Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1863-09-13
The Wood and Lincoln Correspondence


The Wood and Lincoln Correspondence
II .-ssN Gnli Listl ----..le 20 .-a. .lrs "
10. As o commentary upon this correspondence
taken In connection with Mr.. LINoaLa's. 5ate
Springfield letter, We copy the following from
the Chicago Times; .'4 5vai o. b9i01sd
The correspondence has not before been pub
liehed because OF the injunction of secrecy laid
BY Nj Lincoln upon Mr.. Wood, which iniunc-
Ition was most honorably and faithfully observed
lby hlm until tho direct charge Of falsehoOd
mado against him In the Pfesident's letter re-
leased ln from all further obligation under it.
We 10 very confident, from what We knew OF
the circumstances, that the publication Of the
Presidents Springfield letter would unearth The
fox. . We have never credited Mr.. Lincoln with
extraordinary capacity, but supposed him pos
seseed OF too much ehrewdness or low cunning
to thus remove an Injunction which he ought 70
have known was bis most efficient shield ftom
infamy. gr,, -,.,,a-.4 j tr. s-drg.o1 nj s5ysill
II .Weleproducs the following extract from his
| Springfield letter: ''- '-'
Now allow me TO assure you that no word or ntina
tlon from the rebel army or from any Of the men con-
trolling In relation to any peace compromise, have ever
4 come 70 my knowledge or belief. All charges and init
nations to the contrary are deceptive and groundess
and promise you that, II any such propostion shall
hereafter come shall not be rejected and be kept secret
from you. freely acknowledge myself TO be the SER
want Of the people, according to the bond Of the service
tho United States Constitution, and that az such am
/ iesponable to them.
Here is a positive declaration that he has re.
ceived ''no werd or intlmation from the rebel
army, or from any Of the men controlling Il,
| In relation to any peace Compromise" Web.
ster thus defines: "Intimaton-hint; an OBJ
scure or indirect suggestion or notice; a dec
Iaraton or remark conveying imperfect notice."
We now append the following extracts from
Mr.. Woods letter: ---r.s.- -.--..
O., the 25th Of November last, was advised by iau
thoty which deemed likely to be we'll informed a,
w az reliable and truthful that the Southern States
would send Representatives to tho next Congress prov
dsd that full and general amnesty should permit them
I suggest that gentleman with former political and
social relations with the leaders Of the Southern revolt
may be allowed to hold unofficial correspondence with
them this subject the correspondence to be submit
ted to you ...... .... .. 49,
This is not an obscure or indirect sugges
ltion, but plain, frank statement. He who
communicated u believed Il to be based upon
Information drawn from reliable and truthful
lsources. The utter improbability that those
who thus advised Mr.. Wood obtained their In
formation from the ieparate insurgent States
Ieompeis the conclusion that 1t was deFivei from
members OF the Confederate Government, from
some Of the "meu controlling the rebel army"
This assumption closes Mr.. Lineoln's loop.hole
of escape If Mr. Wood was correctly inform.
ed, the information could only have been de.
rived from the separate States or the Confed-
crate Government.
But Mr.. Lincoln says in reply TO Mr.. Wood,
al strongly suspect your Information will prove
TO be groundless. !" Wood 10 informed Of the
willingness Of the insurgent states to return
He Informs the President, who disbslieves, or
processes to disbelieve, the correctness OF the
Information. Wood offers to estabiiah the cor
Irectnesa OF the information thus: VI suggest
that 4 gentleman, with former political and 20.
cial relations with the leaders Of the eouthetn
revolt, may be allowed to hold uno6ieiat cores.
lpondenss tuitk them upon ths su6Ject.the eorres-
pondsnee 10 be submitisd 10 you" Who are the
leaders Of the southern revolt2 Are they the
members of the Confederate Government Are
they those having power to control the rsyolti
1 It 10 with these men Mr. Wood offered 10, open
q correspondence from which no possible injury
20 our cause could have arisen because, rst, Il
was TO be unofficial, and, next, II Was 10 he sub
mitted 10 the President. There could there ore
be no objection to the mode of proof offered by
4 Mr.. Wood, and certainly it would have been
conclusive, !, II would either have established
1 or reluted beyond ell cavil, the correctness of
/ his information. Bat If Wood had never been
/ thus advised, or if the information he received
was groundlsss, these are facts known only 10
himself and those who gave him the ipforms-
il tion How can Mr.. Lincoln aver that be never
has received an intimaton of the kind! If
Wood,s information was correct, Mr.. Lncoln's
friends will not claim, 10 the face of this cor,
respou dence, that he has not received an inti-
nation "from the rebel army, or from /uny Of
the men controlling it, In relation 10 any peace
Ia kHa0 asaa;n Oh H.
does not alter the fact of reception. The init
alton was conveyed to him as coming from the
1 COME ederate Government indirectly. He has &C.
knowledged its reception, and was offered the
proof Of lite correctness In the proposal Of Mr.,
Wood to open correspondence. He cannot es,
cape by the quibble that il did not come direct:
lly. He denies having received an intimation,
which is defined as "hint; an obeeuye or indi-
rect suqeestion, or notice" Was not the letter
Of Mr.. Wood an indirect notice2 The suggea-
tion was direct. Thus We see, that: -.
L. Mr.. Lincoln denies having received shsh
sn intimation from the rebel governments. iisi vi
ai2 Thathe did receive suoh an iatima.ion,
purpoIting TO come from that souree. 10 Al os,o
3, That he. professed to doubt lie correcs-
ness. 'N'' q
"a. That proof Was offered him TO establishi,s
correctness, lil.1 sd tsg0tdl mid lGs bns
s. Tha! he declined 10 accept the proof Of
fered.
he not pilloried before The nation to day, as
O deliberate and shameless equivocaor and
falsIfierf This In any event; and II Mr. Wood
was correctly Informed, are not Abraham Lin.
coin aud his advisers intended assassins Of the
nation o life. and murderers OF every man whose
lffa has been offered upon our country.s battle
fields since che 18th OF last Decembef7 How
dare they assert that he was not oorfectly lu'
formed when they rejected o test Of proof 20
simple, but conclusivef ;'Ha5fTt 5h' 9g
IvO'ad, s4----aa-a.-.s.-~- ~ Il"
laaiao whatit Lends to. d toolo5!el
di The Republicans ascrlbe. the fall of Vcks.
burg and Port Hudson TO negroes, forgetting
the services oof white volunteers. The mex.
, shsll understanding thai negro a tFoops
are elequalsofo white soldiers, and that ne-
4 gro voters are the equals Of white freemen,-