 Back home in Albany, Corning organized a public meeting on the war, which resulted in a formal letter sent to President Lincoln under Corning's hand, offering support for maintaining the integrity of the Union, but censuring the administration for certain tactics it was employing in the war, most notably the making of military arrests of civilians in New York accused of avoiding service.This incident is notable for the response it generated from Lincoln, a lengthy letter wherein the president sets out his views on what the Constitution allowed him to do in wartime.Despite his disagreements with Lincoln's handling of the war, Corning fully supported the effort to maintain the Union.