
A second way is to give up the Union. l
am againsttfu. If you arc, you should say
so plainly. IfYoa are not for force, no" yet
for dissolution, there only remains some imagl-
nary compromises. l do not believe that any
compromises embracing the maintenance o.
the Union is now possible. All that learn
leads TO directly the opposite belief. The
tl,n ,nlnl1i., ,I,tnr,.
army. Tia. army dominates all the country
and all the people within its range. ANY
offer of terms made by any man or men with
in that range, in opposition to that army
is simply nothing, for the present, because
such man nr men have no power whatever to
enforce their side Of the compromise il. one
were made with them.
u illustrate: Suppose refugee from the
South and the peace men If the North get To-
gctilcr and frame and proclaim compromise
embracing the restoration Of the Union III what
way can that compr. mise he used To keep
General Lees army out Of Pennsylvania:
General Mcade's army can keep Lees army
ont Of Pennsylvania and think can ultimate.
II drive it out OF existence, bu; no paper COM
promise. to which the controllers Of General
Lees army are not agreed. can ut all affect
t,nt army. In an effort at such c0mprums.
We would waste time. which the enemy woul!
improve to our disadvantage, and that would
BE- all.
4 compromise 10 be effective, must be- made
either with those who control the army, or
with the people first liberated from the doni-
nuton OF that army, by the success "t our
army. Now, allow me to assure YOU that M
word or intimatiou from the rebel army or
from any Of the men controlling it, in relation
t. any peace compromise, has ever come to my
knowledge or belief. All charges Or intima-
tiuns to the contrary arc deceptive and ground
less, and promise you that if any such pro
position shall hereafter come, 1t shall not he
rejected and kept secret from you.
freely acknowledge myself IL hc the SER
want Of the people according to the bond d!
scrv;ce-thc United States ConsttItion--ai.d
that as such | am responsible To them. Bus.
t. lie plain, YOU are dissatisfied with rae about
the negro. Quite likely there is difference
of opinion between you and myself upon that
subject. certainly wish thas all men coula
be free, while you, suppose, do not. Yer,
have neither adopted nor proposed any inca
sure which is not consistent with even your
views, provided you are for the Union. ! sn@-
gcstcd compensated emancipation, to which
You replied that you wished not 10 be taxed TO
buy Negroes But had not asked you to DC
taxed to buy negroes, except III such away as
~ save You from greater taxation, to save the
Union exclusively 10y other means You DIS
like the emanci patton proclamation, a::d per-
haps. you want TO have it retracted. You saw
it is unconstitutional. l think differently. !
think that the Constitution invests lis Com
mandcr. in-Chef with the law of war i'll time
IF war. The musl that can be sa'd-if 50
much-is that slaves are property. is there,
has there ever been, any question that by the
law Of war the property both Of enemies and
friends may be taken when needed: And Is
il not needed whenever taken it helps US or
suits thc enemy? Armies, the world over, de-
stroy the cnemy'S property when they cannot
use it, and even destroy their own 10 keep it
from the enemy. Civilized hclligerents do all
in their power to help themselves Or hur: the
enemy, except few things recorded a bar
harou- ur cruel. Among the exceptions are
the massacre Of vanqurshrd foes and non
c0mlatants, male and female.
But the proclamation rs Il law is valid or l.
not valid. If it is not valid it needs no re
traction. If it is valid il cannot be retractcd
any more than the dead can be brought to life.
Some If You profess to think that its rctrac-
ton would operate favorably for the Union.-
WHY better after the rrtraction than before
the issue? There was more than year and
q half for trial to suppress the rebellion before
the proclamation was issued, the last one h"a-
dled days of which passed under explicit no.
tice it was coming unless avcrted by those in
revolt returning to their allegiance.
The war has certainly progressed as favor
ably for us since the issue of the proclama-
ton rs before. know, as fully as one can
know the opinions of others, that some Of the
commanders Of our armies in the field who
have given us our most important victories
believe that the emancipation policy and the
aid OF the c0lored troops constitutes the hca-
West blows yet dealt to the rebellion: and that
at least one of those important successes could
not have been achieved when it was, but for
the aid Of the black soldiers.
Among the commanders holding these views
ire some who have never had any affinity with
what is called Aboltionism. or with Republican
party politics, but who hold them purely rs mill
tary opinions. | submit their opinions as being
entitled to some weight against the objections
often urged that emancipation and The nrIning of
the blacks are unwise as military measures, and
were not adopted as such in good faith.
You say that you will not fight to free negroes:
Some of them sceR to be willing to fight for you;
but no matter, fight you, then, exclusively to save
the Union. issued the proclamation on puf-
pose to mid you in saving the Union. Whenever
You shall have conquered all resistance to the
Union, if shall urge you to continue fighting.
it will be an apt time then for You to declare that
you will'not fight to free negroes
thought that in your struggle for the Unicn,
to whatever extent the negro should cease help,
ing the enemy, to, that extent it weakens the
enemy in his resistance to you. DO You think
differently ! thought that whatever negroes can
be got to do as soldiers, leaves Just much less
for white soldiers TO do in. saving the Union.
Doesit appear otherwise to you? But ne
nrnrs like other nennlo. act unon mntivcs.=