Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1864-05-04
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
HIS POLICY AS TO SLAVERY.

Colonel A. G Hodges, senior editor OF
the Franklin Commonwealth, of Frank
fort KY, accompanied Governor Bramlette
and Senator Dixon when they visited the
President to adjust the difference respect
ing the enrolment Of Kentucky. At the
close of the interview Mr.. Lincoln took
occasion to explain his position on the
general subject of slavery il. its relations
to the war, and upon the suggestion of
Col. Hodges that his views were greatly
mistaken, reduced his remarks to writing
in the following letter:
EXECUTIVE MANSION.
Washington. April 18th, 1861
To H. G. Hodges, Esq, Frankfort. Ky.
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.
LII was dOOub as luilUNS.
81 am naturally anti-slavery If slav-
cry is not wrong, nothing is wrong. |
can not remember when | did not see.
think and feel that it was wrong; and
yet have never understood that the Pres
idency conferred upon Inc an unrestricted
right to act officially upon this judgment;
and feel it was in the oath took that |
would to the best of my ability preserve,
protect. and defend the Constitution Of the
United States. | could not take the office
without taking the oath, nor was it my
view that might take an oath to get
power and break the oath in using the
power. | understood that in ordinary
civil administration this oath even forbade
me to practically indulge my primary ah-
stract judgment on the moral question of
slavery. l had publicly declared this
many times and in many ways; and |
aver that to this day | have done no Off
cial act in mere Difference to my abstra ct
judgment and feeling on slavery.
did understand, however. that my
oath to preserve the Constitution to the
best of my ability imposed upon me the
duty of preserving by every Indispensable
means that Government. that Natio.., of
of which that Constitution was the organ
ic law.
Was it possible to lose the Nation and
yet preserve the Constitution?
By general law life and limb must be
protected. Yet often limb must be am
putatcd TO save life; but life is never
wisely given to save limb.
| feel that measures otherwise uncon-
stitutional might become lawful by becom-
ing indispensable to the preservation Of
the Nation. Right or wrong assume
this ground and now avow it. could
not feel that to the best of my ability !
have even tried to preserve the Constitu-
ton, if to preserve slavery or any minor
matter should permit the wreck of the
Government, Country and Constitution
altogether
When early in the war Gen. Fremont at
tempted military emancipation, forbade
it, because did not then think it an iu-
dispensable necessity. When little
later Gen. Cameron Uhen Secretary of
War; suggested the arming of the blacks
objected, because did not yet think il
an indispensable necessity.
When still later Gen. Hunter attempted
military emancipation, | again forbade it,
because did not yet think the indispens-
able necessity had come
When in March, May and July, 1862.
made earnest aud successive appeals to
the Border States to favor compensated
emancipation, | believe the Indispensable
necessity for military emancipation and
arming of the blacks would come unless
averted by that measure.
They declined the proposition, end ]
was. in my best Judgment, driven to the
alternative Of either surrcndering the Un-
ion. and with it the Constitution. or laying
the strong hand upon the colored element
I chose the latter; in choosing it hoped
for greater gain than loss, but of this ]
was not entirely confident.
More than year of trial now shows
:. L.. H., -, 49,. fn,.,,x,, ol,t,on. ,xou-