Delaware State journal and statesman., 1864-05-03

THE PRESIDENT UPON THE EMPLOY
MENr OF OoLoRED SOLDIERS AND
SAILORS.
In an official report Of the recent visit of Gov
ernor Bramlette, Of Kentucky, to Washington
published in the Frankfort Commonwealth Of
the Both, the following letter from the President
appears;
EXECUTIVE MANSION, April a, 1s64.-A. G.
Hodges, Esq, Frankfort, Kentucky-My Dear
Sir You ask me to put in writing the substance
Of what verbally said the other day, in your
presence, to Governor Bramlette and Senator
Dixon. 1t was about as follows;
81 am naturally anti-slavery. If slavery is
not wrong, nothing is wrong, / cannot remem-
ber when did not 80 think and feel. And Yet
have never understood that the Presidency con-
feIred upon me un unrestricted right to act Off
cially upou this judgment and feeling. 1t was
in the oath took that would, to the best of my
ability, preserve, protect and defend the Consti-
tuition OF the ULited States. l could not take
the Office without taking the oath. Nor was it
my view that might take an oath to get power,
aud break the oath iu using the power un-
derstood, too, that in ordinary civil sdministra
tion this oath even forbade nae to practically in
dulge in primary, abstract Judgment on the NOR
al question of slavery. | had publicly declared
this many times and in many ways And aver
that, to this day, have done no official act in
mere Difference to my abstract judgment and
feeling on slavery.
al did understand, however, that my oath to
preserve the Constitution to the best OF my abil,
ity imposed upol me the duty of preserving, by
every indispensable means, that government,
that nation. of which tnat Constitution was the
organic law. Was it possible to loose the nation
and yet preserve the Constitution
"By general law, life and limb must be pro-
tected; yet often mb must be amputated to
save life but life is never wisely given to
save q limb. felt that measures, otherwise un-
constitutional might become lawful by becoming
| Indispensable to the preservation Of the Constr
tuition through the preservation of the nation. -
Right or wrong l assumed this ground and now
| avow it. | could not feel that 10 the best Of my
ability had even tried to preserve the Constitu.
uon ii, to save slavery or any minor matter,
should permit the wreck OF government, countr,
and Constitution altogether When, early il
the war, General Fremont attempted militar,
emancipation, l forbade it, because l did no
then think it an indispensable necessity. When
little later, General Cameron, then Secretar,
of War, suggested the arming of the blacks,
objected; because l did not yet think it an in
dispensable necessity. When, still later, Gener
al Hunter attempted military emancipation,
again forbade it, because did not yet think tn
indispen able necessity had come.
"When, in March, and May, and July, 1862
| made earnest aud successive appeals to tn
border States to favor compensated emancipa
ton believed the indispensable necessity 70
military emancipation and arming the black
would come, unless aVerted by that MEASURE
They declined the proposition and l was, II
my best judgment, driven to the alternative 0
; either surrenderiug the Union, and with it tn
Constitution, or of laying strong hand upon tn
cOlOrsd element chose the latter, In choOH