North Branch democrat. [volume] (Tunkhannock, Pa.) 1854-1867, 1864-05-04
The SeGro Question QuaintIy Pat.
Exefntivn hIan3inn. April /.

4. G. Ho2es Esq Frankfort Kentucky:
Ny DEAR SIR,-You ask me to pst in
writing the substance. OF what verbally
said the other day, 10 your presence, 10 Gov
ernor Bramlette, and Senator Dixon. IL
was bout ss follows . .. .......s ca.
arn naturally ant,-slsvery. If slavery is
not wrong, nothing Is wrong | cannot re-
member when did not so think and feel
And yet have never understood that the
Presidency conferred upon me an unrcstrict-
ed right to acJ officially upon this Judgment
and feeling 1t was in tue oath took, that
| would, to the best oi my ability, preserve,
protect, end defend the Constitution Of the
United States. | could not take the office
without taking the OATH. Nor was ii my
view that might take an oath 10 get Ppwer,
and break The oath 10 using the power.
understood, too t4at, in ordinary civil ad-
mlnstratnn, this oath even forbade mel 10
practically indulge nay primary, abstract
Judgment on ths morai Question Of slavery.
/ had publicly declared tHis many times and
n mauy way. Aai aver that, to this day,
have done no otfi'iaI act ia mere deietence
to my abstt acted Judgment and feeling on
/ slavery. .s-.r r.....-.. r.. .......- ......-.
/ | dill understand toworer, that my oath
10 preserve ''e CONSTITUTION {" the pest Oh
my ao''ty impose ] upon IN. the du'y q pre-
serving, bY every indispensable means, that
government 'hAt nat''n' OF "h'en the Con-
Ts'itnt'on was Inc Organic law. "as u pos
slbIe t" lose The nation ana yet preserve
the. o''hso 'u'o"
by general law -ie ana I''n0 must be pro
! tecteI; yet oiel "'ho must DC ahpo'at
ed to save lie; pat t!'e Is never wisely
gwen to save limb. Jeet Ht"t measures
t 0iheT0'Se @RCo"Sftt"s'oadi' M'3'I 0ecoH'e IN
dtSPeaS"Ols 10 me preservation me Con-
| st'f"t'0h through the Preservation 'i the ha'
tor. hlSht or Wong assume "s'S g'0H'd
disd ''oc dro'r II. u. c MD not !eei that TO
the best o' my ab'tity had even tired 10
preserve 'He C"n'''ta'ioh' u 70 save slavery
or any MINOR matter, sh"ntd permit lhe
wreck OF government, country, ani oohst-
tuition al toGetber' When, early IN the war,
! General t'eho1t attempted military emam-
J clPaiion.' !o' bate It because d'i not then
think It an Indispensable necessity. When,
little later, General Cameron, then Secrc-
tary Of War, suggested tho armias of tic
blacks, l objected. because | lid net yet
think it an. Indispensable necessity. When,
still later, General Hunter pied militia
ry emancipation, again flrbile it, because
dill not YET thHlt The Indispensable neceS>
sity had coIue.
When, in March, anl May, and July, 1862
! made earnest ana Successive appeals t.
The border states to fayorcompensated cman
| cjpa'on, believed the Indispensable neces-
sity for military emancipation and arm;ng
the blacks woull come, qale's averIed by
/ that measure. They declined the proposition
and was, in ny hest Judgment, driven to
the Alternative Of eRheF SAr7endeFtng the
| Union, anL lch /. tie Go StHntion, or Of
laying strong hand upon The coiored element
chose The latter In ch"osinEi il hoped
! for greater gain than los 6m OF THIS 'ods
! not entirely confden. More than year Of
! trial now shows no loss by 1t IN our foreign
! relations, none IN CIR home popular sehti-
tnent, none N our "h'ie i"'itaFY iofce-ho
loss by 1t anyh'" or anywhere. va Inc
. contrary, Il slows gan oi quite hundred
and thirty thousand soldiers seaman, ana
iab"rers. These are tiAiPah'e facts about
which, as &c ;, tlere can bc no civi'ing.-
! We have tie men, ana we c1uii no, have
had them "ithou' itu' the measure
And N"", ieI any th'oh man man VII"
comp 'alp'T "i The measure Af test hihScn' ny
dninz lie rebellion Ly force Of arms, AMI IN
The next, that he is for taking these hundred