Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-05-04
Interesting Letter from PresE-
dent Lincoln.
HE Frankfort Commonwealth publis


es an official report Of the re
suits of the visit of Gov. Bramlette I,
Washington, and the following letter from
President Lincoln, which viii be reac
with interest. The correspondence show
that the interview of Gov. Bramlett will
the President and Secretary Of War, wa
of the most amicable and conciliatorl
character. Gov. B. in his report says:
The object of my mission TO Washing
ton was, to have the quotas of militia call
ed into service from Kentucky assigned
upon the basis of enrolment, and not o
population and to obtain relief to tn,
citizens of Kentucky against unauthorized
and offensive interference of officers, sol
diers and recruiting brokers with the
slaves in Kentucky; and to have the en-
listment and draft of slaves confined with
in the perview of the act of Congress fol
enrolment and draft, &c.
Upon presenting the facts, upon which
these demands were made, the President
and Secretary of War promptly decided
that the demands were Just and reasona
bic, and that everything they could dc
to further my wishes; in these regards
should be done.
Col. Hodges, editor of the Common.
wealth accompanied Gov. Bramlette and
Hon. Mr.. Dixon in their visit TO the Elk.
ecutive Mansion, where they had an in.
terview with the President and Secretary
Of War. At the close of the interview the
President pleasantly remarked that he
was apprehensive Kentuckians Selt un.
kindly toward him, in consequence, of not
properly understanding the difficulties BY
which he was surrounded, in his efforts to
put down the rebellion, and at their re-
quest explained to them the difficulties
which he had alluded to. Col. Hodges
wished the remarks written out for pub
hcation in the Commonwealth, and short
ly after his return home received the fol-
lowing, which that able Union journal
"commends to the deliberate considera-
ton ofthe patriotic people of Kentucky" /"
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
WASHINGTON, April A, 1864.
i. G Hodges, Esq, FrankJort, Ky.:
NV DEAR SIR-You ask me to put in
writing the substance of what ly
said, the other day in your presence, to
1t was about as follows:
81 am naturally anti-slavery If slavery
is not wrong, nothing is wrong. cam
not remember when | did not so think
and feel. And yet have never under
stood that the Presidency conferred upon
me an unrestricted right to act officially
upon this judgment and feeling. 1t was
in the oath took, that / would 10 the
best of my ability, preserve, protect and
defend the Constitution of the United
States. | could not take the Office with
out taking the oath. Nor was it my
view. that | might take an oath TO get
power, and break the oath, in using the
power. | understood, too, that in ordina-
rY civil administration, this oath even
forbade me to practically indulge in pri-
mary, abstract judgment on the moral
question of slavery. | had publicly de-
clared this many times, and in many
ways. And / aver that, 10 this day, !
have done no official act in mere defer
ence to my abstIactjudgment and feeling
On slavery.
81 did understand, however, that nv
path to preserve the Constitution to the
best of my ability, imposed upon me the
duty of preserving, by every indispensa-
Bile means. that Government-that Ma
ton, of which that Constitution was the
organic law. Was it possible TO lose the
Nation, and yet preserve the Constitu-
ton?
by general law, life and limb must be
protected; yet often limb must be am
putated to save a life; but life is never
wisely given to save a limb | felt that
otherwise unconstitutional:
might become lawful, by becoming indis-
pensable to the preservation of the Con-
,titption, through the preservation of the
Nation. Right or wrong assumed this
ground, and now avow it. ] could not
feel, that to the best of my ability had
even tried to preserve the Constitution.
t to save slavery, or any minor matter, l
should permit the wreck of Government,
Country and Constitution, altogether
When, early in the war, Gen. Fremont
attempted military emancipation, | for
babe it, because did not then think il
IN indispensable necessity. When, lit
lie later. General Cameron, then Secre-
,ary of War, suggested the arming of the
blacks, ! objected because | did not
.hink it an indispensable necessity-I
When, still later, Gen. Hunter attempted
military emancipation l again forbade Il
/ did not yet think the indispens-
able necessity had come.
When, in March, and May, and July.
1862, made earnest and successive ap-
1eals to the border States to favor com
emancipation, believed the in
iispensable necessity for military eman-
,ipation, and arming the blacks would
,ome, unless ayerted by that measure
They declined the proposition; and
vas, in my best judgment, driven to the
alternative, of either surrendering the
Union, and with il, the Constitution, or
If laying strong hand upon the colored
element. | chose the latter. In choos-
ng it, ] hoped for greater gain than loss;
out of this | was not entirely confident
More than year of trial now shows no
oss by it, in our foreign relations; none
n our home popular sentiment; none in
Dur white military force-no loss by it,
my how, or any where. On the contrary,
t shows a gain of quite hundred and
thirty thousand soldiers, seamen, and la
1orers. These are pslpable facts, about
which as facts, there can be no eaYilling.
We have the men, and we could not have
lad them without the measure
"And now, let any Union man, who
of the measure, test himself,
~ writing down in one line, that he is
or subduing the rebellion by force of
lrms, and in the next, that he is for tax
ng these hundred and thirty thousand
nen from the Union side, and placing
hem where they would be, but for the |
Measure he condemns. Ifhe can not face |
lis cause so stated, il is only because
lie cannot face the truth.
81 add word, which was not in the
erbal conversation. In telling this tale, |
attempt no compliment to my own sa-
acity. ! claim not to have controlled |
vents, but confess plainly that events
ave controlled me. Now, at the end of
hree years struggle. the nations condi- |
ion, is not what either party or any man
evised or expected. God alone can claim
t. Whittier it is tending seems plain
4 God now wills the removal of great
'rong, and wills also that we of the North, |
5 well as you of the South, shall, pay fair |
Y for our completely. in that wrong, i'm
'artial history will lfind therein new causes
o attest and revere the justice and good