Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1864-10-24
SUNDAY NIGHTS
Dispatches.

The PresfGent's Letter ts Tennss-
seeans.
ExEcgTTvE MANSION,
WAsHNGroS, Oct. 10Th, 1864.
Messrs ". B Campbell, Thomas A. r.
Nelson, James Carter, John Wilson.
A Blizzard, e Cooper, B. Peyton,
John Elliott, E. Ethsridge, John D.
Perryman,
GeAtle~e1a:
On the 18th dsy Of this month, as
remember, printed paper with s few
manuscript interlineations, called pro-
test, with your names appended thereto.
and accompanied By another printed pa.
per, purporting to be q proclamation BY
Andrew johnson. Military Governor Of
Tennessee, aud also manuscript paper
purportiag to be extracts from the code
of Tennessee, were laid before ne.
The protest, proclamation and extracts
are as follows:
The protest is here reeited, and as
ihe proclamation Of Mr. Johnson, dated
Sept SUB. to which il refers, together
will! d list Of counties in East Tennes.
see ami West Tennessee, also ex.ri,cts
from the code of Tennessee, in relation
TO elections Of President and Vice Presi.
dent, qualifications og voters, places of
hold.nS elections, aud officers OF popu-
lar elections.
The President then says: At the time
these papers were presented, "a before
stated, | had never seen cit her of them
or heard of the subject to which they
relate, except in general way, only
one day previously, for 10 the present
moment nothing whatever has psssel
between Governor JahnsoE, or any Oae
else connected with the proclamation,
aud myself
Since receiving the papers, as stated,
| have given the subject such brief con
sidera,ion as have been able 10 DO in
the midst Of 50 many pressing public
duties
Ny conviction is that can have moth
lag 70 do with the matter, either to sus-
tain my plan, as the Convention and
Governor johnson have initiated il, or
to revoke or modify, as you demand.
By the Constitution and the laws the
President IL charged with no duty in the
conduct Of Presidential elections in any
State, nor do |, in this case, perceive
any real reason for his interference in
this matter.
The movement act on foot by the Con-
vention and Gov. johnson. does not, as
seems to be assumed by you, enAnate
from the National Executive. In no
proper sense can 1t be considered other
than an independent movement, Of at
least portion of the loyal people Of
Tennessee.
do not see in the plan any menace
Of violence or coercion toward any one
Gov. johnson, like any other loyal
citizen, has the right to favor any politi-
cal plan be choose, ADD as Military Gov
ernor. Il bis duty TO keep peace among
and for loyal citizens Of the State. /
cannot discern that BY this plan he pur.
poses anything more presume that
conducting Presidential elections ia
Tenuessee, according to the old code, -
not nov possible. Il is scarcely neees-
| sary to add that IL any election shall be
held, and any votes shall be cast in the
State Of Tennessee for President or Vice
President OF the United States, it will
sslong--not TO military agents, nor yet
to the Executive department, bat exelu-
siveiy to another department Of the Gov
eminent, TO determine whether they are
TO be counted, ia conformity with the
Constitution and laws Of the United
staies-excsps It be TO give protection
against violence.
decline to interfere in any way with
any Presidential elections
Signed ABRAHAM LINCOLN.