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upon　my　best　convictions；　without　selfishness　or　malice；　and　that　by

the　help　of　God　I　shall　continue　to　do　so。



Please　be　assured　of　my　highest　respect　and　esteem。



A。　LINCOLN。









SPEECH　AT　A　WAR　MEETING；



WASHINGTON；　AUGUST　6；　1862



FELLOW　CITIZENS：　I　believe　there　is　no　precedent　for　my　appearing

before　you　on　this　occasion；　but　it　is　also　true　that　there　is　no

precedent　for　your　being　here　yourselves；　and　I　offer　in

justification　of　myself　and　of　you　that；　upon　examination；　I　have

found　nothing　in　the　Constitution　against　it。　　I；　however；　have　an

impression　that；　there　are　younger　gentlemen　who　will　entertain　you

better　and　better　address　your　understanding　than　I　will　or　could；

and　therefore　I　propose　but　to　detain　you　a　moment　longer。　　I　am　very

little　inclined　on　any　occasion　to　say　anything　unless　I　hope　to

produce　some　good　by　it。　　The　only　thing　I　think　of　just　now　not

likely　to　be　better　said　by　some　one　else　is　a　matter　in　which　we

have　heard　some　other　persons　blamed　for　what　I　did　myself　There　has

been　a　very　widespread　attempt　to　have　a　quarrel　between　General

McClellan　and　the　Secretary　of　War　　Now；　I　occupy　a　position　that

enables　me　to　believe　that　these　two　gentlemen　are　not　nearly　so　deep

in　the　quarrel　as　some　presuming　to　be　their　friends。　　General

McClellan's　attitude　is　such　that　in　the　very　selfishness　of　his

nature　he　cannot　but　wish　to　be　successfuland　I　hope　he　willand

the　Secretary　of　War　is　precisely　in　the　same　situation。　　If　the

military　commanders　in　the　field　cannot　be　successful；　not　only　the

Secretary　of　War；　but　myself；　for　the　time　being　the　master　of　both；

cannot　but　be　failures。　　I　know　General　McClellan　wishes　to　be

successful；　and　I　know　he　does　not　wish　it　any　more　than　the

Secretary　of　War　for　him；　and　both　of　them　together　no　more　than　I

wish　it。　　Sometimes　we　have　a　dispute　about　how　many　men　General

McClellan　has　had；　and　those　who　would　disparage　him　say　he　has　had　a

very　large　number；　and　those　who　would　disparage　the　Secretary　of　War

insist　that　General　McClellan　has　had　a　very　small　number。　　The　basis

for　this　is；　there　is　always　a　wide　difference；　and　on　this　occasion

perhaps　a　wider　one；　between　the　grand　total　on　McClellan's　rolls　and

the　men　actually　fit　for　duty；　and　those　who　would　disparage　him　talk

of　the　grand　total　on　paper；　and　those　who　would　disparage　the

Secretary　of　War　talk　of　those　at　present　fit　for　duty。　　General

McClellan　has　sometimes　asked　for　things　that　the　Secretary　of　War

did　not　give　him。　　General　McClellan　is　not　to　blame　for　asking　for

what　he　wanted　and　needed；　and　the　Secretary　of　War　is　not　to　blame

for　not　giving　when　he　had　none　to　give。　　And　I　say　here；　so　far　as　I

know；　the　Secretary　of　War　has　withheld　no　one　thing　at　any　time　in

my　power　to　give　him。　　I　have　no　accusation　against　him。　　I　believe

he　is　a　brave　and　able　man；　and　I　stand　here；　as　justice　requires　me

to　do；　to　take　upon　myself　what　has　been　charged　on　the　Secretary　of

War　as　withholding　from　him。　　I　have　talked　longer　than　I　expected　to

do；　and　now　I　avail　myself　of　my　privilege　of　saying　no　more。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　ANDREW。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　D。C。；　August　12；　1862。



GOVERNOR　ANDREW；　Boston；　Mass。：



Your　despatch　saying　〃I　can't　get　those　regiments　off　because　I　can't

get　quick　work　out　of　the　V。　S。　disbursing　officer　and　the　paymaster〃

is　received。　　Please　say　to　these　gentlemen　that　if　they　do　not　work

quickly　I　will　make　quick　work　with　them。　　In　the　name　of　all　that　is

reasonable；　how　long　does　it　take　to　pay　a　couple　of　regiments？　　We

were　never　more　in　need　of　the　arrival　of　regiments　than　noweven

to…day。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　CURTIN。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　August　12；　1862。



GOVERNOR　CURTIN；　Harrisburg；　Penn。：



It　is　very　important　for　some　regiments　to　arrive　here　at　once。　　What

lack　you　from　us？　　What　can　we　do　to　expedite　matters？　　Answer。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　S。　R。　CURTIS。



WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　August　12；　1862。



MAJOR…GENERAL　CURTIS；　St。　　Louis；　Missouri：



Would　the　completion　of　the　railroad　some　distance　farther　in　the

direction　of　Springfield；　Mo。；　be　of　any　military　advantage　to　you？

Please　answer。



A。　LINCOLN。









ADDRESS　ON　COLONIZATION　TO　A　DEPUTATION　OF　COLORED　MEN。



WASHINGTON；　　Thursday；　August　14；　1862。



This　afternoon　the　President　of　the　United　States　gave　an　audience　to

a　committee　of　colored　men　at　the　White　House。　　They　were　introduced

by　Rev。　　J。　Mitchell；　Commissioner　of　Emigration；　　E。　M。　Thomas；　the

chairman；　remarked　that　they　were　there　by　invitation　to　hear　what

the　Executive　had　to　say　to　them。



Having　all　been　seated；　the　President；　after　a　few　preliminary

observations；　informed　them　that　a　sum　of　money　had　been　appropriated

by　Congress；　and　placed　at　his　disposition；　for　the　purpose　of　aiding

the　colonization；　in　some　country；　of　the　people；　or　a　portion　of

them；　of　African　descent；　thereby　making　it　his　duty；　as　it　had　for　a

long　time　been　his　inclination；　to　favor　that　cause。　　And　why；　he

asked；　should　the　people　of　your　race　be　colonized；　and　where？　　Why

should　they　leave　this　country？　　This　is；　perhaps；　the　first　question

for　proper　consideration。　　You　and　we　are　different　races。　　We　have

between　us　a　broader　difference　than　exists　between　almost　any　other

two　races。　　Whether　it　is　right　or　wrong　I　need　not　discuss；　but　this

physical　difference　is　a　great　disadvantage　to　us　both；　as　I　think。

Your　race　suffer　very　greatly；　many　of　them；　by　living　among　us；

while　ours　suffer　from　your　presence。　　In　a　word；　we　suffer　on　each

side。　　If　this　is　admitted；　it　affords　a　reason；　at　least；　why　we

should　be　separated。　　You　here　are　free　men；　I　suppose。



＇A　voice　…〃Yes；　sir！〃＇



Perhaps　you　have　long　been　free；　or　all　your　lives。　　Your　race　are

suffering；　in　my　judgment；　the　greatest　wrong　inflicted　on　any

people。　　But　even　when　you　cease　to　be　slaves；　you　are　yet　far

removed　from　being　placed　on　an　equality　with　the　white　race。　　You

are　cut　off　from　many　of　the　advantages　which　the　other　race　enjoys。

The　aspiration　of　men　is　to　enjoy　equality　with　the　best　when　free；

but　on　this　broad　continent　not　a　single　man　of　your　race　is　made　the

equal　of　a　single　man　of　ours。　　Go　where　you　are　treated　the　best；

and　the　ban　is　still　upon　you。　　I　do　not　propose　to　discuss　this；　but

to　present　it　as　a　fact；　with　which　we　have　to　deal。　　I　cannot　alter

it　if　I　would。　　It　is　a　fact　about　which　we　all　think　and　feel　alike；

I　and　you。　　We　look　to　our　condition。　　Owing　to　the　existence　of　the

two　races　on　this　continent；　I　need　not　recount　to　you　the　effects

upon　white　men；　growing　out　of　the　institution　of　slavery。



I　believe　in　its　general　evil　effects　on　the　white　race。　　See　our

present　conditionthe　country　engaged　in　warwhite　men　cutting　one

another's　throatsnone　knowing　how　far　it　will　extendand　then

consider　what　we　know　to　be　the　truth：　But　for　your　race　among　us

there　could　not　be　war；　although　many　men　engaged　on　either　side　do

not　care　for　you　one　way　or　the　other。　　Nevertheless　I　repeat；

without　the　institution　of　slavery　and　the　colored　race　as　a　basis；

the　war　could　not　have　an　existence。　　　It　is　better　for　us　both；

therefore；　to　be　separated。　　I　know　that　there　are　free　men　among

you；　who；　even　if　they　could　better　their　condition；　are　not　as　much

inclined　to　go　out　of　the　country　as　those　who；　being　slaves；　could

obtain　their　freedom　on　this　condition。　　I　suppose　one　of　the

principal　difficulties　in　the　way　of　colonization　is　that　the　free

colored　man　cannot　see　that　his　comfort　would　be　advanced　by　it。　　You

may　believe　that　you　can　live　in　WASHINGTON；　or　elsewhere　in　the

United　States；　the　remainder　of　your　life；　as　easily；　perhaps　more

so；　than　you　can　in　any　foreign　Country；　and　hence　you　may　come　to

the　conclusion　that　you　have　nothing　to　do　with　the　idea　of　going　to

a　foreign　country。



This　is　（I　speak　in　no　unkind　sense）　an　extremely　selfish　view　of　the

case。　　You　ought　to　do　something　to　help　those　who　are　not　so

fortunate　as　yourselves。　　There　is　an　unwillingness　on　the　part　of

our　people；　harsh　as　it　may　be；　for　you　free　colored　people　to　remain

with　us。　　Now；　if　you　could　give　a　start　to　the　white　people；　you

would　open　a　wide　door　for　many　to　be　made　free。　　If　we　deal　with

those　who　are　not　free　at　the　beginning；　and　whose　intellects　are

clouded　by　slavery；　we　have　very　poor　material　to　start　with。　　If

intelligent　colored　men；　such　as　are　before　me；　would　move　in　this

matter；　much　might　be　accomplished。



It　is　exceedingly　important　that　we　have　men　at　the　beginning　capable

of　thinking　as　white　men；　and　not　those　who　have　been　systematically

oppressed。　　There　is　much　to　encourage　you。　　For　the　sake　of　your

race　you　should　sacrifice　something