The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1864-10-13
An Interview with the President.
Has vie,cs ofthe Democratic polio

41ts Utecs oJ the democratic p0tacy.
The Grant County wis Herald con-
tains very interesting letter from Hon.
j. L. Mills, Judge of the Fifth Judicial
Circuit, giving an account of recent in
terview with Mr. Lincoln, with a report
of the remarks of the latter in regard to
the consequences which would follow the
adoption of the war policy urged by the
friends of Gen. Mcclellan. We give the
Presidents expressed views, omitting the
preliminary account of the interview:
'I don't think it is personal vanity or
ambition, though am not free from these
infirmties, but | cannot but feel that the
veal or woe of this great nation will be
decided in November There is no pro-
gramme offered by any wing of the Dem
ocratic party but that must result in the
permanent destruction of the Union"
"But, Mr.. President, Gen. Mcclellan
is in favor of crushing oGJ the rebellion
by force. He viii be the Chicago can
didate."
"Sir," said tie President, "the slightest
knowledge of arithmetic will prove to any
man that the rebel armies cannot be des-
troyed by Democratic strategy. 1t would
sacrifice all the white men of the North
to do it. There are now in the service Of
the United States near 200, 900 able-bodied
colored men, most of them under arms.
defending and acquiring Union territory.
The Democratic strategy demands that
these forces be disbanded, and that the,
masters be conciliated by restoring them
to slavery. The black men who now as
sist Union prisoners to escape, they are to
be converted into our enemies in the vain
hope of gaining the good will of their
masters We shall have to fight two ma
tions instead of one.
"1 ou cannot conciliate the South IF
you guaranty to them ultimate success ::
and the experience of the present war
proves their success is inevitable If YOU
fling the compulsory labor of millions Of
black men into thier side of the SCALE
Will you give our enemies such military
advantages as insure success, and then
depend on coaxing, fattery and concession
to get them back into the Union Aban-
don all the posts now garrisoned by black
men, take two hundred thousand men
from our side and put them in the battle
field or corn-6eld against US, and we would
be compelled to abandon the war in
three weeks.
owe have to hold territorty in incle-
ment and sickly places: where are the
Democrats to do this? 1t was a free
fight, and the field was open to the war
Democrats to put down this rebellion by
fighting against both master and slave
long before the present policy was inau-
gurated.
''There have been men base enough to
propose to ME to return to slavery the
black warriors of Port Hudson and Olus-
tee, and thus win the respect OF the mas
ters they fought Should I dc so. l
should deserve to be danned in time and
eternity. Come what will, will keep
my faith with friend and foe. My enc
mics pretend | am now carrying on this
war for the sole purpose of abolition So
long as | am President, it shall be ear
ried on for the sole purpose of restoring
the Union But no human power can
subdue this rebellion without the use of
the emancipation policy and every other
policy calculated to weaken the moral anG
physical forces of the rebellion.
Freedom has given us two hundred
thousand men raised on Southern soil
1t will give us more yet. just so much
it has subtracted frca the enemy, and
instead of alternating the South, there are
oP al G.
ing up between our men and the rank
and file of the rebel soldiers Let my
enemies prove to the country that the
destruction of slavery is act necessary to-
restoration of the Union. l will abids
the issue"