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第85章

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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

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