Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-05-14

nave StO0d tue test OF time, and tt seemed
to me due to him that some of the charac.
terslc merits by which they are recon.
mended to the general mind should be
pointed out.-S Spirit If Tie Fair.
Letter from the Prestdent--AnA Admi bile
Vindicatton OF His Emancipation Policy.
The following letter from President Lincoln
has just appeared 10 the Frankfort (Ky.) Com
moa,oedfh. 1t was written at The request Of
Col. Hodges. the editor OF that paper, and sd-
dressed TO him with permission to publish it,
that the people Of Kentucky might hear from
the President himself what were the actual
grounds upon which he based his policy of
emancipation $50 much Misrepresentation and
tituperaiion on the part OF most OF the news
papers of Kentucky having hitherto kept the
people 10 ignorance, and so succeeded 10 foster
the State respecting that policy. Col. Hodges
having accompanied Gov Bramlette and Sena-
tor Dixon on their late visit to Washington. to
consult with the p. esdebt touching The draft
in Kentucky, heard this admirable viudication
o: his policy addressed IN the course Of couver.
|
hinself,-ond was Immediately struck with the
| thought that the publication Of such a convn-
cling summary Of facts aud arguments could not
but have q most beneficial influence in Ken.
tucky at the present time lie, therefore, request.
ed the Presidents permission 10 publish what
be had said, aud having taken the matter into
consideration, thu President consented, and
himself addressed the following letter embody.
ing the conversation o'CoL lodges
Executive MAN,Iox Washing on, Apr. 4
A G Hodges, Esq Frankfort, Ky
My DEAR SIR-You ask me to put in
writing he substance of what l verbally
said, the o'her day, in your pre,euce, to
Gov. Bramlet,e and Senator Dixon. II
was about as follows
ON naturally anti slavery IF slavery
is not wrong. nothing is wrong. | can not
remember when | did not so think and feel
Aud yet | have never undersl ood that the
Presidency conferred upon me on unre
strictcd right to act officially upon this
Judgment and feeling 1t was in the oath
[ took, would TO the best Of my ability,
preserve, protect, aud defend The Constitu-
ion of he United States l coald not
axe the Office without taking the oath -
Nor was it my view that | might take an
oath to get power and break the oath in
using he power. j undersl ood, too, that
in ordinary civil administration this oath
even forbade me to practically indulge my
primary abstract Judgment on the mora
question Of slavery. | had publicly de
clarcd this many times and 10 many ways
And / aver that, 10 this day, have done
no tfical act in mere Difference 10 my alb
stract Judgment and feeling on slavery.
did understand, however, that my oatl
to preserve the Constitution 10 the best 0
, my ability imposed upon me the duty c
> preserving, by every indispensable mean
that Government, that Nation, Of whic
u that Constitution was the organic law
: Was it possible to lose The Nation and ye
d preserve the Constitution
BY general law, life and limb must b
; protected yet often limb must be ampu
; tated TO save life but a life is neye
wisely given TO Save limb l feel tha
measures, otherwise uncons itntional Nigh
become lawful, by becumng indispensable
TO the preseI vstian of the Constitution
through the preservation of the Nation
Right or wrong, l assumed this grouad
: and now avow it, ! could not feel tha
to the best Of my ability had even triet
to preserve the Constitution. if to say
slavery or any minor matter. should pei
q nit The wreck o. the Government, Countr
!. aud Constitution, all together Whe
!. early in the war General Fremont a
4, tempted military emancipation, | forbad
,s IL because did not then think it an indi
r. pensable necessity. When little late
;. General Cameron, then Secretary of Wa
., Sugges ed he armiug of the blacks. o
IN jected, because did not yet think it an it
W dl,pensable necessity. When, still late
i, General Hunter attempted military emanc
II paliou, ] again forbade il, because di
+. not yet think the Indispensable necessit
- had come.
II When in March, and May, and Jul,
, 1862, made earnest and successive 81
v peuls 10 the Border States, 10 favor Con
Al peusatcd emancipation, believed ii
Indispensable necessity for military emal
cipalion, and urming the blacks wouI
come, nnle!s aver'ed by that measur
They declined the proposition, and wa
IN my best judgment, driven TO the slter'
atve, Of either surrenderlng the UnlOn, an
n With it, the Constitution, or OF Iayin
" strong hand upon the colo ed element
re | chose the larter. In choosing il l hope
for greater gain than loss but Of this
N. was not entirely con6deut. More than
IN year of trial now shows no loss by it, 10 o.
he foreign relations noue in our home pop
a lar sentiment none in our white militia
forcs--no loss by it anyhow or anywheI
Ga the contrary, it shows gain of qni
hundred aud thirty thousand soldier
80, seameu aud laborers These are palpa6
ne facts, about which, as facts, there can
no cavliug. We have the men, aud
could not have had them without The met
ure
And now, let any Union man, who co
he plains of the measure, test himself, by W
ting down in Que lne, that he is for su5t
ing the rebellion by force of arme, aud
tue nex., that he is for takiag these hl
dred aud thirty Thousand men from
tn Union side, aud placing them where ii
I'D would. be, but for The measure he condemn
Ii be eau not face his cause 50 stated, Il
only because be can not face the ruth
/ add a word, which was not in he
bal conversation. ln telling thls, tale,