and in no way to aid or abet by arms, counsel, conversation, or information of any kind the existing insurrection against the Government of the United States. To guard against misapprehension it is proper to state that this proclamation does not apply to prisoners of war. MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. WASHINGTON, January 2, 1862. TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I transmit to Congress a copy of a letter to the Secretary of State from James R. Partridge, secretary to the executive committee to the industrial exhibition to be held in London in the course of the present year, and a copy of the correspondence to which it refers, relative to a vessel for the purpose of taking such articles as persons in this country may wish to exhibit on that occasion. As it appears that no naval vessel can be spared for the purpose, I recommend that authority be given to charter a suitable merchant vessel, in order that facilities similar to those afforded by the government for the exhibition of 1851 may also be extended to those citizens of the United States who may desire to contribute to the exhibition of this year. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GENERAL D. C. BUELL. GENERAL BUELL: WASHINGTON, January 4, 1862. Have arms gone forward for East Tennessee? BRIGADIER-GENERAL BUELL. MY DEAR SIR:-Your despatch of yesterday has been received, and it disappoints and distresses me. I have shown it to General McClellan, who says he will write you to-day. I am not competent to criticise your views, and therefore what I offer is in justification of myself. Of the two, I would rather have a point on the railroad south of Cumberland Gap than Nashville. First, because it cuts a great artery of the enemy's communication, which Nashville does not; and secondly, because it is in the midst of loyal people who would rally around it, while Nashville is not. Again, I cannot see why the movement on East Tennessee would not be a diversion in your favor rather than a disadvantage, assuming that a movement toward Nashville is the main object. But my distress is that our friends in East Tennessee are being hanged and driven to despair, and even now, I fear, are thinking of taking rebel arms for the sake of personal protection. In this we lose the most valuable stake we have in the South. My despatch, to which yours is an answer, was sent with the knowledge of Senator Johnson and Representative Maynard of East Tennessee, and they will be upon me to know the answer, which I cannot safely show them. They would despair, possibly resign to go and save their families somehow, or die with them. I do not intend this to be an order in any sense, but merely, as intimated before, to show you the grounds of my anxiety. Yours very truly, A. LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GENERAL BUELL. WASHINGTON, January 7, 1862. BRIGADIER-GENERAL D. C. BUELL, Louisville: Please name as early a day as you safely can on or before which you can be ready to move southward in concert with Major-General Halleck. Delay is ruining us, and it is indispensable for me to have something definite. I send a like despatch to MajorGeneral Halleck. A. LINCOLN. MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. WASHINGTON, January 10, 1862. TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I transmit to Congress a translation of an instruction to the minister of his Majesty the Emperor of Austria accredited to this government, and a copy of a note to that minister from the Secretary of State relative to the questions involved in the taking from the British steamer Trent of certain citizens of the United States by order of Captain Wilkes of the United States Navy. This correspondence may be considered as a sequel to that previously communicated to Congress relating to the same subject. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. INDORSEMENT ON LETTER FROM GENERAL HALLECK, HEADQUARTErs Department of the Missouri, TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT: In reply to your Excellency's letter of the 1st instant, I have to state that on receiving your telegram I immediately communicated with General Buell, and have since sent him all the information I could obtain of the enemy's movements about Columbus and Camp Beauregard. No considerable force has been sent from those places to Bowling Green. They have about 22,000 men at Columbus, and the place is strongly fortified. I have at Cairo, Fort Holt, and Paducah only about 15,000, which, after leaving guards at these places, would give me but little over 10,000 men with which to assist General Buell. It would be madness to attempt anything serious with such a force, and I cannot at the present time withdraw any from Missouri without risking the loss of this State. The troops recently raised in other States of this department have, without my knowledge, been sent to Kentucky and Kansas. I am satisfied that the authorities at Washington VOL. V.-27. they will be upon me to know the answer, which I cannot safely show them. They would despair, possibly resign to go and save their families somehow, or die with them. I do not intend this to be an order in any sense, but merely, as intimated before, to show you the grounds of my anxiety. Yours very truly, A. LINCOLN. TELEGRAM TO GENERAL BUELL. WASHINGTON, January 7, 1862. BRIGADIER-GENERAL D. C. BUELL, Louisville: Please name as early a day as you safely can on or before which you can be ready to move southward in concert with Major-General Halleck. Delay is ruining us, and it is indispensable for me to have something definite. I send a like despatch to MajorGeneral Halleck. MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. A. LINCOLN. TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTA I transmit to Congress a translatio tion to the minister of his Majest Austria accredited to this gover of a note to that minister f State relative to the question from the British steame |