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General　Fremont。　　When　General　Halleck　came；　he　found　and　continued

the　system；　and　added　an　order；　applicable　to　some　parts　of　the

State；　to　levy　and　collect　contributions　from　noted　rebels；　to

compensate　losses　and　relieve　destitution　caused　by　the　rebellion。

The　action　of　General　Fremont　and　General　Halleck；　as　stated；

constituted　a　sort　of　system　which　General　Curtis　found　in　full

operation　when　he　took　command　of　the　department。　　That　there　was　a

necessity　for　something　of　the　sort　was　clear；　but　that　it　could　only

be　justified　by　stern　necessity；　and　that　it　was　liable　to　great

abuse　in　administration；　was　equally　clear。　　Agents　to　execute　it；

contrary　to　the　great　prayer；　were　led　into　temptation。　　Some　might；

while　others　would　not；　resist　that　temptation。　　It　was　not　possible

to　hold　any　to　a　very　strict　accountability；　and　those　yielding　to

the　temptation　would　sell　permits　and　passes　to　those　who　would　pay

most　and　most　readily　for　them；　and　would　seize　property　and　collect

levies　in　the　aptest　way　to　fill　their　own　pockets。　　Money　being　the

object；　the　man　having　money；　whether　loyal　or　disloyal；　would　be　a

victim。　　This　practice　doubtless　existed　to　some　extent；　and　it　was；

a　real　additional　evil　that　it　could　be；　and　was；　plausibly　charged

to　exist　in　greater　extent　than　it　did。



When　General　Curtis　took　command　of　the　department；　Mr。　Dick；　against

whom　I　never　knew　anything　to　allege；　had　general　charge　of　this

system。　　A　controversy　in　regard　to　it　rapidly　grew　into　almost

unmanageable　proportions。　　One　side　ignored　the　necessity　and

magnified　the　evils　of　the　system；　while　the　other　ignored　the　evils

and　magnified　the　necessity；　and　each　bitterly　assailed　the　other。　　I

could　not　fail　to　see　that　the　controversy　enlarged　in　the　same

proportion　as　the　professed　Union　men　there　distinctly　took　sides　in

two　opposing　political　parties。　　I　exhausted　my　wits；　and　very　nearly

my　patience　also；　in　efforts　to　convince　both　that　the　evils　they

charged　on　each　other　were　inherent　in　the　case；　and　could　not　be

cured　by　giving　either　party　a　victory　over　the　other。



Plainly；　the　irritating　system　was　not　to　be　perpetual；　and　it　was

plausibly　urged　that　it　could　be　modified　at　once　with　advantage。

The　case　could　scarcely　be　worse；　and　whether　it　could　be　made　better

could　only　be　determined　by　a　trial。　　In　this　view；　and　not　to　ban　or

brand　General　Curtis；　or　to　give　a　victory　to　any　party；　I　made　the

change　of　commander　for　the　department。　　I　now　learn　that　soon　after

this　change　Mr。　Dick　was　removed；　and　that　Mr。　Broadhead；　a　gentleman

of　no　less　good　character；　was　put　in　the　place。　　The　mere　fact　of

this　change　is　more　distinctly　complained　of　than　is　any　conduct　of

the　new　officer；　or　other　consequence　of　the　change。



I　gave　the　new　commander　no　instructions　as　to　the　administration　of

the　system　mentioned；　beyond　what　is　contained　in　the　private　letter

afterwards　surreptitiously　published；　in　which　I　directed　him　to　act

solely　for　the　public　good；　and　independently　of　both　parties。

Neither　any　thing　you　have　presented　me；　nor　anything　I　have

otherwise　learned；　has　convinced　me　that　he　has　been　unfaithful　to

this　charge。



Imbecility　is　urged　as　one　cause　for　removing　General　Schofield；　and

the　late　massacre　at　Lawrence；　Kansas；　is　pressed　as　evidence　of　that

imbecility。　　To　my　mind　that　fact　scarcely　tends　to　prove　the

proposition。　　That　massacre　is　only　an　example　of　what　Grierson；　John

Morgan；　and　many　others　might　have　repeatedly　done　on　their

respective　raids；　had　they　chosen　to　incur　the　personal　hazard；　and

possessed　the　fiendish　hearts　to　do　it。



The　charge　is　made　that　General　Schofield；　on　purpose　to　protect　the

Lawrence　murderers；　would　not　allow　them　to　be　pursued　into　Missouri。

While　no　punishment　could　be　too　sudden　or　too　severe　for　those

murderers；　I　am　well　satisfied　that　the　preventing　of　the　threatened

remedial　raid　into　Missouri　was　the　only　way　to　avoid　an

indiscriminate　massacre　there；　including　probably　more　innocent　than

guilty。　　Instead　of　condemning；　I　therefore　approve　what　I　understand

General　Schofield　did　in　that　respect。



The　charges　that　General　Schofield　has　purposely　withheld　protection

from　loyal　people　and　purposely　facilitated　the　objects　of　the

disloyal　are　altogether　beyond　my　power　of　belief。　　I　do　not　arraign

the　veracity　of　gentlemen　as　to　the　facts　complained　of；　but　I　do

