The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1865-11-27

cd 10 learn MS conclusion. upon eendlng In
my card he wrote upon the back OF II as fol- |
lows, and returned 1t to me:
81 sent your sase the secretary of the Inter-
or yesterday, and have not yet heard oft.
A. LINCOLN.
Aug. IS, 1868.
To which l returned Immediately the fol-
lowing answer:
40 President Lincoln
hardly know how am to understand your
note. Must [ inter from it that am referred to
the interior department, or must wait upon your
excellenCy until you hear from the department
When may expect definite answer.
Aug 25. 1862
On the next day Mr.. Lincoln's reioinder
was placed in my hands by Mr.Nicholay. his
private secretary, and is here subjoined. The
body of the letter and the signature are both
in hist Mr.. Lincoln)hand writing, as Gen. b.
NJ. Prentiss, Hon. jackson Grimshaw and n.
Bushnell, Esq of this city. and Hon Nj. Hay
and others of Springfield to whom / showed it
few days ago, can testify, if doubted.
EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WAsHINGToN, Aug. %. 1868.
Hon. l. N. MORRIS, Dear Sir Your note, ask
ing what you were to understand was received
yesterday. Monday morning, sent the papers to
the secretary of the Interior with an endorsement
that my impression of the iawEwas not changed,
and that desired him to take up the subject and
dc his duty according to his view the law. Yes
terday, said the same think verbally.
Now, my understanding is that the law has not
assigned me- specifically, any duty in the case, but
has assigned it to the secIetary of the interior. 1t
NAV be nv general duty to direct him to act, which
l have performed. When he shall have acted, If
his action is not satisfactory, there nBy, or may
not, be an appeal TO me 1t is point have not
examined but IT then il be shown that the law
gives such appeal, shall not hesitate to entertain
1t when presented.
Yours Truly,
A. LINCOLN.
Instantly upon the receipt of this letter |
wrote to Nj Lincoln, lit is all | expected you
now to say-full, complete and just in it's
spirit and sentiment. In behalf of Illinois |
return you her grateful thanks for it." 1t
will be seen by referring to the latter part of
the letter that Mr. Lincoln says, Nv hen he
(meaning the Interior secretary shall have
acted, If his action as not satisfactory there
may or may not be an appeal to me. 1t is n
point have not examined, but if them 1t be
shown that the law gives such appeal L SHALL
| NOT HESITATE To ENTERTAIN 1T WHEN PRE-
sENTED," thus clearly indicating, In connec
ton with the proceeding language, and IN
! conformity with what were known to be his
views that if you decided against the state he
weuld reverse your decision If 1t could be
| shown he had the right to act in the premises
/ But this is not the point in the letter to which
! | wish to call your particular attention. 1t
| is this Monday morning, sent the papers
to the secretary 81 the interior Utth an endorse
! nteRt that D3y Impression of the tdr ods not
! changed and thGt desired him TO take APP the
case and do has duty according TO has rtelo OF
! the ioic. Yesterday said the same thing TO
| him rer6a(y."
Now the foregoing proves that the letter
MIR. Lincoln wrote to the interior department
was an official letter o. instruction take up
the case and dispose Of" This appears the
more manifest from the concluding part OF It,
In which he says; at may be my general du-
~ to direct him TO act, sohich haze peTOrm
ed - Thus he says that he did not only in
writing instruct you that "his opinion of the
law had undergone no change" but 10 ''act, "
and yet you claim that the letter was pr
! vate!"
But more appears from Nh. Lincoln's letter.
II is evident that he sept"the papers," not to
Hon John p. L sher, but to the secretary Of
the inferior with an endorsement, FOR letter, or
letter of Endorsement, as 1t really was, just
as you have mind TO call it. That''indorse-
ment" Of couse had Gn OBJECT, Tor otherwise
would be accusing Mr.. Lincoln OF tritfiin z
with the case 1t was an endorsement of the
papers, lie says, that his impression of the
la1c had undergone no CHANGE and this was
nothing more nor less than an Endorsement OF
the claim, particularly when it Is remembered
that he went on Immediately to add that 'Ii
your action was not satisfactory he should
not hesitate to entertain an appeal to himself
if he had q rigut TO do it." Hence the in
dorsement," or letter of Endorsement was not
only sent to the secretary ofinterior"-mark
. . YOU sir, not to yOI iDdividual-but il
. expressed the presidents views on the law
never charged, las you allege, that the presi
dent instructed you TO follow his opinion, but
, ! did charge that he had given an opinion de
Gliding the case in favor of the state, and tina
you dis regarded it. OF course he could not
f act upon the opinion of the interior depart
| ment until 1t was rendered. What his i'm
preston of the law" which had undergone
no change" was, viii appear from the sub
r Joined letters from Col. Forrest, Gov. Yates
Judge Norton aud Col Fouke, as well as from
his own letter of Endorsement.
After the receipt Of Mr.. Lincolns letter
was of course. anxious to see the letter of in
dorsement referred 10, and repaired 10 the in
terror department for that purpose. founC
the papers in the possession of your chic
clerk and In another room from that occupied
BY yourself. The Endorsement found to b.
an open, public one written on the back of tn
: envelope containing them, and these are it:
t words
Il LETTER OF ENDORSEMENT.
e ssHOn. Int. Sec.-llhnois has again presente
J. her claim for the two per cent do not think
: gracious in her to do at this time of our nation
al troubles. MY OPINION OF THE LAW HA
UNDERGONE NO CHANGE. / THINK THE
!, LAW is WITH The STATE. i, therefore, de
sire you to take up the case and act upon It as yo
. | NAV think the law is.
e Hon. John p. Usher, late Secretary of tie Ia
d terror:
1t 1t will be seen that Mr.. Lincoln expressed n