Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1864-09-09
IMPORTANT AND INTERESTING IN:
TERVIEW.
a Visit to the PreSident....Mr. LimcOln's
Views of the Democratic Party.

WASWD VI sAAO ASOAAAVVH0sAC 1Hsys
The Grant county (Wis.) Herald con-
tains a very interesting letter from Hon.
John II. Mills, Judge of the Fifth Judi
cial Circuit, giving an account Ola re-
cent interview with Mr.. Lincoln, with
Il report of the remarks of the latter in
regard to the consequences which would
follow the adOptiOn of the war policy
Judge Mills was accompanied by eX
Gov. Randall, of this State, who intro
duced him to the President, and whom
he warmly thanks for his readiness tt
serve his friends from Wisconsin at the
capital. They found the President a
the Soldiers Retreat, Il building MOI
imposing in size, half hidden in foliage
the grounds tastefully laid out"
The following is Judge Mills account
of his interview with the President
what he said, and his impression of Mr.
Lincoln:
The Governor asked of Il man in wait
ing if the President had arrived. eyes, ,
was the reply. We entered a neal
plainly furnished room. A marble table
was in the centre. Directly appeared
from an adjoining apartment, a tai
gaunt looking figure, shoulders inclined
forward, his gait astride, rapid and shut
fling, ample understandings with large
slippers, and Briarian arms, with a face
radiant with intelligence and humOr.
TheGovernor addressed him (: "Mr
President, this is my friend and YOU
friend, Mills from Wisconsin,
| 81 am glad to see my friends from
| Wisconsin; they are the hearty friends
of the Union"
81 could not leave the city, Mr.. Presi
dent, without hearing words of cheer
| from your own lips. Upon you, as the
representative of the loyal people, de.
pend as we believe, the existence of Oul
government and the future of America
This introduced political topics.
"NIr. President" said Gov. Randall
"why can't you seek seclusion, and play
hermit for a fortnight? it would rein
vigorate YOU"
aye" said the President, ''two OF
three weeks would do me no good. l
cannot fly from my thoughts-my So
licitude for this great country follows
me wherever | go. l don't think it is
personal vanity or ambition, though |
am not free from these infirmities, but |
cannot but feel that the veal or woe OF
this great nation will be decided in No
vember THERE'S no programme offered
y
but that must result in the permanent
destruction of the Union"
"But, Mr.. President, Gen. Mcclellan
is in favor Of crushing out the rebellion
by force. He will be the Chicago call
didate."
Sir said the President, "the slight
est knowledge of arithmetic will prove
to any man that the rebel armies cannot
be destroyed with Democratic strategy.
1t would sacrifice all the white men of
the North to do it. There are now in
the service of the United States near
POO 900 able-bodied colOred men, most of
them under arms, defending and acquir-
ing Union territory. The Democratic
strategy demands that these forces be
disbanded, and that the masters be
conciliated by restoring them to slavery.
The black men who now assist Union
prisoners to escape, they are to be con-
verified into our enemies in the vain hope
of gaining the good will of their mas
tiers. We shall have to fight two ma
tons instead of one.
You cannot conciliate the South if you
guarantee to them ultimate success; and
the experience of the present war proves
their success is enevitable, if you fling
the compulsory 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 cOnces-
sion to get them back into the Union
a ABANDON all the posts now garriSOned
by black men take 200, 900 men from
our side and put them in the battle field
or corn field against us, and we would
be compelled to abandon the war in
three weeks.
|. We have to hold territory in inclement
and siclly places; where are the Demo-
Gratis to do this? It was a free fight,
and the field was open TO the War Dem
Ocrats to put down this rebellion by
fighting against both master and slave,
long before the present policy was in
augurated.
There have been men base enough to
propose to me to return to slavery the
black warriors of Port Hudson and
Oiustee, and thus win the respect of the
masters they fought. Should l do so 1
should deserve to be damned in time and
eternity. Come what will l will keep
my faith with friend and foe. My enc
mics 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
Union. But no human power can sub
due this rebellion without the use Ofthe
emancipation policy, and every other
policy calculated to weaken the moral
and physical forces OF the rebellion.
Freedom has given us 200, 600 men
raised on Southern soil. 1t will give us
more yet. Just so much it has sub
tracted from the enemy, and instead of
alternating the South, there are now evil
dences of a fra-ernal feeling growing up
between our men and the rank and file
of the rebel soldiers. Let my enemies
prove TO the country that the destruction
of slavery is not necessary to restora-
ton of the Union. ] will abide the is
sue"
saw that the President was not q
mere joker, but man of deep convic-
tons, of abiding faith in justice, truth
and Providence. His voice was pleas
ant, his manner earnest and emphatic
AS he warmed with his theme his mind
grew to the magnitude of his body. |
felt / was in the presence of the great
guiding intellect of the age, and that
those "huge Atlantean shoulders were
fit to bear the weight of mightiest mon
archies." His transparent honesty, re-
publican simplicity, his gushing SYM
pathy for those who offered their lives
for their country, his utter forgetfulness
of self in his concern for its welfare,
could not but inspire me with confidence
that he was Heavens instrument to
blood to a Canaan of peace and freedom.
J. T. MILLS.
Gov. Campbell and the Negro Troops.
T