Year: 1863

LETTER FROM PRESIDENT LINCOLN
TO THE UNION MASS CONVENTION AT SPRINGFIELD


EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON,


August 3lst, 1868.


Hon. James c. Conklin:


My DEAR SIR: Your letter inviting me
to attend mass meeting of unconditional
Union men to be called at the capital of
illinois on the Sd day of September, has
been received. 1t would be very agreca-
BILE to me thus to meet my old friends at
my own home, but cannot just now be
absent from this city so long as visit
there would require.


The meeting is to be of all those who
maintain unconditional devotion to the
Union, and | am sure that my old poiti-
cal friends will thank me for rendering,
as do, the nations gratitude to those
other noble men whom no partisan malice
or partisan hore can make false to the Ma
tion's life.


There are those who are dissatisfied with
me. To such | would say: You desire
peace. and you blame me that you do not
have it; but how can we attain it?
There are but three conceivable ways
First to suppress the rebellion by force
of arms. This | am trying to do are
you for it? If you are, so far we are
agreed. If you are not for it, a second
way is to give up the Union. | am against
this; if you are, you should say so plain.
ly. If you are not for force. nor yet for
dissolution, there only remains some imag-
Unable compromise. do not believe that
any compromise embracing the mainten-
ance of the Union is now possible All
that learn leads to directly opposite
belief


The strength of the rebellion is in its
miitary-its army. That army domn-
ates all the country and all the people
within its range Any offer of terms
made by any man or men within that
range, in opposition to that army is sim
ply nothing for the present, because such
man or men have no power whatever to
enforce their side of the compromise, if one
were made with them. To illustrate Sup
pose refugees from the South and peace
men of the North, get together and frame
and proclaim compromise, embracing a
restoration of the Union. In what way
can that compromise be used to keep Lees
army out of Pennsylvania =? Meade's
army can keep Lees army out of Penn
sylvania, and | think can ultimately drive
it out Of existence, but no paper compro-
mise to which the controllers Of Lees
army are not agreed can at all affect that
army. In an effort at such compromise
we would waste time, which the enemy
would improve to our disadvantage and
that would be ALL


A compromise to be effective, must be
made either with those who control the
rebel army or with the people first liberia
ted from the domination of that army by
the success ofour army. Now, allow me to
assure you that no word or intimation
from the rebel army, or from any of the
men controlling it, in relation to any
peace compromise, has ever come to my
knowledge or belief All charges and in
timations to the contrary arc deceptive
and groundless; and promise you, that
if any such proposition shall hereafter
come. il shall not be rejected and kept So
cret from you. freely acknowledge my
self to be the servant of the people, ac.
cording to the bond Of service in the
United States Constitution, and that as
such am responsible to them.


But, to be plain, you are dissatisfied
with me about she nsgrosa Quite likely