Year: 1863

? Congress and before assemblages, and if it cal


be shown that with these things staring hin


in the face, be has ever uttered word of re
buke or counsel against them, it will be fac


greatly in his favor with me, and one of which
as yet, l am totally ignorant. When it i:


known that the whole burden of his speeches


has been to stir up men against the prosecu


tion of the war, and that in the midst of re-


sistance to it, he has not been known in any
instance to counsel against such resistance, it


is next to impossible TO repel the inference


that he has counseled directly in favor of it,
With all this before their eyes, the Convention
You represent have nominated Mr.. Vallandig-


ham fer Governor of Ohio; and both they and
you have declared the purpose to sustain the
National Union by all constitutional means
But of course they and you, in common, re-
serve TO yourselves 10 decide what are consti-
tutional means, and, unlike the Albany meet
| ing, you omit to state or intimate that in your
opinion an army is constitutional means of
saving the Union against rebellion, or even
to intimate that you are conscious Of an exist
ing rebellion being in progress, with the avow-
ed object Of destroying that very Union. AT
the same time your nominee for Governor, in
whose behalf you appeal, is known to you and
to the world to declare against the use OF an
army to suppress the rebellion. Your own
attitude, therefore, encourages desertion, re-
sistance to the draft, ana the like, because it
teaches those who incline to desert and escap pc
the draft to believe it is your purpose TO pro
tect them, and to hope that you will become
strong enough to do so.


After a short personal intercourse with you
gentlemen of the Committee, cannot say that
think you desire this effect to follow your at
titude. but I assure you that both friends
and enemies of the Union look upon it |
IN th s Ii g hit. 1t is a substantial
hope, and by consequence, a real strength to
the enemy. 1t is a false hope; and one which
you would willingly dispel. I will make the
way exceedingly easy. 1 send you duplicates
Of this letter, in order that you, or a majority |
Of you may, if you choose, endorse your names
upon one of them, and return it thus endorsed
to me, with the understanding that those sign
ing are thereby committed to the following
propositions, and to nothing else:


|. That there is now a rebellion In the |
United States, the object and tendency of
which is to destroy the National Union; and
that, in your opinion, an Army and Navy are
constitutional means for suppressing that re-
bellion.


2. That no one of you will do anything
which in his own judgment, will tend to him
der the increase or .avor the decrease, or les
sen the efficiency Of the Army or Navy while
engaged in the effort to suppress the rebellion;
and,


3. That each of you will, in his sphere, do
all he can to have the officers, soldiers and
seamen Of the Army and Navy, while engag-
ed in the effort to suppress the rebellion, paid
fed, clad, and otherwise well provided and sup
ported.


And with the further understanding that
upon receiving the letter and names thus en-
dorsed, [ will cause them to be published,
which publication shall be, within itself, a re-
vocation of the order in relation to Mr.. VAL
landigham.


Il EEillno escape observation that I con-
sent to the release Of mir. piiui1di: ham upon
terms not embracing any pledge from him or
from others, as to what he will or will not do.
I do this because he is not here to speak for
himself, or to authorize Others to speak for
him, and hence I shall expect, that on return
ing, he would not put himself practically in
with the position of his friends
But [ do it chiefly because L thereby prevail
on other Influential gentlemen of Ohio to so
define their position as to be of immense val
ue to the army-thus more than compeBsa.
ting for the consequences of any mistake in
allowing Mr.. Vallandigham to return, so that
on the whole the public safety will not have
suffered by it. Still, in regard to Mr.. Val
andigham and all Others must hereafter, as
heretofore, do so much as the public service
may seem to require. l have the honor to be
yours, ETC.,


A. LINCOLN.