Year: 1864

VISIT III THE PhhO1UhHI,


The Grant County Wisconsin, Herald
contains a letter from John Mills, Judge of
the Fifth Judicial Circuit. giving an account
of recent interview with Mr.. Lincoln, with
q report of the remarks of the latter in re-
gard to the consequences which would fol-
low the adoption Of the war policy urged by
the friends of Gen. g. B. NJ Ciellan We
quote from the Judge.


Mr. President, said Ex-Gov Randall,
why can you seek seclusion, and play her
nit for a fortnight? 1t would re-invigorate
you.


Az said the President, but two or
three weeks would do me no good. | can
net fly from my thoughts-nly solicitude Tor
this great country follows me wherever | go.
l don't think it is personal vanity or ambi-
ton, though | am not free from these infr-
mites, but | cannot but feel that the veal
or woe OF this great nation Will be decided
in November. There is no programme OIL
fered by any win gof the Democratic party
but that must result in the permanent des-
tEuction of the Union,


But, Mr. President, Gen. NJ Clellan is III
favor Of crushing out the rebellion by force.
He will be the Chicago candidate.


Sir, said the President, the slightest
knowledge of arithmetic viii prove to any
man that the Rebel armies can not be des-
troyed with Democratic strategy 1t would
sscrifce all the white men of the North to
do it. There are now in the service of the
United States near two hundred thousand
able-bodie colored men, most Of them un-
der arms, defending and acquiring Union
territory. The Democratic strategy demands
that these be disbanded, and that the mas
tcrs be conciGated by restoring them 20 slave



prisoners to escape, are to be converted into
our enemies, in the vain hope of gaining the
good will of their masters. We shall have
TO fight two nations instead of one. You can
not conciliate the South, if you guarantee TO
them ultimate success and the experience
of the present war proves their success is in
evitable if you fling the compulsory labor of
millions of men on their side Of the scale.
VIII you give cur enemies such military adj
yantages as to insure success, and then de-
pend on coaXing, hattery, and concession TO
get them back into the Union? Abandon
all the posts now garrIs0ned by black men,
take two hundred Thousand men from our
side and put them IN the battlefield or corn
field against us, and we would be compelled
to abandon the war in three weeks. We
have 10 hold territory in inclemeut and sick
ly places; where are the Democrats to do
this? 1t was free fight, and the field was
open TO the War Democrats to put down
this rebellion by fighting against both mas
ter and slave, long before the present policy
was inaugurated There have been men
base enough to propose to me to return to-
slavery the black warriors Of Port Hudson
and 0lustee, and thus win the respect
of the masters they fought. Should
/ DO So should deserve to be damned in
time and eternity. Come what will, [ will
keep my faith with friend and foe. My en-
emies pretend | am now carrying on this
war for the sole purpose Of abolition. So
long as | am President, it shall be carried
on for the sole purpose OF restoring the T.
mon. But no human power can subdue
this rebellion without the use of the eman-
cipation policy, aud every other policy cal
culate1 to weaken the moral and physical
forces of the rebellion Freedom has given
us two hundred thousand men raised on
Southern soii. 1t viii give US more yet
just so much it has subtracted from the en-
emy, and, instead Of alternating the South,
there are now evidences of fraternal feel
ing growing up between our men and the
rank and file of the rebel soldiers. Let my
enemies prove to the country that the des-
truction of slavery is not necessary to a res
toration Of the Union. / will abide the
issue.


| saw that the President was not mere
Joker, but man of deep convictions. of a.
biding faith in Justice truth and Providence.
His voice was pleasant, his manner earnest
and emphatic. As he warmed with his
theme. his mind grew to the magnitude of
his body. / felt / was in the presence of
the great guiding intellect of the age, and
that those huge Atlantean shoulders were
fit to bear the weight of mightiest monar-
chies. His transparent honesty, republi-
can simplicity, his gushing sympathy for
those who offered their lives for the country,
his utter forgetfulness of self in his concern
for its welfare, could not but inspire me with
confidence that he was Heavens instrument
to conduct his people through this sea of
blood to Canaan of peace and freedom.