Year: 1864

WASHINGTON, Oct. %.


The following letter has just begun to
circulate in political circles here, and has
already aroused intense interest. 1t is un-
derstood to have been written by gentle
man high in the confidence of the Admin
istration. Rumor assigns its authorship to
prominent New Englander; but, in the
absence Of all proofs, L will not vouch for
the truth of the report. 1t will be seen that
the revelations it contains are of an exceed
ingly exciting character:


[ooPY.l


WASHINGTON, Oct. 3.


My DEAR OLD FRIEND: have been try
ing for over a month to answer your letter
Of August Is, yet in vain. Happily for me,
you know what are my relations to the
Government, and how fully occupied my
time must be in crisis like the present.
Yet you do not know all. Imagine me four
times as busy as | was when you were here
last year, and you will form some faint idea
of the press of business that is now upon
me. Notwithstanding all this, cannot re-
frain from writing you, both to settle that
matter about which you write, and, if can
spare the time, to respond to your kind in
quiry for my views upon the questions OF
the day. And first as to that private mat
ter.





You ask for my views upon the Presiden-
tial election and the policy of the Admin
istration. l think there is little doubt OF
the reelection of Mr.. Lincoln. Even should
he lack the requisite number of votes
which l consider very improbable-you
know what other agencies can be employed
to secure his retention in office. / am sure
we will have the best of it in the army, be-
cause of the natural instinct of the officers
to consult the wishes of the powers that be,
in order that they may obtain promotion
and preferment. All this is as plain as day
light. ..-.....-


AS regards the policy of the Administra-
tion during the next four years, hardly
believe that the leaders of the Union party,
and certainly not the masses of the people,
have the slightest idea of what is before us.
II may CRATE harshly upon your ears, but it
is, nevertheless, my firm conviction that to
prosecute this war as it should be prosecut-
ed, nay, as it inevitably will be, 10 must be
lodged for the complete determination Of the
adult population of the States in rebellion. Does
this startle you? Look with me at the his
tory of the war-even now more eventful
than wars in Europe of thrice its duration.
AT the beginning of the conflict the Ad.
ministration was obviously restricted to
the choice between two different policies,
viz: (D CANCELLATION, and (2) ABSOLUTE
sUBJUGATIoN and DIFFERENTIATION. Any
halfway policy was sure to result unhappi-
ly. The Democrats, with their ardent love
of slavery, and their former political affili-
ations with the slaveocracy, undoubtedly
did adopt the proper policy for their pur-
poses. Had the war been prosecuted, as they
urged, simply to restore the Union and save
khnr 30 NO 1A,,h h,,k AhaA
we would now be at peace, and the South
would be reinstated in its old place of power
In the Federal Union. But this, you know,
would not suit the members of our party.
We could have had all that before the war
began if we had chosen to assent to the
propositions adopted by the Peace Conven-
tion. do not know as history will justify
our course, but it is clear that had we as
sented to the compromise proposed by that
convention, we would have had no political
future. We are but human, and self-pres-
ervation is as much law of politics as of
nature. We are certainly responsible for
. the war, and for one, am not afraid to
meet the results which seem certain to be
accomplished by it. Yet, my dear friend,
am almost appalled, when try to forecast
the future, and realize in advance the trials
which we, as nation, will have to undergo
before we can enter the promised land of
freedom. This generation will not see that
land; but while we tramp through the
wilderness, in which we now are, the next
generation will enter into the better. land,
and in more perfect Union reap the bene-
fits of our tolls and sufferings.


Consider for moment the effect of the
war upon the Southern people-not upon
their property, but upon themselves. Per-
haps you will better comprehend my mean
ing If were to arrange in tabular form the
proportion of the Union sentiment in 1861
and the probable proportion there at the
present time. The table, compiled from
such information as comes to my memory
as write, would stand THUS: -e


Union. Dsunion. Indif't. Union. Rebel.
North Carolina, x y H X *