New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-01-20
CHASE TO GREELEY.
SOME HITHERTO UNPUBLISHED LETTERS.
AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION TO THE HISTORY


OF THE REBELLION AND RECONSTRUCTION
The Tribune takes pleasure in publishing here
with a series of letters from Salmon p. Chase to
Horace Greeley. covering the most irominen; period
Of the formers life. and penned in the u'mos,
frankness. The correspondence has never been IN
print before having hitherto lain hidden in one OF
the largest autograph collections in this country.
The first letter chiefly relates to General Hun
ter's order" declaring slavery Incompatible with
martial law. all slaves in the department under MS
command South Carolina. Georgia and Florida
being therefore declared free an order which was
promptly revoked In a proclamation by the Pres-
dent. who himself presently issued more modified
emancipation proclamation. That Chase disap-
proved OF this revocation has not hitherto been
known. The letter shows now long before tie
Convention Of 1864 the President and his Secretary
OF the Treasury were out of harmony
Washington. May 81. 1862.
My dear Mr.. Greeley:
As propose shortly to make some removals. it
VIII be gratilcatlon to me to appoint any iIonu
Of yours or young man whom you may wish to ne, be-
according to experience or qualification The only
mddlc-aged gentleman. as the case may be. SHAH
be thoroughly competent and n Republican VINO
believes in Republicanism. II YOU want two such
appointed instead OF one shall try to crafty you.
And here let me tender you my grateful thanks
for the generous and disinterested support you
have so often given to my efforts In the pubic ser
yce-a support all the more warmly appreciated
because given Notwithstanding your earlier unia-
vorable judgment which. formed from your point
of View. natural cnoISh am perhaps ma
more justice in them than was willing to admit
| have not been so sorely tried by anything mere:
irregularity. assumptions beyond la" cNtr .,a
gance and Difference to generals and reactonst.
Hunters proclamation do not undertake TO say
that General Hunter ought TO have made inc
his place. But II de:-made by the General
commanding in the Department: warranted. # the
mere anticipation. 10y only "A few weeks perhaps. OF
what must be done in some way unless we are
rod lar fha nf
was and am clearly of opinion that the proclama-
responsibility Of the cominlnang Generhl %lo
In the army cooler soundrr more Judicious.
Certainly in my Judgment. II should have been al,
clearly & fully stated by me Commanding Gene
ly to the Presdent-in vain Immediately afinr *
pressing (which did in writing went 10 Phila-
delpha Saturday Notwithstanding Monday, saw
the proclamation for the first time in the star
1t panied me exceedingly. but suppose the best
to be thankful for skimmiik when We cant get
cream" and await the logic Of events-not IDLY
fifty millions OF doars-easy arithmetic. but not
satisfactory. II one could have som, faiih m ~
onc-if not in his competency for movement IL
would he comfort.
But | am at my papers end.
5 p CHASE.
The next letter. written ten days before the
victory at Antietam. si further accentuatcs the
fact OF Cabinet friction while showing how m
patient all were becoming with McCellans da-
tory movements: $50,
t'nders,andlng that The Tribune derived ia some
connected with the Appraisers stores. and hci"v-
ng also tn, present moment to be very unrro-
very willing the old shd be- continued for a
time. until the practicc - under The Tarn shd.
become settled and affairs generally somewhat
better conditioned when propose To make ne"
contract after advertisement AS required hy las"
very serious doubt whether IN" old contract
new contract To that extent 90 which The Laws does
not permit except upon advertisement II was my
sumption OF continuance under ifs own terms The
interest Of our party. my own reputation ani my
involved therefore submitted the question to The
Attorney General. who answered with vcrt i'cii.
ed opinion that the contract could nor b.. continued
under It's stipulatons bat expired absolutely 90 no
9th Of September This opinion Of cours" settled 90"
Mr. Barney to employ the necessary labor until The
public interests allow new advertisement
My personal respect Tor YOU ana h''p mi'rsi III
the prosperity 81 your grand establishment l'ai m"
TO mako this explanation. though 30 s quife posi-
bic. after all, that he r,p,s.nttiion iihl' 10 me
Of your interest had very Ntf" foundation except
in ihe GSsf eT d INK % F5eg n al an
tract II reasonable. which would be- most useful to
Well here again bcseigei in Washington
! know 40 little % military matters that c'nll not
II seems TO M that IN this Government ih. Fr's,,
dent MS cabinet ought Z" hr Wei @iflt'l 'i ~
matters vital 10 IN" military ana WI adm n-t'a-
ton but each one Of NJ 90 use pr"sidenih express
sion turns his own machine. win almost np com
TO IN" all wrong a nave 1T'i very nara
to have II otherwise unavailingy.
voice In determining their character or rrgu-
latng their amounts The war goes on almost OK
cIuslyev In charge Of the President General Hal
eck. and the Secretary Of War. JUST no" General
Mcclellan plays a more important rpl" ihal IN"
other three ! would like TO believe In HIN bar cam
now. | did once. possibly may again. hop 80.
AZ any rate | hope a pray for his success lie
commands the army which defends the capitol
acalns, the powerful host Of rebels who have in
v,JoJ NarylanI / say powerful host Perhaps the
Language Is too strong. do not b"l"S" that Inc
number which has actually crossed into MafSland
ouinumbcr them decidedly on the rolls lui We
hav. too many s'ragrlcrs. too careless Officers TOO
lion to rise The morals Of our army has ""fs"rei
instead 81 lettering with time a trial
But | must stop. Yours cordially .
Hon. Horace Greeley.
enclose a very interesting lct'er from the .nc'al
agent Of nv Dept who IL acting collector Please
return IL and II YOU make Of IT'S facts do so ~
way not 10 disclose their origin
How much the condition had changed between this
and the next letter Is illustrated by the fact that II
,s no longer the siege OF Washington that IS the
burning question bui that Of rcconstructing The
States The victories Of Vicksjurg and Gettysburg
explain the change In tone.
Washington. Aug. p 1865
My dear Mr. Greeley. go
Lately / have wished much To have tax WIN
Won / don't know that anything would come OF II.
that you underratc the importance OF the question
OF reconstruction and the necessity or discussing H.
/ am not 50 much alarmed az some, and yet J f""l
that there Is very serious danger ahead. can you
come to Washington spend day or two with
me- II you can't stay longer? The weather l. grow
ing a little cooler & will try and make you com
Portable.
& probably thrown into the basket 1t contains my
reply 10 OConnells letter written twenty Years.