the writings-5-第85章

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————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



the　only　members　from　Maryland　present；　and；　I　think；　were　the　only

members　of　the　delegation　at　that　time　in　the　city。　　I　know　that　Mr。

Pearoe；　of　the　Senate；　and　Messrs。　　Webster　and　Calvert；　of　the

House；　were　absent。



After　the　usual　salutations；　and　we　were　seated；　the　President　said；

in　substance；　that　he　had　invited　us　to　meet　him　to　have　some

conversation　with　us　in　explanation　of　his　message　of　the　6th；　that

since　he　had　sent　it　in　several　of　the　gentlemen　then　present　had

visited　him；　but　had　avoided　any　allusion　to　the　message；　and　he

therefore　inferred　that　the　import　of　the　message　had　been

misunderstood；　and　was　regarded　as　inimical　to　the　interests　we

represented；　and　he　had　resolved　he　would　talk　with　us；　and　disabuse

our　minds　of　that　erroneous　opinion。



The　President　then　disclaimed　any　intent　to　injure　the　interests　or

wound　the　sensibilities　of　the　slave　States。　　On　the　contrary；　his

purpose　was　to　protect　the　one　and　respect　the　other；　that　we　were

engaged　in　a　terrible；　wasting；　and　tedious　war；　immense　armies　were

in　the　field；　and　must　continue　in　the　field　as　long　as　the　war

lasts；　that　these　armies　must；　of　necessity；　be　brought　into　contact

with　slaves　in　the　States　we　represented　and　in　other　States　as　they

advanced；　that　slaves　would　come　to　the　camps；　and　continual

irritation　was　kept　up；　that　he　was　constantly　annoyed　by　conflicting

and　antagonistic　complaints：　on　the　one　side　a　certain　class

complained　if　the　slave　was　not　protected　by　the　army；　persons　were

frequently　found　who；　participating　in　these　views；　acted　in　a　way

unfriendly　to　the　slaveholder；　on　the　other　hand；　slaveholders

complained　that　their　rights　were　interfered　with；　their　slaves

induced　to　abscond　and　protected　within　the　lines；　these　complaints

were　numerous；　loud　and　deep；　were　a　serious　annoyance　to　him　and

embarrassing　to　the　progress　of　the　war；　that　it　kept　alive　a　spirit

hostile　to　the　government　in　the　States　we　represented；　strengthened

the　hopes　of　the　Confederates　that　at　some　day　the　border　States

would　unite　with　them；　and　thus　tend　to　prolong　the　war；　and　he　was

of　opinion；　if　this　resolution　should　be　adopted　by　Congress　and

accepted　by　our　States；　these　causes　of　irritation　and　these　hopes

would　be　removed；　and　more　would　be　accomplished　toward　shortening

the　war　than　could　be　hoped　from　the　greatest　victory　achieved　by

Union　armies；　that　he　made　this　proposition　in　good　faith；　and

desired　it　to　be　accepted；　if　at　all；　voluntarily；　and　in　the　same

patriotic　spirit　in　which　it　was　made；　that　emancipation　was　a

subject　exclusively　under　the　control　of　the　States；　and　must　be

adopted　or　rejected　by　each　for　itself；　that　he　did　not　claim　nor　had

this　government　any　right　to　coerce　them　for　that　purpose；　that　such

was　no　part　of　his　purpose　in　making　this　proposition；　and　he　wished

it　to　be　clearly　understood；　that　he　did　not　expect　us　there　to　be

prepared　to　give　him　an　answer；　but　he　hoped　we　would　take　the

subject　into　serious　consideration；　confer　with　one　another；　and　then

take　such　course　as　we　felt　our　duty　and　the　interests　of　our

constituents　required　of　us。



Mr。　Noell；　of　Missouri；　said　that　in　his　State　slavery　was　not

considered　a　permanent　institution；　that　natural　causes　were　there　in

operation　which　would　at　no　distant　day　extinguish　it；　and　he　did　not

think　that　this　proposition　was　necessary　for　that；　and；　besides

that；　he　and　his　friends　felt　solicitous　as　to　the　message　on　account

of　the　different　constructions　which　the　resolution　and　message　had

received。　　The　New　York　Tribune　was　for　it；　and　understood　it　to　mean

that　we　must　accept　gradual　emancipation　according　to　the　plan

suggested；　or　get　something　worse。



The　President　replied　that　he　must　not　be　expected　to　quarrel　with

the　New　York　Tribune　before　the　right　time；　he　hoped　never　to　have　to

