New-York daily tribune., 1863-10-26
REPLY OF PRESIDENT LINCOL,
TO THE MISSOURI DELEGATION.
G. ID. Drake, Chairman OF the DeIcsa.
tion.


to Missouri affairs to lay before you his reply to the COM
muncations submitted by the Delegation to him, which
reply is hereto suboned 1t came to my hands on the
10Th inst, and would have been Immediately pnDshed.
but that felt it incumbent on mo to accompany lis
publication with some remarks, which have not until
now had time to prepare. My remarks VIII be such as
seem TO me justified by the OCCASION They Will be die
tated by no spirit Of disrespec toward tine PRESIDENT
A pernsal Of the Presidents letter will satisfy you
that except in single point the visit Of the Delega-
on to him failed for the present to attain ts objects
This will be source Of rejoicing to our adversaries as
it will be Of regret to you. and to all men Of uncond
tiOnal loyalty In the country.
Nothing was more manifest to the Delegation while
in Washington, than that the sympathes Of the unco
ditiona Unioniss OF all the loyal States were enlisted
on our behalf We recognized as the representa-
tves Of the Union party of Missouri and Ill be so
recognized hereafter by the whole body Of such Union
men have just swept Conservatism and Copperlead
ism from the face Of Pennsylvania, Ci, and Iowa, and
will In due time perform the samc glorious work n
other States Had nothing more beer effected by our
visit 10 the seat of Government this were %
present congratulaton, as 1t VIII ke OF future adyan
/ tagc.
Though tie President has not judged it expedient
under all the circumstances, 10 meet the wishes of those
in Missouli whom, In interview with him be ex
pressly recognized as the party upon which be must
mainly rely the support here OF his Administration
vet that r,cocniton by him may be expected 10 bean
fruit in the nture which wi piObaD! compensate LOT
esentdsapJ0intment. -
We gave him appropriate opportunity for SIGNIFY
ing that he In accord with the Radical Lio sei
which ~ everywhere rising VII lhc tpii
trolling force In the elections, State and National III
lstI: but he declined TO embrace H. This, however
should he dscouragement 10 us or 10 an! who thnk
with u.s. The safety Of the country Is N iial l'adcal
ism which would strike at the Rebellion with every
available means and which deems II Indispensable lo
the overthrow of the Rebellion 10 destroy utterly It's soc
cause and e-the institution of Slavery. Tie loyal
people Of the land rapidly embracing that great
ruth and he who rejects or ignores il VIII I'VE 10 sec
! and regret his mistake.
That the President should have virtually adhered 70
/ " Yt,tas .frxff -
our rel presentations, does not greatly surprise Ire.
could overlook the important fact that two members
II his Cabinet avoHe,y our opponents snd t1a.
their presence in Washington abides, while necessarily
ours could be but transient. Their Influence has dnNu
less frumphrd for the time; but IL j. shot ilvei
trlnph even IL continued the end of the PTr,derts
official term Before that time the People VIII have
pronounced iher verdict. In the trial hch Is T. pre-
ccde is rendition. 1t is yonr duty and minc to perform
rs sicndiy and manfny, unrepres-ed by prs"it
fiiGrc and unawod by official opposition, howe'e eg
potent.
I'm connection with the remarks Of the President con
ccrning General Schoheld It Is due 10 myself and ne
legation and necessary Ia the truth If history that
should make IN explanatory statement. Tho Presi-
dent notices certain charges against Gen Schohcld
which mas be thus enumerated;
. That Gen Schofeld on pnrpos, protect tie Law
renee mnrdcrers. would not allow them to Le pursued
into Missouri;
g. That Gen Schofied has purpos,iy withheld proiec
tion from the loyal people and Prpos'iy facilitated tee
..s..;scts q the disloyi.
When say To you that no such charges were naae.
either In the address OF the Delegation IN the i.
