Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1889-11-28

sole object of the war was to preserve the
| mon. 10 prevent the border states from
joining the rebellion required all the skill
and sagaclty of the president He waS
constantly visited 10y those who advised q
| general emancipation, but he steadily de
| cllned TO do so. and carefully instructed
: the officers commanding the several de-
partments to interfere as little rs possible
with slavery. On Aug 10, 1862. Horace
Greeley addressed his famous letter en-
atIed The Prayer Of Twenty Millions. 10
| President Lincoln, In regard to the neces-
sity Of freeing the slaves of rebels if the
| secession states were to remain in the
| Union after the war. The following SEN
tence viii explain and show the sentiment
and drift of Mr. Greeley letter;
| Il close as ! began. with the statement
that what an immense majority of the
loyal millions of your countrymen require
of you is frank, declared, unqualified, un-
grudging execution of the laws of the
land, more especially the confscation act
1 That act gives freedom to the slaves of
rebels coming within our lines. or whom
these lines may at any time inclose-we
ask you to render it due obedience. to pub
l y
niZe and obey it, The rebels are every
where using the anti-negro riots in the
| North-as they have long used your Off
GERS treatment of negroes in the South
to convince the slaves that they have moth
! ing to hope from a Union success-that
we mean in that case to sell them in a
bitter bondage to defray the cost Of the
war. Let them impress this as truth on
! the mass Of their ignorant and credulous
bondmen. and the Union will never be re-
stored never.
President Lincoln replied to Nh. Greeiey's
letter by telegraph under the date Of Aug
p. The following is his reply RS it APP
pears in Greeleys American Conflict
IF there be in il Mr. Greeley's letter.
any statements or assumptions of fact
which may know to be erroneous, ] do
not now and here controvert them.
If there be any inferences which ! may
believe to be falsely drawn | do not now
and here argue against them.
IF there be perceptible IN it an impa-
tient and dictatorial tone. waive it in def
erence to an old friend whose heart | have
always supposed to be right.
AS to the policy seem to be pursu-
ing, as you say, have not meant to leave
any one in doubt. would save the Union.
| would save it in the shortest way under
the constitution
The sooner the national authority can
be restored the nearer the Union will be
the Union it was
IF there be hose who would not save
the Union unless they could at the same
time save slavery ! 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
MY paramount object is to save the
Union, and not either to save or destroy
slavery.
"If could save the Union without free
ing any slave would do it if ! could save
it by freeing all the slaves would do it,
and if ! could do it by freeing some and
leaving others alone ! would also do that
what / do about slavery and the
colored race | do because ! believe it helps
to save the Union; and what forbear
forbear because do not believe it would
help to save the Union.
81 shall do less whenever ! shall believe
what ! am doing hurts the cause; and
shall do more whenever believe doing
more will help the cause.
"a shall try to correct errors when shown
to be errors; and shall adopt new views
so fast as they shall appear to be true
views
II have here stated my purpose accord
ing to my views of official duty; and ! in
tend no modification of my oft-expressed
personal wish that all men everywhere
could he free.