Year: 1862

To Abrh M Lincoln, President of tie


UntJed Stairs:


RESPECTED SIR / do not address you
for the purpose of censure or advice
From boyhood to old age l have belong
cd to the Democratic party ofthe country.
My political creed, in common with that
Of my party throughout the North, has
been and now is devotion to the Constitu-
ticn as il came from the hands of Wash
ington and his oompatriots, end to the
rights of the States reserved by them on
the adoption of that instrument.
We look upon the structure composed
of the States and the Union as our temple
of liberty, Of which the States are the pill.
lars and the Union the roof. Remove the
pillars and the roof will fall remove the
roof and the pillars will be overthrown
by the storms of anarchy and war, and
our country will be strewed with ruins
more melancholy than those which lie
PROSTATE or stand shattered on the sites
of ancient cities.


Ruthless hands have seized upon and are
attempting to remove portion of the pill
lars of our temple, at the hazard Of crush
ing themselves and us in its fall, and in
the insane hope of building a new temple
for themselves out of the ruins.


Though tho Democratic party of the
North wero always willing to make all
reasonable or even tolerable concessions to
satisfy their allies in the South, yet, as a
body, no party is more devoted to the
Constitution and the Union. 1t was devo-
ton to the Union which induced them to
make concession after concession to quiet
the apparent apprehensions of their South
ern friends. So vital in their view was the
preservation of the Union and the Consti.
tuition to the interests and safety of the
Southern States in particular, that many
ofthom could not, until the assault on Fort
Sumter be convinced that the leaders OF
Southern agitation had any thing in view
beyond further guarantees for their local
institutions. Under this delusion some OF
them raised their voices against coercion,
aud thereby unwittingly rendered mate
rial service to the cause of rebellion
But when convinced, by the thunder Of
rebel cannon and the flames of Fort Sum
ter, that revolution, and not redress OF
security within the Union, was the object
of the Southern leaders, they did all that
honest men could do 10 retrieve their error
and Notwithstanding their political antag,
orism on minor points, the Democratic
party, of the North rallied around your
Administration as the only means of saw
ing their country. Your armies abound
with them none are more -cadyt to sacri-
fee all that is dear, even life itself, fol
the preservation OF the Union and the
Constution, and to them it is cheering
though but just, that you have recently
given them representative in your Cab
inct


Be assured, sir, that the Democrat,
party of the North, with the exception O.
few scmit-raitors whom they repudiatc
cordially approve the objects of the wa
against rebellion as declared by you in al
your public avowals, They rally around
YOU with devotion to the cause not ex-
oeodod by any class of your original sup
portcrs, and they will spare no sacrifice t.
save the Union and the Constitution. Ii
this great object they are already consoli
dated with the great mass of tho Repub
lican party, and will be among the last tc
despair. Indeed, these two parties for al
present purposes constitute but one, which
may be appropriately called the Conslituti
onal Union party. The object Of this
party ia TIE pending war is to preserve
the Union and the Constitution as IL ts.--
It is the Constitution, and that only, which
makes US nation destroy it and the ma
ton viii cease to exist, being resolved intc
thirtyfour independent States. In fight
ing for the Constitution, therefore, we fgh
for the life Of the nation. for ell that ca
give US peace and security at home ant
> all that can make US honorcd or rcspec-
:, ted abroad.


The fundamental principle of our Gov
: ornmont, that principle which has enable
- Po,ull;a 70 oytorl it7sls fro-o 'lso A