Year: 1863

WASHINGTON, Aug. 70, 1868.


Hon. JAMES C. CoNKLING-My Dear
Sir: Your letter inviting me TO attend
mass meeting of unconditional Union men,
to be held at the capital of Illinois on the
Sd day of September, has been received.
1t would be very agreeable for me thus TO
meet my old friends at my own home, but
| cannot just now be absent from here so
long as visit there would require.


The meeting is to be of all those who
maintain unconditional devotion to the Un-
ion. and / am sure that my old political
friends will thank me for rendering, as I do,
the nations gratitude to those other noble
men whom no partisan hope can make false
to the nations life.


There are those who are dissatisfied with
me. To such l would say: You desire
peace, and you blame me that we 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
tae Union. | am against this. Are you
for it !? If you are, you should say so plain.
ly. If you are not for force, nor vet for
dissolution, there only remains some imag-
inable compromise.


do not believe that any compromise en-
bracing the maintenance of the Union is
now possible. All that l learn leads to a
directly opposite belief The strength OF
the rebellion is its military, its army. That
army dominates all the country and all the
people within its range. Any offer of terms
made by any man or men within that range
10 opposition to that army is simply nothing
for the present; because such man or men
have no power whatever TO enforce their
side of compromise, if one were made
with them.


To illustrate Suppose refugees from the
South and peace men of the North get to-
gether in convention, and frame and pro-
claim a compromise embracing restoration
of the Union. In what way can that COM
promise be used TO keep Lees army out ot
Pennsylvania? Meade's army can keep
Lees army out of Pennsylvania, and,
think, can ultimately drive it Out of exist.
ence. But no paper compromise TO which
the controllers of Lees army are not agreed
can at all affect that army. In an effort al
such compromise we would waste time
which the enemy would improve to our dis
advantage, and that would be all.


A compromise, to be effective, must be
made either with those who control the reb.
el army, or with the people, first liberated
from the domination of that army by the
success of our own army. Now, allow me
to assure you that no word or intimatior
from that rebel army, or from any of the
men controlling it in relation to any peace
compromise, has ever come 10 my knowl
edge or belief. All charges and insinua.
tions to the contrary are deceptive and
gtoundIess. And promise you that if any
such proposition shall hereafter come, il
shall not be rejected and kept secret from
yo1. freely acknowledge myself to be
the servant of the people. according to the
bond of service, the United States Consti.
tuition and that, as such, am responsible
to them. a


But, 10 be plain. You are dissatisfied
with me about The negro. Quite likely there
Il is difference Of opinion between you and