more　than　question　the　judgment　which　would　infer　that　those　facts

occurred　in　accordance　with　the　purposes　of　General　Schofield。



With　my　present　views；　I　must　decline　to　remove　General　Schofield。

In　this　I　decide　nothing　against　General　Butler。　　I　sincerely　wish　it

were　convenient　to　assign　him　a　suitable　command。　　In　order　to　　meet

some　existing　evils　I　have　addressed　a　letter　of　instructions　to

General　Schofield；　a　copy　of　which　I　enclose　to　you。



As　to　the　enrolled　militia；　I　shall　endeavor　to　ascertain　better　than

I　now　know　what　is　its　exact　value。　　Let　me　say　now；　however；　that

your　proposal　to　substitute　national　forces　for　the　enrolled　militia

implies　that　in　your　judgment　the　latter　is　doing　something　which

needs　to　be　done；　and　if　so；　the　proposition　to　throw　that　force　away

and　to　supply　its　place　by　bringing　other　forces　from　the　field　where

they　are　urgently　needed　seems　to　me　very　extraordinary。　　Whence

shall　they　come？　　Shall　they　be　withdrawn　from　Banks；　or　Grant；　or

Steele；　or　Rosecrans？　　Few　things　have　been　so　grateful　to　my　anxious

feelings　as　when；　in　June　last；　the　local　force　in　Missouri　aided

General　Schofield　to　so　promptly　send　a　large　general　force　to　the

relief　of　General　Grant；　then　investing　Vicksburg　and　menaced　from

without　by　General　Johnston。　　Was　this　all　wrong？　　Should　the

enrolled　militia　then　have　been　broken　up　and　General　Herron　kept

from　Grant　to　police　Missouri？　　So　far　from　finding　cause　to　object；

I　confess　to　a　sympathy　for　whatever　relieves　our　general　force　in

Missouri　and　allows　it　to　serve　elsewhere。　　　I　therefore；　as　at

present　advised；　cannot　attempt　the　destruction　of　the　enrolled

militia　of　Missouri。　　I　may　add　that；　the　force　being　under　the

national　military　control；　it　is　also　within　the　proclamation　in

regard　to　the　habeas　corpus。



I　concur　in　the　propriety　of　your　request　in　regard　to　elections；　and

have；　as　you　see；　directed　General　Schofield　accordingly。　　I　do　not

feel　justified　to　enter　upon　the　broad　field　you　present　in　regard　to

the　political　differences　between　Radicals　and　Conservatives。　　From

time　to　time　I　have　done　and　said　what　appeared　to　me　proper　to　do

and　say。　　The　public　knows　it　all。　　It　obliges　nobody　to　follow　me；

and　I　trust　it　obliges　me　to　follow　nobody。　　The　Radicals　and

Conservatives　each　agree　with　me　in　some　things　and　disagree　in

others。　　I　could　wish　both　to　agree　with　me　in　all　things；　for　then

they　would　agree　with　each　other；　and　would　be　too　strong　for　any　foe

from　any　quarter。　　They；　however；　choose　to　do　otherwise；　and　I　do

not　question　their　right。　　I　too　shall　do　what　seems　to　be　my　duty。

I　hold　whoever　commands　in　Missouri　or　elsewhere　responsible　to　me

and　not　to　either　Radicals　or　Conservatives。　　It　is　my　duty　to　hear

all；　but　at　last　I　must；　within　my　sphere；　judge　what　to　do　and　what

to　forbear。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。









APPROVAL　OF　THE　DECISION　OF　THE　COURT　IN　THE

CASE　OF　DR。　DAVID　M。　WRIGHT。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　ADJUTANT…GENERALS　OFFICE；



WASHINGTON；　October　8；　1863。





MAJOR…GENERAL　J。　G。　FOSTER；　Commanding　Department　of　Virginia　and

North　Carolina；　Fort　Monroe；　Va。



SIR：The　proceedings　of　the　military　commission　instituted　for　the

trial　of　David　Wright；　of　Norfolk；　in　Special　Orders　Nos。　　195；　196；

and　197；　of　1863；　from　headquarters　Department　of　Virginia；　have　been

submitted　to　the　President　of　the　United　States。　　The　following　are

his　remarks　on　the　case：



Upon　the　presentation　of　the　record　in　this　case　and　the　examination

thereof；　aided　by　the　report　thereon　of　the　Judge…Advocate…General；

and　on　full　hearing　of　counsel　for　the　accused；　being　specified　that

no　proper　question　remained　open　except　as　to　the　sanity　of　the

accused；　I　caused　a　very　full　examination　to　be　made　on　that

question；　upon　a　great　amount　of　evidence；　including　all　effort　by

the　counsel　for　accused；　by　an　expert　of　high　reputation　in　that

professional　department；　who　thereon　reports　to　me；　as　his　opinion；

that　the　accused；　Dr。　David　M。　Wright；　was　not　insane　prior　to　or　on

the　11th　day　of　July；　1863；　the　date　of　the　homicide　of　Lieutenant

Sanborn；　that　he　has　not　been　insane　since；　and　is　not　insane　now

（Oct。　　7；　1863）。　　I　therefore　approve　the　finding　and　sentence　of　the

military　commission；　and　direct　that　the　major…general　in　command　of

the　department　including　the　place　of　trial；　and　wherein　the　convict

is　now　in　custody；　appoint　a　time　and　place　and　carry　s