Year: 1862

=
special invitation of the President, been
convened at the Executive Mansion on
Saturday morning last, Mr. Lincoln ad,
dressed them as follows from written pa,
per held in his hands:


"GaHcmcn After the adjournment Of
Congress, now near, shall have no op-
portunity OF seeing you for several months.
! Believing that you of the Border States
hold more power for good than any other
equal number Of members, feel it a duty
which ! cannot justilicaEly waive to make
this appeal to you.


IL intend no reproach or complaint
when | assure you that, in my opinion, if
you all had voted for the resolution in the
gradual emancipation message Of last
March the war would now be substantial
! ly ended. And the plan therein pr0pos
ed is yet one of the most potent and swift
means of ending it. Let the States which
are in rebellion see definitely and GER,
Jainly that IN no event will the States you
represent ever Join their proposed Con-
tederacy, and they cannot much longer
maintain the contest. But you cannot
diyest them Of their hope to ultimately
have you with them SO long as you show a
determination to perpetuate the instituS
tion within your own States. Beat them
at elections, as you have overwhelmingly
done, and, nothing d0unted, they still
claim you as their own. y Ou and know
what the lever of their power is. Break
that lever before their faces, and they can
shake you no more forever.


"Most of you have treated me with
kindness and consideration, and | trust
you will not now think | Improperly
touch what is exclusively your own, whom,
for the sake Of the whole country, | ask
"can you, for your States, DO better than
to take the course that urge" Discard
ing p,mctlio ard maXims adapted to more
manageable times and looking only to the
unpreced stern facts OF our case,
can you do better in any possible event
! ! Gou prefer that the constitutional! rela.
| ton Of the States to the nation shall be
practically restored without disturbance
fthe Institution and, if this were done,
| my whole duty, in this respect. under the
constitution and my oath of Office, would
! be performed. But it is not done, and
we are trying to accomplish it by war
| The incidents of the war'cannot be avoid
ed. If the war continues long, as it must
ifthe object be not sooner attained, the
institution in your States will be eXtin>
guished by mere friction and abrasion
by the mere incidents of the war. 1t will
be gone and you will have nothing valua-
ble in lieu Of it. Much Of its value is gone
already. How much better for you and
for your people to take the step which at
once shortcus the war, and secures sub
stantia, compensation for that which IS
sure to be wholly lost in any other event
How much better to thus save the money
which else we sink forever in the war


How much better to do it while we can,
| lest the war ere long render US pecuniari' :
! " unable to do i'll How much better for
| you as seller, and the nation as buyer, to
sell out and buy out that without which
| the war could never have been, than to
sink both the thing to be sold and the
/ price Of it in cutting one another S
throats


81 do not speak Of emancipation at once,
| but of decision at once to emancipate grad.
uaRy Room in South America for colon.
/ ization can be obtained cheaply, and in
abundance, and when numbers shall 30
large enough to be company and encourN
agement for one another, the freed people
will not be so reluctant to so.


81 am pressed with a difficulty not yet
mentioned which threatens division
among those who, united, are none too
strong. An instance of it is known to you.
Gen Hunter is an honest man. He was,
and hope still is my friend, valued
/ IL, Il g,y !,
me in the general wish that all men ev'
erywhere could be freed. He proclaimed
all men free within certain States, and
repudiatel the proclamation. He expeor
ted more good and less harm from the
measure than could believe would fol
low. Yet, in repudiating it, gave dis
satisfaction, if not otiense, to many whose
support the country cannot afford to lose.
| And this is not the end of it. The pres.
sure in this direction is still upon me and
is increasing. By conceding what | now
ask, you can relieve me, and, much more,
can relieve the country in this important
point.


Upon these considerations I have
again Legged your attention to the mes,
| sage of march last. Before leaving the
]
! yourselves. You are patriots and states
men, and as such pray you to consider
this proposition; and at least commend it
to the consideration of your States and
people. As you would perpetuate popu-
lar government for the best people in the
world, | beseech you that YOU do in no
wise omit this. Our common country is
in great peril, demanding the loftest
views and boldest action to bring speedy
relief Once relieved, its form of covers
ment is saved to the world its beloved
history and cherished memories are vim
dicated, and its happy future fully assur,
red and rendered inconceivably grand.
To you, more than to any Others, the priv
ilege is given to assure that happiness and
swell that grandeur, and to link your own
names Herewith forever"


AT the conclusion of these remarks some
conversation vas had between the Presi>
dent and several members of the delega'
tions from the border States, in which it
was represented that these States could