Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-05-03

dent deemed it necessary to strike Slavery IN
order 70 save the nation. We haven't space
this week to discuss the letter, but we hope to
find opportunity to express our views Of it at
greater length hereafter The letter is as fol-
iowl
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, April 4'h, {
Nv DeW Sir You ask me ~ put in writing
the substance Of what verbally said the other
day, 10 your presence, t. Gov. Bramlelte and
Senator Dixon IL was about as follows
am naturally anti slavery. II slavery Is not
wrong, nothing is wrong. | cannot remember
when | did not 80 think and feel. And Yet
have never understood that the Presidency con.
lerred upon me an u restrcte right to act Off
oally upon this Judgment aud feeling II was
in the oath took, that would defend too Con-
sltution Of the United States could not take
the office without taking tho oath. Nor was il
my Wow that 1 might lake an oath o get pow
or, and break the oath in using the power. |
understood to-, that IN ordinary civil admins
tFati1n this oath even forbade mo to pc lotlcally
indulge my primary, abstract Judgment on the
moral question OF slavery had publicly de-
cia ID this many times aud IN many ways. And
| aver TINT, TO this day. have done no OlHci al
act in mere difference to my abstract judgment
and feeling % slavery
I d1 understand, however, chat ny oath TO
/ preserve the Consolation " the best OF my abll-
/ ty imposed upon Inc the duty Of preserving, by
4 every indispensable meane, that government,
HAT nation, OF which that Constitution was The
organic law Was it possible to lose the nation
and yet preserve the Constitution?
by the general law, life and limb must DO pro-
tecCad yet often limb must BE- amputated to
save u lie but life s never wisely given 10
save limb. feel that measures otherwise m.
constitutional, might become iatofui, By becoming
indispensable 10 The preservation of The CoRStinp.
fioH through che preservation Of the nation
Right 81 wlong, ASSUMED this grouid, and noU
aUOw H. | could OF lee that 10 the best VI ms
ability had even tried to preserve the Consttu-
u0u, # 10 save slavery on any minor matter
should permit the wreck Ol government, coun
try and Constitution, al together When, ear
y 10 toe war, General Fremont attempted nil
tory ouaoclpau H. forbade 1t because | dla
not tho1 think II an indispensable necessity
When, q htlle later, General Cameron, the Sec
Rotary Of War, suggested the armiug Of the
blacks objected because did MT yet think il
an indispensable necessity. Whom, still later
Generel Hunter attempted military emancpa
ton, | again forbade It, because did not yei
think the irdisp nsab.e necessity had come
" ben, IN March, All May, and July, 1862
made earnest md successive appeals to The
border States 10 favor compensated emanclpl.
ton, believed the indispensable necessity lor
military emancipation aud armog tho blacks
would come, unless ayerted by that measure
They clln9d the proposition, aud was, ~ my
b.st judgment, driven 20 III alternative OF eth4,
sureHdtmg The UHioR, ana WHh Il The COAJbtW
tioH, or Of laying strong hond upon Tho t0l0r, eie
meHf ! chose the latter In choosing Il | hone
for create gain than loss 6W Of this I 0aS MI
eatveg copfdeH More than year OF ulai
now shows no los by It auyhoH or anywhere
On he contrary u shows gam ol quite hun.
drea and thirty thousand soldiers, ssamcn and
lubJrcrs. These are pal pable iacls about winch
az ltcts, there cln be no eavi!ug. We nave
the men, an we uld net have had them with
out tho measure
Aud now, let any Union mIn who compll ,ns
Ol The measure test himself, by writing down Ia
one line that he is 0l subduing the rebellion BY
l0ice oil arms, ana IN the next, that he Is for
taking thtsl hundred AMI thirty thousand men
from the Union side and placing them where
they would be but lor The measure he condemns
/ ID he cannot face his cause SO stated, u is only
because he cannon face the truth.
add Il word which was not in the verbal Goa.
yersahon. In telling this tale, | attempt no
compliment TO my sagacly. clam moi to har.
controlled eueats, blu confess plainly that erent,
hare controlled me. Now, at the end Of tire
years struggle, the nations condition is no,
what either party or what any man devised or
expected. God alone can claim it WHITTIER
it Is tending seems PLAIN L God now wills the
removal OF great wrong, and wills also that
We OF the North, as well as you OF the South,
shall pay hi,ly for our completely in that wrong,
impartial history will hud therein new cause to
attest aud revere the justice aud goodness for
God, Yours truly,
A. LINCoLN.