their presence alone, in their present attitude, will subject the General Government to a continuance of appeals and protests from the people of Missouri, and it will not be found possible to avoid more or less interference with civil affairs in the State through the military arm of the General Government. So long as the troops remain, and so long as martial law obtains, the people will feel a constant desire to appeal from the State executive and civil laws to the military authorities and to the General Government, and no step will be taken toward a resumption of local civil administration.

The people of Missouri will never learn too conduct their own affairs whilst they find an appeal from their State officers too the officers of the General Government. Remove that source of difficulty and they will soon learn that they must depend upon themselves and their State government as their final resort for justice. I do not propose too change the present condition of the military suddenly, but to do so very cautiously and gradually, as follows: The term of the Missouri State Militia, which has been paid by the General Government and has acted under officers of the United States, is about to expire, say about May 1. Under no circumstances should these troops be reorganized or employed in the same manner. The expiration of their term of service will rid us of a large and powerful element of disturbance. No authority should be given to raise troops for service in Missouri. If this recommendation be adopted we should be left in Missouri within a few months with nothing but a few regiments of volunteers from other States. These regiments I will push down to the southern border of the State. The legislature of Missouri has provided for the organization of their State militia to act entirely under State officers. If the State authorities consider it necessary they can replace the Missouri State Militia whose terms are expiring by these militia regiments, which should be suffered too act entirely under the executive of the State. In many counties of Missouri the civil courts are in full operation. In those counties I propose to suspend martial law, not by any public order but simply by private instructions to commanding officers to withdraw their provost marshals and to refrain entirely from any interference with citizens beyond keeping criminals arrested by the civil authorities in custody until they can be tried by civil courts. Slowly, county by county, the military forces of the United States can thus be withdrawn from all connection with the citizens or civil affairs of the State. If troops or martial law are afterward required we may in any part of the State let the governor take the responsibility of declaring martial law and enforcing it by his State militia. I think it will be found that when the State is required to pay the heavy expenses incurred by calling out the militia to enforce martial law it will be discovered that martial law is not so a desirable or valuable an institution as has been supposed; and I think also that it will not be found necessary -when the State has to pay for it-to employ such large forces against bushwhackers.

There is a loyal State executive and civil officers and a large loyal majority in the State, and I cannot see why it is not abundantly able to settle all controversies between its own citizens, without referring them to the Administration at Washington. So long as these appeals are listened to at Washington, just that long they will continue to be made and the affairs of Missouri to remain unsettled. The best thing, I think, which can now be done is to leave the people of Missouri to settle their own affairs, only guaranteeing them protection from the invasion of armed forces of the rebels. This is what I desire and propose to do, with your approval, and as I shall do nothing whatever