Year: 1862




Mr. PRESIDENT The undersigned
members of Congress from the Border
States, in response to your address Of Sat-
urday last, beg leave to say that they at.
tended meeting on the same day the ad-
dress was delivered for the purpose of cou-
sidering the same The meeting appointed
committee to report a response to your
address. That report was made on yes
terday, and the action of the majority in.
dicated clearly that the response reported,
or one in substance the same, would be
adopted and presented to you.


lnasmuch as we cannot, consisten tly
with out serse of duty to the country, un-
der th existing peris which surround us,
concur in that response, we feel it to be
due to you and to ourselves to make to
you a brief and candid answer over our
own signature.


We believe that the whole power of tho
Government, upheld and sustained by all
the influences and means of all loyal men
in all sections, and of all parties, is essen.
TALLY necessary to put down the rebellion
and preserve the Union and the Constitu-
ton. We understand your appeal to have
been made for the purpose of securing this
result. A very large portion of the peo-
pie of the Northern States believe that
slavery is the clever power of the rebell-
ion." 1t matters not wether this belief be
well founded or not.


The belief does exist, and we have to
deal with things as they are, and not as
we would have them be. In consequence
Of the existence of this belief, We under
stand that an immense pressure is brought
to bear for the purpose of striking down
this institution through the exercise of
military authority. The Government can
not maintain this great struggle if the
support and inhuercc of the men who en-.
tertain these opinions be Withdrawn. Nei.
ther can the Government hope for early
success if the support of that element
called "conservatvy' be withdrawn.


Such being the condition of things, the
President appeals to the Border.States
men to step forward and show their patri-
otism by making the first sacrifice. No
doubt like appeals have been made to ex-
treme men in the North to meet us half way,
in order that the whole moral, political,
peouniary and physical force of the nation
may be firmly and earnestly united in one
grand effort to save the Union and the Con-
stitution.


Believing that such we're the motives
that prompted your address, and such the
results to which it looked, we cannot REQ.
oncile it to our sense of duty, in this try
ing hour, to respond in spirit of fault
finding or querlousness over the things that
are past. We are not disposed t. seek
for the cause of present mistortunes in the
errors and wrongs of others who now pro-
pose to unite with us in q common purpose.
But on the other hand we meet your ad-
dress in the spirit in which it was made,
and, as loyal Americans, declare to you
and to the world that there is no sacrifice
! that we are not ready to make to save the
7 Government and institution of our fathers.


That we, few Of us though there may be, wiz permit
men, from the North or from the South 20 60 farther
than in the accompis ishment of the great WORK be-
fore That in order TO curry out these views, we
shall far as may be in our power ask the people OF
the Border States, calmly, deliberately, and fairly to
consider your TecOmme endatiOH. We are the EN-.
bodoned TO position from the fact be-
history that the leaders Otthe southern Tebelon
have offered to abolish slavery amongst them as con-
dton to foreign Intervention IN favor OF their ndepen'
dence natIon


II they can give up slavery to destroy the Union
can surely ask our people 20 consider the question
ofemaRcipation to save the Union


| With great respect your obedieni servants
JoJN w NoELL SAhuEL > CASEY,
/ GEORGE FISHER, AJCLRaESTs.
WV. q BR wN, JACOB BLAIR,i