Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress. Transcribed and Annotated by the Lincoln Studies Center, Knox College. Galesburg, Illinois.
(Military affairs in Missouri)
From A. P. Forman to Edward Bates, March 15, 1864
Hannibal, Mo. March 15th 1864
Dear Sir:
Enclosed I send you a recent order of Major General Rosecrans1, which is causing among us a vast amount of concern, & which we trust you will use all your influence with the President to have revoked. It is always a matter of deep regret to me whenever I feel compelled to find fault with the acts of any of our rulers whether civil or military. And even then I try to do it respectfully, & in a way that will be attended with as little harm as possible. I know that in these times great allowances must be made, & great forbearance exercised. And our military commanders especially, in the midst of the multiplicity of their engagements, are liable to be imposed upon by designing persons.
From the very outset of our national difficulties I have earnestly desired the preservation of our beloved Union. And thus far I have never in a single instance knowingly violated, either in letter or in spirit, any civil law or military order. But this order of General Rosecrans I cannot in conscience comply with.2 For I cannot acknowledge the right of any power on earth to prescribe for me my qualifications as minister or member of a church court. This can be done only by Christ speaking in his word. If earthly powers have the right to say I shall not sit in a church court without taking a certain oath, they have full authority to prescribe the time, place, & subject-matter of my preaching. But this I can never admit. For Christ alone is King & Head of the Church. Now whilst I do not believe that Gen. Rosecrans meant it, yet it is the fact that his order is a direct blow at the Headship of Christ over His church, & a prostration of some of those liberties which are dearest to Christian hearts & for which they will die rather than yield. For me, therefore, to take the oath ordered by Gen. Rosecrans, & sit in a court of the Lord's church under the surveillance of a provost marshal, would be for me in conscience to deny Christ & set up man as my lord.
But, not only is this order wrong in principle, I can say unhesitatingly there is for it not the slightest political necessity. 1. Missouri is as quiet as any of the neighboring states east & north of us. Indeed, so far as I can learn, the people are more submissive to the Government than are the citizens of Illinois. There is not, I believe, even in the southwest as much as a small band of armed rebels. Things are quiet in Missouri. 2. There is a general disposition on the part of the Christian people to sustain the authority of the Government over this State. I think it would be very difficult to find a Christian man, & especially a Christian minister, who would now advocate treason & rebellion in Missouri. 3. I presume that all Christian ministers, & almost all laymen who would be likely to be called to sit in Church courts, have already taken oaths of allegiance, which of course bind their consciences. But we have taken these oaths as citizens & not as church officers. Several oaths have been prescribed by the Convention & Legislature as qualifications for performing the marriage ceremony, for holding office in chartered institutions, for voting, &c. I have taken these freely & voluntarily. They bind my conscience all the time & every where. And thus the Christian ministers & people of our State, whatever some of them may have once desired, are now bound over to the Government as citizens by solemn oaths before God. So that there is not the slightest political necessity for such an order
Still further, this order, if not revoked, will be productive of immense evil. 1. It will tend to alienate the Christian people of the State in affection from the Government. It singles us out & holds us up as objects of suspicion. It strikes a blow at our religious rights, which are the dearest of all others. Hence it must tend to lessen our respect & love for the Government. 2. It will place us in the attitude of apparent opposition to the authorities -- which we by no means desire. There are multitudes of us who cannot obey the order of General Rosecrans without a violation of conscience. And they will lay us liable to the charge of sympathy with the rebellion. 3. It will renew the distraction of our churches & foment division among Christians. Our churches had begun to settle down in a state of harmony & quiet. Such a condition of Christian peace would necessarily be productive of great good to the Commonwealth. But this order will renew our troubles. A few will doubtless comply with it, & they will have the entire control of our church courts. This will necessarily beget suspicion, alienation, crimination, & lasting division. (4) There is another thing that weighs much with me. I earnestly desire that our present peace & quiet shall continue to reign. But I know that Jesus Christ is the Lord of providence, & he sorely chastises those who touch the ark. He loves his church, & for every infliction of evil upon that church, He will return double. Now certainly our rulers, whether civil or military, need the Lord of providence on their side, & they should the rather err in their indulgence to the church than run the risk of provoking His wrath.
Thus am I fully convinced that this order will be productive of great evil, that it is wholly unnecessary, & that it is wrong in principle. Indeed I cannot see the object of it. There is not the slightest probability that any church court in this state would constitute a disloyal assembly. There is not the slightest probability that any individual in a church court would utter disloyal sentiments. If so, he could easily be arrested & punished according to the degree of his guilt. If the order is permitted to stand, it will be productive of a thousand-fold more disloyalty in the hearts of the people than it will ever suppress.
Let me beg of you, therefore, to lay this matter before the President, & use all your influence with him to have the order revoked. And by so doing you will receive the gratitude of many praying hearts.3
Yours very truly
A. P. Forman
[ Endorsement:]
Rev A. P. Foreman
Mar 15. Recd 23d 64
Genl Rosecrans' order on Religious Assemblies.
E.
[Note 1 Maj. Gen. William S. Rosecrans was commander of the Department of Missouri.]
[Note 2 Rosecrans' Special Orders, No. 61, issued March 7, 1864, required all persons attending "all religious convocations" to take an oath of allegiance. Persons failing to do so would be held "amenable." To insure compliance with the order, provost marshals were instructed to attend all such gatherings.]
[Note 3 Lincoln wrote Rosecrans on April 4, in a letter "more social than official," expressing dread at the possible effect of his order. See Lincoln to Rosecrans, April 4, 1864.]
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