OF their Executive Committee (both of which have been
published and that heard no such charges made by
any in our interview with tae PRESIDENT you WI y.
myself feel bound In honor 10 say, thus pupci! ths
| ha,e 10 knowledge which would lead ne 10 make o.
believe any Of those charges. =
For what q member OF the Delegation and Erecu-
tive Committee and the author Of the address OF the
former and letter OF the latter felt Justified IN urging
sgainst Gen. Sehofed. l am responsible but for no
\ in .ff ~
th. Department Of the Missouri the grounds stated
In those Documents but not IN laying TO his charge ay
Of those three enumerated points. And am unab 20
say with certainty whence those charges proceeded
OF course they were before the President, or he
would not have noticed them. You will observe that he
refers TO four documents submitted TO him on the Sd o
October. One was the letter of the Executive Commit
tee the others were statements made out 10y Sub'eom.
mtiecs Of the Delegation. from three Congressional
District, and supposed 10 embody merely Representa-.
tions of the conditions Of things IN those districts al
leasi that was the object oi the Delegation "a auihOiH
ing their preparation. .
Drl.gat on or th. Executive Committee one oi them
read. the Others | did not. That which read con
inincd no charges Of the above description. am,
hercfoie led "a the conclusion that hos" cnases "ei
embraced n or the other {" thc papers which ana
moi read IL SO the author of the paper containing
them ~ alone responsible Tor them
In like manner the poin, concerning the removal oi
Colonel Dick as Provost arshalGcneral. and the ap
pontment Of Colonel Broadhead IN his place was not
referred the address of the Delegation or the letter
If the Executive Committee; anc must therefore have
been contained IN one or the other ~ the statement
prepared by sub committees.
| regret that the charges contained In those state
mrnts %erc made for they were selected by the Presi'
dent al the points Ia be answered 10 the almost eniir
exc!usiDn u those urged by the Delegation ana the
Executive Committee You will observe that his letter
does not meet the grounds which We presented IN those
papers, IL H. Ia fact more remarkable Tor what does
moi say than for what says. IL Is equally remarkable
for apparent want of appreciation OF the true pos
ture ard needs OF Missouri affairs.
Nl.Sf Tod IN i'm Al
Missouri and that General Schoteld had made himself
party 10 that policy; but the President did not It,
thoug his hope of support for his Administration IL IN
those with whom Is the Anti SLAYER. sentiment % tie
country. 49,
We set forth that General SchoGeld had identified
himself with Governor CANDLES ProSlayery admins
tration but the President did not heed his friends on
that point though he had yielded 10 the demands OF
those who are in reality. and will ere long show them
selves 40 be, his opponents and removed frOm bis de
partm ut General Curtis. who would not identify him
| self VT, h that Administration.
w represented that General Schoied had shapcj
his policy 10 conform 10 Governor CANDLES Pro
slavery conseryatv views but the President does
reply To that though General Curtis was displaced III
consequence Of his refusal to suffer Governor Gamble to
We ailcgo that Gen. Schofcld had subordinate Fed
eral authority In Missouri to State rule and We gave
the evidence of in his General Order NO eY ot aug.
N ls6J wherein he IN effect admitted the necessity
o. oh,,inny Coy t;ambes persFiss0a to enlist men
mo the volunteer service Of the United States out oi
the enrolled Missouri minla' iIu H. y, , p.o,
embodied without authority OF law put tnc Iicsiueht
gnors the point though one OF the prominent causes
Of the array of Gov. Gamblcs whole power To procure
60 ru,tss removal was that officers decided and
r ra,,,sal 10 recognize that force " which
Le sbould commit the protection of Missouri.
| We claimed that Missouri was as much entitled as
any other to be protected by the National arms
and that neither law Justice. equity demanded that
the burden of protecting her should he thrown upon her
peopc and her treasury; but the President thinks onr
demand very extraordinary and asks whence the Ma
tona forces are TO come and whether they shall be
Withdrawn from Banks, or Grant. or steele, or Rose
crans though there does not appear 10 have been any
serious difficulty in recently detaching large body Of
troops from the Army of the Potomac TO enforce tho
draft in Ncw-York even while that army faced the
greatest army in the Rebel States. In this connection
! l. L LIZ IL - -