Year: 1863

EXECUTIVE MANsIoS.l


WAsHrNaToS, August 28.


Hon. jas. G. Conklin: "


Mr. DsAR SIR-Your letter inviting me
TO attend = meeting Of unconditional Union
men to be held .. the Capital of the State ol
Illinois. on the Sd day OF September, has
been received. It would be very agrcea.
Bile to ms thus to meet my old friends At my
home. bat cannot just now be absent from
this city 50 long rs visit would require.


The meeting is to be oiall those who main
tain unconditional devotion to the Union,
and am sure that my old political friends
Z will thank me for rendering as do. the ma
tons gratitude to those other noble men
whom no partisan malice or partisan hope
can make false to the nations life. There
are those who are dissatisfied with ne. To
such l would say, "you desire peace and
you blame me that We do not have it,
But how can we attain ii :?


There are but three conceivable ways ::
First 10 suppress the rebellion by force Of
arms. This am trying to do--are you for
Il? II you are. so far we are agreed. If
you are not for it. second way is, to give
'sp the Union: am against this. II you
are. you should say SO plainly. II you are





remains some imaginable compromise. 1
do not believe that any compromise embra-
cling the maintenance OF the Union is now
possible. All that learn leads to direct
ly opposite belief. The strsngth of the re-
belion is its miitary--its army. That ar
my dominates all the country and all the
people within it's range.


Any offer OF terms made by any man or
men within that range. in opposition to that
army. is simply nothing for the present, be-
cause such man or men hav G no power what
ever to enforce their side of oompromisc,
if one were made with them. To illustrate:
Suppose refugees from the South and peace
men Of the North met together in conven-
ton and frame and proclsim \ compromise,
embracing . restoration of the Union, in
what way can that compromise be used to
keep Gen. Lees army out Of Pennsylvania
Gen. Aesde's army can keep Gen. Lee'sar-
my out of Pennsylvania, and think can
ultimately drive it out Of existence. But
NO paper compromise to which the oontroli-
ers Of Gen. Lees army are not agreed can
At all effeot that army. -t


In an effort to make such compromise We
would waste time which the enemy would
improve to our disadvantage, and that would
be al. A compromise to be effective must
be made either with those who control the
rebel army or with the people first liberated
from the domination OF that army by the
success Of our army. Now, allow me TO as
sure you that no word or intimation from
the rebel army. or from any Of the men
controlling il. in relation to any peace
compromise. has ever come to my knowl-
edge or belief. All charges and intimations
20 the contrary are deceptive and ground
less; aud promise you that il any such
proposition shall hereafter come, it shall not
BE- rejected and kept secret from you. l
freely acknowledge myself to be the servant
Of the people according to the bond Of the
service, the United States Constitution, and
that as such, am responsible to them. But
to be plain, you are dissatisfied with mo
about the negro. Quite likely there il .
difference OF opinion between you and my
self upon that subject. / certainly wish
that oil men could be free, while you, sup
pose, do not. Yet have neither adopted
nor proposed any measure which is no. con-
sisisnt even with your view, provided that
you are for the Union.


suggested compensated emancipation.
TO which you replied that you wished not
asked you to be taxed to buy negroes, sx-
CCPe " suou Woy ~ w save lou uoW
greater taxation, TO save the Union exclu-
sively by other means.


You dislike the Emancipation proclama-
tion, and perhaps would have it retracted.-
You say is is unconstitutional think diff
fersnt. think that the Constitution vests
its Commander in. Chief with the law Of
waf in time of war. The most that can be
Nid, il 80 much, u that slaves are proper
ty. Is there any question that by the law
Of war the property, both OF enemies and
friends, may be taken when needed and is
u not needed whenever taken it helps rs or
hurts the enemy G


Armies the world over destroy the enc
my's property when they cannot use il, and
even destroy their own TO keep il from the
enemy. Civilzed bclligerents do all in
their power to help themselves. or hurt the
enemy. except tsw things regarded A
bsrbarous and cruel. Among the excep-
tions are the massacre Of . vsnquished foe
and OF non. .conbStants. male ana female.


But the proclamation is law and valid, or
il 10 not valid. Ii it 10 not valid it needs
no retraction; il it is valid il cannot be re-
tractcd, any more than the dead can be
brought to life. Some OF you profess TO
think that retraction would opera to favora
bly, to she Uaion. Why botter alter the re-
traction than before the issue There was
more than year and q half Of trial to sup
prsss the rebsllioa before the proclsmation
was issued--the last one hundred days Of
whish passed under an explicit notice that
~as coming, unless avertsd BY those in