Daily Ohio statesman. [volume] (Columbus, Ohio) 1855-1870, 1864-05-05
MESSAGEFRoM THE PRESIDENT


MESSAGEFR0M THE PRESIDENT
Documents I'm the Isinir Case.
On Monday, May 2, the following mes
sage from President LINCOLN was read in
the House, giving the information called for
respecting the assignment OF a member of
the House, Mr.. BLAIR, of Missouri, to COM
mand in the army:
| To the Honorable House Of Representatives:
| In compliance with the request contained
in your resolution of the 29th ult., copy
of which resolution is herewith returned,
have the honor to transmit the following:
ExEcUTIvE MANSION,
| WASHINGTON, Nov. 2, 1868.
Hon. MONTGOMERY BLAIR-My Dear SIR:
| Some days ago l understood you to say that
your brother Gen. Frank Blair, desires to
be guided by my wishes as to whether he
will occupy his seat in Congress or remain
in the field. My wish then is compounded
of what believe will be best for the coun-
try, and 1t is that he will come here, put
his military commission in my hands, take
his seat, 90 into caucus with our friends,
abide the nominations, help elect the nomi-
nees, and thus aid to organize House of
Representatives which will really support
the Government in the war. If the result
shall be the election of himself as Speaker,
let him serve In that position. If not, let
him retake his commission and return to the
army for the country.
This will heal dangerous schism for him.
1t will relieve him from dangerous posi-
tion or a misunderstanding, as think he Is
in danger of being permanently separated
| from those with whom only he can ever
have II real sympathy sincere opponents
of slavery.
| 1t will be a mistake If he shall allow the
provocations offered him by insincere time
servers to drive him from the house of his
own building. Hell young yet. He has
abundant talents-quite enough to occupy
all his time, without devoting any to tenn
per.
He is rising in military skill and useful
ness. His recent appointment to the COM
mand of corps by one so competent to
Judge as General Sherman, proves this. In
that line he can serve both his country and
himself more proftably than he could as a
member of Congress upon the floor.
The foregoing is what l would say of
Frank Blair were he my brother instead of
yours. A. LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON, Jan. /, 1864.
thereby tender my resignation as Major
General of United States Volunteers. Re-
spectfully, FRANK z. BLAIR,
Mai. Gen. u. S. Vols.
To the President of the United States.
WASHINGTON CITY, d. G.
Accepted by order of the President.
January IL, 1864.
EDWIN NJ. STANTON,
Secretary of War.
ADJUTANT GENERALS OFFICE,l
WASHINGTON, January IL, 1864.
Your resignation has been accepted by
effect this day.
l am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient
servant, JAMES A. HARDIE,
Assistant Adjutant General.
To Major General f. p. BLAIR,
United States Volunteers.
Here follow copies of kilograms marked
"Private" and Confidential" which passed
in March and April last between the Presi-
dent and Generals GRANT BLAIR and Lo->
GAN respecting the corps to which BLAIR
should be assigned. The Seventeenth was
finally agreed upon. The remaining docu-
ments are the following:
EXECUTIVE MANSION, I
WASHINGTON, April %, 1864.
Hon. Secretary Of War:
My DEAR SIR: According to our under
standing with Major General Frank p.
Blair, at the time he took his seat in Con-
gress last winter, he now asks to withdraw
his resignation as Major General, then ten
dered, and be sent to the field. Let this be
done. Let the order sending him be such
as shown to-day by the Adjutant General,
only dropping from 1t the names of Mcguire
and Tompkins.
Yours, truly, A. LINCOLN.
WASHINGTON CITY, April %, 1864.
Hon. E. NJ. Stanton, Secretary Of War:
l respectfully request to withdraw my
resignation as Major General of the United
States Volunteers, rendered on the 18th day
of January, 1864.
Respectfully, FRANK P. BLAIR.
WAR DEPARTMENT,
ADJUTANT GENERALS OFFCE,}
WASHINGTON, April %, 1864.
GENERAL ORDERS No. 17S:-Major Cen
eral Frank p. Blair, Jr, is assigned to the
command of the Seventeenth Army Corps,
Captain Andrew j. Alexander, Third Regi-
ment United States Cavalry, is assigned as
Assistant Adjutant General of the Seven
teenth Army Corps, with the rank OF Lieu
tenant Colonel, under the tenth Section of
the act approved July IL, 1862.
By order of the President.
E. d. TOWNSEND, A. A. G..
The foregoing constitutes all sought by
the resolution SO far as remembered, or has
been found upon diligent search. RIO
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
MAY 2, 1854.
The message was referred to the commit
tee on Elections, and ordered to be printed.