New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1864-04-28

tHc'y every favor which, under existing laws, could
reasonably be dcmanded and expressed Che most earn
~. sympathy for them, and desire to avert SO lar as
may be- the Of those calamtes TO which
a Border Stat, .lry Lave been subjected.
Respectfully Tao Y BrANnETTE."
LATTER FBOH PRESIDENT LIECOLn.
1t appear pertinent to append 10 the foregoing cor
roSpondence the annexed Gte- rom President Lincoln.
The circumstances which elected from the President
the letter are under ataGd them alOpt follows:
The senior ~ The Commonwealth Col Hodges, 10y inyi-
tGtiOn, accompanied Gov. Branlette ana tho Hon.
Archie Dixon on thor recent visit 20 Washington and
to the Executive Mansion WHOM they had interviews
with the President aud Secretary OF War;
AZ the close Oi the interview bgt President Lin
coin md Coy. HTsulete aud Senator Dixon the pres!
dent pleasantly remarked as the other gentlemen were
about retiring that he was apprehensiye that Kentuck
Hs lett unklndIy toward him, in Consequence Of not
properly unde standing the difficulties by which lie was
surrounded in lis efforts To put down this Rebellion
aud that be would explain 70 the gentlemen some Of
those dlcues, If they felt inclined 10 hear him. 4
Willingness was Al onc' manifested and the President
explained TO them the difficulties 70 which he had al
ludad.
On Subsequent occasion in a couyegsatoniyith Mr.
Lincoln, Col Hodges remarked that Be was satisfied
that the President greatly misunderstood by many
OF the citizens Of kcntlckr ana that lie would greatly
0jCc him II he would write out tne remarks made 10
GOV. Bramete aud Senator Dixon in order that. with
the PTesden's permission. they might he published IN
The Conm0rEsatt, that, il published, The Colonel
doubted not they wOad remove much Of the rgcIhdce
which vas attempted to b9 created against TIC Prsi-
dent IN Kentucky.
The President took the matter into consideration.
and shortly after hs return home the Colonel received
NE following which VIC WOud commend 10 the Gcliber-
ate consideration Of TIE patriotic people Of kentucky
"ENUCruyE MlSsIoS WAsHNGiOs, April4.
" \. q. HoDGfS, osq, FrdaSjort ~;
AY DEAF SIN: You ask mc TO put in writing the
substance II what verbally said the other day, ~
yJgr presence 10 GOV. BrBmlcttc aud senator Dixon.
Ii Was about as follows
60 am naturally AntSiayery. If Slavery is not
did nei 20 Link end fscf Ana vet / have never M
de stood that the Presidency conferred upon an an
restricted right 10 at officially upon this Judgment and
feeling " wes In the oath took, lint would ~ s.H
hest OF my ability pTsorye protect and def,nd the
Constitution 81 the United Stes. could not take the
office without taking tho oath Nor was i my view
that Nigh take oath g. get power, aud break INC
oath in using the power. | understood too that IL
.dinGy civil Administrator this oath even forbade
me, to practically indulge ny primary abstract iuds
riclt ON he moral question OF slavery had pdbhc{
dcc.mDd ihis many tl!aes, nnd III many Why's. Ana
aver that, 20 ths day, have done no Oir'a uct n
mere Difference 70 ~ abstract Judgment aud feeling ON
Slavery.
DID understand however that M oail 70 preserve
he Constitution 10 The best Of my ability, Imposed upon
me tue duty q preserving, by every lIIlspea-nL.c
means. tLat GoyeFnmeAt-tlst Nation, OF which that
Constitution the organic Law. as u possible 20
lose the Nation and yet preserve the Constitution
&" by general law life sud limb must BE- protected;
vet often limb must De- ampuated 10 save liie but
lfe Is never wisely given To save limb. feel that
measures. otherwise unconstitutional. might become
lnSlul by becoming Indispensable to tie preservation
81 tie Constitution. through tie preservation 81 the
Nation. Right el WONG ] suIned this ground, and
now ayow H. / could not feel that 10 thc best Of my
ability had even tried % prtfc-ye the Constitution II
10 save Slavery OF ery minor matter should permit
the wreck ~ Govern mt. Country, and Constitution
al together. When early IL the war ten. Fremont
attempted military emancipation. forbade IT, because
did not then thiak Il an Indispensable necessity
When little later, Gen Cameron. then secretary OF
Mar suggested the armlng Of the blacAs objected,
hrcarFe dld not vet think 4 M Indispensable neces
sty. when TN later Gen. Hunter attemrud military
e. cipston aSain forbade IT, because did not yti
TIL - Ito indisl. usable ur,s salty Lad cone
wien in March, and Msy. and July, lso2 made
and fucoessye appeals To the Border states TO
favor corpeEsa,od emancipation, believed The ndi'
pcnsablo necessity Tor military emancipation and arm
the blacks would come unless nverted by that meas
urc They declined the proposition, and was. ~ my
hest judgement driven 10 tie alternative Of chor sur
rendering the Union end with 4 the CONSTITUTION or o.
Law ng strong hand upon The colmed element. chose
tie batter In choosing H. hoTed i"r greater gam thnh
loss but of obs, / was not cntiuiy ounh,rnt. More
han wear Of trial shows loss by IT, IN orr for
eign relations. none in our home lopIHr sentiment;
none IN our white military fOrccno loss by % anyhQ"
1r InyWLerc On the contrary n shows gain oi qiIc
hundred md thirty thousaud soldiers, s'hmon and
laaorrrf These arc palpgllg flcS, about wdch. o.
facts there b. no caEihnR. W" have Ia" luyh ana
we could not have had them wIt!uut the measure.
And now LEI any Union man who complains II tle
measure test himself by writing down IN orc line thlt
20 s for suhdung the Rebellion hy iorce oi arms -hd
in tho next that be- is for taking thee 10000 men from
the Union side and placing them where they houd De
hut for the measure hc condemns II BE- cannot hce
HI. cause stated II is only because he caoi lace The
truth.
add a word, which not IN the cerba! converse
ton In telling this tale attempt no compliment -
my own scaCiiy clam hot 10 have controlled rt elIa,
hut confess plainly that events have controlled ne
Now at the end Of three years struggle the nation
condition is not what either party or any man Devised
oI expected. God alone can claim u. Nh,h"f u rs
ta- ling seems plain II God Ais the removal Of
great wrohg and wills alsO that of the North, a.
vel a. you OF he Sout shall pay airy FOR our com
pc.ty in that wrong impartial history III md ihrrrn
new cause TO attest and the ustice and GOOD
uess o! God. Yours truly, Il. LsCoLA'