The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1863-09-05
Chicago. Sent. 3.

letter from the President TO the Union
mass meeting to be-held at Springfield
to-day:
After fegretting his Inability u attend,
he says: There are those who are dis
satisfied with me TO such / would saw
You desire peace, and you blame me
that you do not have it but how can we
attain IL y There are bat three Sconceiya-
pie ways: LIST. To suppress the rebellion
by force OF arms. This / am trying to
90: Are yop for it:i If yoa ases so far
We are agreed %. The next way Is 10
give up the union. am against this. If
you are, you should say so plainly. If
you are not for force, nor yet for dissolu-
ton, then there only remains some irnag-
Unable compromise. do not believe any
compromise as embracing the maintain.
ance of: the Union now possible. All
that learn leads to the oppose belief
The strength of the rebellion il in it's ar
my, and that army dominates overall the
country, and all the people within its
range. Amy offer of terms made by any
man or men within that range In opposi-
ton to that army is simply nothing for
present, because such man or men have
no power whatever to enforce their side
of compromises If one were made with
them. Compromise, to be effective. must
be made either with those who control
the rebel army or with the people, first
liberated from that army by the success
of our army. "a iiow me to assure YOU that
no word or intimation from the rebel ar
my or from any Of the men controlling
1t, In relation to any peace compromise
has ever come to my knowledge or belief
All charges and intimations to the con-
trary are deceptive and groundless, and
promise you that if any such PROPOSE
ton shall hereafter come it shall not be
rejected and kept secret from you.
You dislike the emancipation pfocla-
nation, and perhaps would have it re-
tracted. You say II is unconstitutional
think the Constitution vests its COM
mander-in-chief with law of war in time
of war. The most that can be said is that
slaves are property. Is there, has there
ever been any question that by law of
war property of both enemies and friends
may be taken Rhon2needed: and il it not
needed when our taking it helps us or
hurts the enemy. Armies the world
over destry the enemies property when
they cannot use it, and even destroy their
own to keepit from the enemy. Civil
lied belligerants da all in their power to
help themselves err hurt the enemy, ex-
cept u few things regarded as barbarous,
The proclamation is law and valid, or it
is not valid. If it is valid it cannot be
retracted any more than the dead can be
brought to life. Some of you prefer to
think that retFaction would operate fvaor-
bly, to Union. Why better after retrac-
ton than before There had been more
than a year ahd half of trial to suppress
the rebellion, the last ore hundred DAYS
of which passed under an explicit notice
that it was coming unless reverted By
those in revolt returning to allegiance
The war has certainly progressed "a IA
verablF. to us since issuing the proclaIna-
ton as 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 It's our most
Important victories, believe emancipation
policy, and aid of the colOred troops con-
stitute the heaviest blows yet dealt to the |
and that is one Mt least ofthOse |
important successes could not have been |
aChleued unless 1t was for the aid Of black !
soldiers. Among commanders holding |
these views are some who have never had |
any affinity with what are called aboli- |
or with the republican party. |
but who hald them purely as military
opinions. / submit their opinions as be |
ing entitled to some weight against OBJ |
iections often urged that emancipation |
and aFming 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 ofthem seem
willing enough to fight for you: but no
matter; fight then expressly to save the
Union. | issued the proclamation on
purpose to aid you in saving the Union.
you shall have conquered all /
to the Union, If / shall urge
you to continue fighting it will be an APP
propriate time then for You to declare
hat you will not fight to free negroes.-
[ thought that in your struggle for thef
Union to whatever extent me- roes should
cease helping the enemy, to that extent
it would weaken the enemy in his resis-
lance to you. DO You think differently q?
| thought that whatever negroes can be
got to do as soldiers leaves Just so much
IS tor white soldiers to do in saving the
Union. Does it appear otherwise to you?I
But negroes, like other people, act upon
motive. Why should they do anything
for us if we will do nothing for them p
If they stake their lives for US they must
be promptee by the strongest motive
even promise Of freedern; and that prom
isc make must be kept.
New York, Sept. ;. /
The Worlds Washington dispatch