The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-09-23
President Lincoln's Views.

Judge John T. Mills of Mich, gives sn
interesting interview with President Lincoll,
portion of which We copy:
don't think it is personal vanity or am
o''ion, though am not free from these in
N'n''ies' but cannot but feel that the veal
OF woe OF this great nation viii bs ssc;asd
In November. There is No ,ro,-
offered by any wing of the Democr.,ic NAV, ,
but that must result in th. permanent, A..
struction of the Union.
But, Mr.. President, General Mcclellan
Is in favor of crushing out the rebellion by
force. He will be the Chicago candidate. 4"
~Sir," said the President, "the slightest
knowledge of arithmetic will prove to any
man that the rebel armies cannot be DESTROY
ed with Democratic strategy. 1t would sac
'i'oe all the white men of the North to DO
IL There are now in the service of the
'hileo States near 100000 able-bodied COL
ofeu men, most of them under arms, defend
Ing and acquiring Union territory. The
Democratic strategy demands thst the,e
forces oe disbanded, and that the masters he
conelllated by restoring them 10 slavery
The black men who now assist Union priso.
ners 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 light two nations instead of one.
You cannot conciliate the South If YOU
guaranty 10 them ultimate success; and the
experience OF the present war proves their
success is inevitable if you A.ng the compul-
sorry labor of millions of black men into
their side of the scale. VIII You give our
enemies such military advantages as insure
success, and then depend on coaxing, fiattery
and concession to get them back into the
Union? Abandon all the posts now garri-
soned by black men, take 100000 men from
our side and put then in the battlefield or
eorn-held against US, and We would be COM
PEELED TO abandon the war in three weeks.
ave have TO hold territory in inclement
and sickly places: where are the Democrats
to do this? Itwas 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 wa
inaugursted.
There have been men base enough to
propose TO me 10 return u slavery the black
warriors of Pert Hudson and Olustee, and
thus win the respect of the masters they
fought Should do so, l should deserve to
be damned in time and eternity. Come what
will will keep nv faith with friend and foe.
My enemies pretend am now carrying on
this war for the sole purpose of abolition.
So long as am President it shall be carried
on for the sole purpose of restoring the Un-
ion. But no human power can subdue this
rebellion without the use of the emancipation
policy, and every other policy calculated to
weaken the moral and physical forces of the
rebellion.
Freedom has given US 100000 men rais-
ed on Southern soil. 1t viii give US more
vet. Just SO much it mas subtracted from
the enemy. and instead of alternating the
South, there are now evidences of q frater-
nal feeling growing up between our men and
the rank and file of the rebsl soldiers. Let
my enemies prove to the country that the
destruction of slavery is not necessary to a
restoration of the Jnion. / will abide the
ISSUE"