do　it；　he　would　not　anticipate　events。　　In　respect　to　emancipation　in

Missouri；　he　said　that　what　had　been　observed　by　Mr。　Noell　was

probably　true；　but　the　operation　of　these　natural　causes　had　not

prevented　the　irritating　conduct　to　which　he　had　referred；　or

destroyed　the　hopes　of　the　Confederates　that　Missouri　would　at　some

time　merge　herself　alongside　of　them；　which；　in　his　judgment；　the

passage　of　this　resolution　by　Congress　and　its　acceptance　by　Missouri

would　accomplish。



Mr。　Crisfield；　of　Maryland；　asked　what　would　be　the　effect　of　the

refusal　of　the　State　to　accept　this　proposal；　and　he　desired　to　know

if　the　President　looked　to　any　policy　beyond　the　acceptance　or

rejection　of　this　scheme。



The　President　replied　that　he　had　no　designs　beyond　the　actions　of

the　States　on　this　particular　subject。　　He　should　lament　their

refusal　to　accept　it；　but　he　had　no　designs　beyond　their　refusal　of

it。



Mr。　Menzies；　of　Kentucky；　inquired　if　the　President　thought　there　was

any　power　except　in　the　States　themselves　to　carry　out　his　scheme　of

emancipation。



The　President　replied　that　he　thought　there　could　not　be。　　He　then

went　off　into　a　course　of　remarks　not　qualifying　the　foregoing

declaration　nor　material　to　be　repeated　to　a　just　understanding　of

his　meaning。



Mr。　Crisfield　said　he　did　not　think　the　people　of　Maryland　looked

upon　slavery　as　a　permanent　institution；　and　he　did　not　know　that

they　would　be　very　reluctant　to　give　it　up　if　provision　was　made　to

meet　the　loss　and　they　could　be　rid　of　the　race；　but　they　did　not

like　to　be　coerced　into　emancipation；　either　by　the　direct　action　of

the　government　or　by　indirection；　as　through　the　emancipation　of

slaves　in　this　District；　or　the　confiscation　of　Southern　property　as

now　threatened；　and　he　thought　before　they　would　consent　to　consider

this　proposition　they　would　require　to　be　informed　on　these　points。

The　President　replied　that；　unless　he　was　expelled　by　the　act　of　God

or　the　Confederate　armies　he　should　occupy　that　house　for　three

years；　and　as　long　as　he　remained　there　Maryland　had　nothing　to　fear

either　for　her　institutions　or　her　interests　on　the　points　referred

to。



Mr。　Crisfield　immediately　added：　〃Mr。　President；　if　what　you　now　say

could　be　heard　by　the　people　of　Maryland；　they　would　consider　your

proposition　with　a　much　better　feeling　than　I　fear　without　it　they

will　be　inclined　to　do。〃



The　President：　〃That　＇meaning　a　publication　of　what　he　said＇　will　not

do；　it　would　force　me　into　a　quarrel　before　the　proper　time　〃；　and；

again　intimating；　as　he　had　before　done；　that　a　quarrel　with　the

〃Greeley　faction〃　was　impending；　he　said　he　did　not　wish　to　encounter

it　before　the　proper　time；　nor　at　all　if　it　could　be　avoided。



＇The　Greely　faction　wanted　an　immediate　Emancipation　Proclamation。

D。W。＇



Governor　Wickliffe；　of　Kentucky；　then　asked　him　respecting　the

constitutionality　of　his　scheme。



The　President　replied：　〃As　you　may　suppose；　I　have　considered　that；

and　the　proposition　now　submitted　does　not　encounter　any

constitutional　difficulty。　　It　proposes　simply　to　co…operate　with　any

State　by　giving　such　State　pecuniary　aid〃；　and　he　thought　that　the

resolution；　as　proposed　by　him；　would　be　considered　rather　as　the

expression　of　a　sentiment　than　as　involving　any　constitutional

question。



Mr。　Hall；　of　Missouri；　thought　that　if　this　proposition　was　adopted

at　all　it　should　be　by　the　votes　of　the　free　States；　and　come　as　a

proposition　from　them　to　the　slave　States；　affording　them　an

inducement　to　put　aside　this　subject　of　discord；　that　it　ought　not　to

be　expected　that　members　representing　slaveholding　constituencies

should　declare　at　once；　and　in　advance　of　any　proposition　to　them；

for　the　emancipation　of　slavery。



The　President　said　he　saw　and　felt　the　force　of　the　objection；　it　was

a　fearful　responsibility；　and　every　gentleman　must　do　as　he　thought

best；　that　he　did　not　know　how　this　scheme　was　received　by　the

members　from　the　free　States；　some　of　them　had　spoken　to　him　and

received　it　kin