The Nashville daily union. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1862-1866, 1863-09-06
President LinColn'S Letter.
ENrcrrrur MANa1nN

LAEAOIlNE mANSlONl
WASHINGTON, Aug. &c, 1863. { .
lion. James c. Co'lslin:
My DEAR SIR:--Your letter inviting mo
TO attend a mass meeting of Union men,
TO be held at the Capital of Illinois on
the I'd day of September, has been re-
ceiyed.
1t would be very agreeable to me thus
to meet my old friends at my own home,
but cannot thus now be absent from
this city so long as visit there would
require The meeting is TO be of all
those who maintain unconditional devo-
ton to the Union and Administration, so
that old politicians will thank me for
| sending, as do, the nations gratitude to
those other noble men whom no partisan
malice or partisan hope can make false TO
the nations life. There are those who
are dissatisfied with me. To such |
would say, you desire peace, and you
| blame me that we do not have il, but how
can we attain il?
There are but three conceivable WAYS:
| lst To suppress the rebellion by force
of arms This ! Am trying to do. Are
you for it? If you are so far we agree.
If you are not for it, second way is to
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, there only remains some imaginative
compromise. do not believe that any
compromise, requiring the maintenance
! of the Union, is now possible. All that
learn leads TO a directly opposite be-
lief. The strength of the rebellion is 10
military-ils army-that army draining
all the country and all the people with
in its range. Any offer of terms made
by any man or men within that range
in opposition to that army-is simply
nothing for the present, because such
man or men have no power whatever
to enforce their side of compromise if
one were made with them. To illustrate,
suppose refugees from the South and
peace men Of the North meet together in
convention and frame and proclaim a
compromise, embracing a restoration of
the Union, in what way can that COM
promise be used to keep Gen. Lees army
out of Pennsy lvania?
General Meade's army can can keep
General Lees army out Of Pennsylvania,
and | think can ultimately drive it out
of existence but no paper compromise
TO which the controllers of General Lees
army are not agreed can at all Af-
feet that army. In an effort TO make
such compromise we would waste time,
which the enemy would improve TO our
disadvantage, aud that would be all. A
compromise, 20 be effective, must be
made either with those who control The
rebel army, or with the people first lib
Grated from the dominion Of that army
by toe success of our army.
Now, allow me to assure you that nc
word or intimAtion from the rebel army
or from any Of the men controlling il, il
relation to any peace compromise, hat
ever came to my knowledge or belief
All charges and limitations TO the con
rary are deceptive and groundless; anc
promise You that If any such PROPOSE.
ton shall hereafter come, il shall not bt
rejected and kept secret from you.
freely acknowledge my self 10 be thC
servant of the people-according 10 ia,
bond Of the service, the United State
Consti,ution-and that as such am re
spousible TO them. But, TO be plain, 70,
are dissatisfied with me about the negro
Quite likely there is difference OF opin
ion between you and myself upon tina
subject
certainly wish that all men coul,
be free, which you, l suppose, do not
yet have neither adopted nor proposed
any measure that is not consistent witt
even your view, provided that you are to
the Union. ! suggested compensate,
; emancipation to which you replied tina
] You wished not TO be taxed to buy neg
roes, except in such way to save you iron
, greater taxation 10 save the Union ex
clusively by other means
You dislike the Emancipation procIa
NATION and perhaps would have 10 re
D tracted. You say il is unconstitutional
/ think differently. l think thai th