Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-10-12
From the Washington Chionicle
Lincoln's Rebuke Of Greeley.


On the 22nd of August, 1862, Abra.
ham Lincoln was moved TO write that
remarkable letter TO Horace Greeley,
which will stand as model OF perspi-
Guilty and patriotic resolve for the admi-
ration Of coming generations. Greeley
was petulently finding fault and debating
to the President his duty. Impatient
that so little attention was paid to his
ranting, he finally addressed communi.
cation to the President through the col
umns of the Tribune. 1t was insolcnt
and presumptous in the last degree, for
it seemed TO be written upon the pre-
sumption that the President did not
know his duty, or, if he knew it, had not
the nerve to prcfOrm it. Mr.. Lincoln
replied to it at once. In his admirable
letter he gave Nj. Greeley 10 understand
that his false stat tements aud assumptions
were permitted to pass unheeded. His
false inferences should not be dignilicd
by controversy. The ''impatieut anl
dictorial tone" was simply tolerated, be-
cause Of a belief that it was the result of
an infirmiiy Of temper, not badness of
heart. The greatness of Lincoln shone
out in the frank avoval Of a high pur-
pose to perform his sworn duty, which
was to defend and save the Union at all
hazard. He was e. oscn President Of the
United States with full knowledge on
the part OF the people Of all sections
that he believed slave cry prejndicia to
the prrpetuity of the Union aud the
maintenance of liberty. But his great
trust and his sworn duty was to pre-
serve the Observation-Disclosures, execute
the laws rs he found them, and save the
Union. Therefore his personal desres
could not be permitted to sway bis ac-
tion or to control his plans. The rcbuke
was whitening, and effecluallv silenced
the marplot of the Tribune. The Chica-
go Times has done good service in re-
calling this letter to miud:
"ExEcUrGvE MANSION,
WAsHINGToN, August 20, 1862.
Hon. H. Greeley:
DEAR SIR-I have just read yours Of
the 10Th instant. addressed TO myself
through the New York Tribune
If there be in it any statements or as
sumptions of fact which may know to
be erroneous, do not now and here
controvert them.
Ifthere. be any infcrenccs which may
believe to be falsely drawn, / do not now
and here argue against them.
If there be prrccp,ible in it an impa-
tient and pictorial tone, waive it in
Difference to an old friend whose heart |
have always supposed to be right.
AS to the policy | seem to be pursuing,
as you say, l have not meant to leave
any one in doubt. | would save the
Union. would save it in the shortest
wav under the Constitution.
The sooner the national authority can
be restored, the nearer the Union will be
to the Union as it was.
If there be those who woull not save
the Union unless they could at the same
time save slavery, l do not agree with
them.
If there be those who would not save
the Union unless they could at the same
time destroy slavery, | do not agree
with them.
NV paramount object is to save the
Union, and not either to save or destroy
slavery.
If could save the Union without
freeing any slave, | would do it; If
could save it by freeing all the slaves,
would do it; and il could do it by
freeing some and leaving others alone, |
would also do that.
What ! do about slavery and the ne
gro race. do because believe it helps
to save this Union; and what forbear,
I forbear because / do not believe il
would help to save the Union.
shall do less whenever shall be-
lieve what | am doing hurts the cause,
and | shall do more whenever believe
doing more helps the cause.
l shall try to correct errors when
shown to be errors; shall adopt new
views so fast as they shall appear to be
true views.
have here stated my purpose accord
ing to my views of official duty, and |
intend no modification of my ott-express-
ed personal wish that all men every
where coald he free.
Yours, A. LINCOLN"