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I shall be glad if you； as governor of ______； will answer by
telegraph if you consent。
A。 LINCOLN。
TO GENERAL FREMONT。
WASHINGTON； D。C。； SEPTEMBER 11； 1861
MAJOR…GENERAL JOHN C。 FREMONT。
SIR：…Yours of the 8th； in answer to mine of the 2d instant； is just
received。 Assuming that you； upon the ground； could better judge of
the necessities of your position than I could at this distance； on
seeing your proclamation of August30 I perceived no general objection
to it。 The particular clause； however； in relation to the
confiscation of property and the liberation of slaves appeared to me
to be objectionable in its nonconformity to the act of Congress
passed the 6th of last August upon the same subjects； and hence I
wrote you； expressing my wish that that clause should be modified
accordingly。 Your answer； just received； expresses the preference on
your part that I should make an open order for the modification；
which I very cheerfully do。 It is therefore ordered that the said
clause of said proclamation be so modified； held； and construed as to
conform to； and not to transcend； the provisions on the same subject
contained in the act of Congress entitled 〃An act to confiscate
property used for insurrectionary purposes；〃 approved August 6； 1861；
and that said act be published at length with this order。
Your obedient servant；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO MRS。 FREMONT。
WASHINGTON； D。C。；
September 12； 1861
Mrs。 GENERAL FREMONT。
MY DEAR MADAM：Your two notes of to…day are before me。 I answered
the letter you bore me from General Fremont on yesterday； and not
hearing from you during the day； I sent the answer to him by mail。
It is not exactly correct； as you say you were told by the elder Mr。
Blair； to say that I sent Postmaster…General Blair to St。 Louis to
examine into that department and report。 Postmaster…General Blair
did go； with my approbation； to see and converse with General Fremont
as a friend。 I do not feel authorized to furnish you with copies of
letters in my possession without the consent of the writers。 No
impression has been made on my mind against the honor or integrity of
General Fremont； and I now enter my protest against being understood
as acting in any hostility toward him。
Your obedient servant；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO JOSEPH HOLT；
EXECUTIVE MANSION； SEPTEMBER 12； 1861
HON。 JOSEPH HOLT。
DEAR SIR：…Yours of this day in relation to the late proclamation of
General Fremont is received yesterday I addressed a letter to him； by
mail； on the same subject； and which is to be made public when he
receives it。 I herewith send you a copy of that letter； which
perhaps shows my position as distinctly as any new one I could write。
I will thank you not to make it public until General Fremont shall
have had time to receive the original。
Your obedient servant；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO GENERAL SCOTT
WASHINGTON； D。C。； September 16； 1861。
DEAR SIR：Since conversing with you I have concluded to request you
to frame an order for recruiting North Carolinians at Fort Hatteras。
I suggest it to be so framed as for us to accept a smaller force
even a companyif we cannot get a regiment or more。 What is
necessary to now say about officers you will judge。 Governor Seward
says he has a nephew （Clarence A。 Seward； I believe） who would be
willing to go and play colonel and assist in raising the force。
Still it is to be considered whether the North Carolinians will not
prefer officers of their own。 I should expect they would。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO SECRETARY CAMERON。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； September 18； 1861
HON。 SECRETARY OF WAR。
MY DEAR SIR：To guard against misunderstanding； I think fit to say
that the joint expedition of the army and navy agreed upon some time
since； and in which General T。 W。 Sherman was and is to bear a
conspicuous part； is in no wise to be abandoned； but must be ready to
move by the 1st of； or very early in； October。 Let all preparations
go forward accordingly。
Yours truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO GENERAL FREMONT；
WASHINGTON； SEPTEMBER 12； 1861
MAJOR…GENERAL FREMONT：
Governor Morton telegraphs as follows： 〃Colonel Lane； just arrived by
special train； represents Owensborough； forty miles above Evansville；
in possession of secessionists。 Green River is navigable。
Owensborough must be seized。 We want a gunboat sent up from Paducah
for that purpose。〃 Send up the gunboat if； in your discretion； you
think it right。 Perhaps you had better order those in charge of the
Ohio River to guard it vigilantly at all points。
A。 LINCOLN。
To O。 H。 BROWNING。
（Private and Confidential）
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON
SEPTEMBER 22； 1861
HON。 O。 H。 BROWNING。
MY DEAR SIR：Yours of the 17th is just received； and coming from you；
I confess it astonishes me。 That you should object to my adhering to
a law which you had assisted in making and presenting to me less than
a month before is odd enough。 But this is a very small part。
General Fremont's proclamation as to confiscation of property and the
liberation of slaves is purely political and not within the range of
military law or necessity。 If a commanding general finds a necessity
to seize the farm of a private owner for a pasture； an encampment； or
a fortification； he has the right to do so； and to so hold it as long
as the necessity lasts； and this is within military law； because
within military necessity。 But to say the farm shall no longer
belong to the owner； or his heirs forever； and this as well when the
farm is not needed for military purposes as when it is； is purely
political； without the savor of military law about it。 And the same
is true of slaves。 If the general needs them； he can seize them and
use them； but when the need is past； it is not for him to fix their
permanent future condition。 That must be settled according to laws
made by law…makers； and not by military proclamations。 The
proclamation in the point in question is simply 〃dictatorship。〃 It
assumes that the general may do anything he pleases confiscate the
lands and free the slaves of loyal people； as well as of disloyal
ones。 And going the whole figure； I have no doubt； would be more
popular with some thoughtless people than that which has been done；
But I cannot assume this reckless position； nor allow others to
assume it on my responsibility。
You speak of it as being the only means of saving the government。 On
the contrary； it is itself the surrender of the government。 Can it
be pretended that it is any longer the Government of the United
Statesany government of constitution and laws wherein a general or
a president may make permanent rules of property by proclamation？ I
do not say Congress might not with propriety pass a law on the poin