The Writings of Carl Schurz/From Charles Sumner, July 5th, 1862

by Carl Schurz and others

 

FROM CHARLES SUMNER

Senate Chamber, July 5, 1862. 

Confidential.

My dear General: . . .^[1] I wish you were here to tell the President the true way. In vain will he appeal for troops at the North, so it seems to many of us. I have insisted that the appeal shall be made to the slaves, and the rear-guard of the rebellion be changed into the advance guard of the Union. He said that he would at once, if he did not fear that half the Army would lay down their arms and three other States would join the rebellion. I wish you were here to help. By voice and presence you could do much—very—very much. God bless you! Ever yours.

1. Two sentences about a military correspondence between Schurz and Lincoln, of which part has not been found. See 18 War Records, 378-81, 398, 399.