the writings-6-第57部分

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those　who　are　duly　organized　as　soldiers　in　the　public　service。　　The

law　of　nations　and　the　usages　and　customs　of　war；　as　carried　on　by

civilized　powers；　permit　no　distinction　as　to　color　in　the　treatment

of　prisoners　of　war　as　public　enemies。　　To　sell　or　enslave　any

captured　person；　on　account　of　his　color　and　for　no　offense　against

the　laws　of　war；　is　a　relapse　into　barbarism；　and　a　crime　against　the

civilization　of　the　age。



The　Government　of　the　United　States　will　give　the　same　protection　to

all　its　soldiers；　and　if　the　enemy　shall　sell　or　enslave　any　one

because　of　his　color；　the　offense　shall　be　punished　by　retaliation

upon　the　enemy's　prisoners　in　our　possession。



It　is　therefore　ordered　that　for　every　soldier　of　the　United　States

killed　in　violation　of　the　laws　of　war；　a　rebel　soldier　shall　be

executed；　and　for　every　one　enslaved　by　the　enemy　or　sold　into

slavery；　a　rebel　soldier　shall　be　placed　at　hard　labor　on　the　public

works；　and　continued　at　such　labor　until　the　other　shall　be　released

and　receive　the　treatment　due　to　a　prisoner　of　war。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









TO　GENERAL　S。　A。　HURLBUT。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

July　31；　1863。



MY　DEAR　GENERAL　HURLBUT：



Your　letter　by　Mr。　Dana　was　duly　received。　　I　now　learn　that　your

resignation　has　reached　the　War　Department。　　I　also　learn　that　an

active　command　has　been　assigned　you　by　General　Grant。　　The　Secretary

of　War　and　General　Halleck　are　very　partial　to　you；　as　you　know　I

also　am。　　We　all　wish　you　to　reconsider　the　question　of　resigning；

not　that　we　would　wish　to　retain　you　greatly　against　your　wish　and

interest；　but　that　your　decision　may　be　at　least　a　very　well…

considered　one。



I　understand　that　Senator　＇William　K。＇　Sebastian；　of　Arkansas；　thinks

of　offering　to　resume　his　place　in　the　Senate。　　Of　course　the　Senate；

and　not　I；　would　decide　whether　to　admit　or　reject　him。　　　Still　I

should　feel　great　interest　in　the　question。　　It　may　be　so　presented

as　to　be　one　of　the　very　greatest　national　importance；　and　it　may　be

otherwise　so　presented　as　to　be　of　no　more　than　temporary　personal

consequence　to　him。



The　Emancipation　Proclamation　applies　to　Arkansas。　　I　think　it　is

valid　in　law；　and　will　be　so　held　by　the　courts。　　I　think　I　shall　not

retract　or　repudiate　it。　　Those　who　shall　have　tasted　actual　freedom

I　believe　can　never　be　slaves　or　quasi…slaves　again。　　For　the　rest；　I

believe　some　plan　substantially　being　gradual　emancipation　would　be

better　for　both　white　and　black。　　　The　Missouri　plan　recently

adopted；　I　do　not　object　to　on　account　of　the　time　for　ending　the

institution；　but　I　am　sorry　the　beginning　should　have　been　postponed

for　seven　years；　leaving　all　that　time　to　agitate　for　the　repeal　of

the　whole　thing。　　It　should　begin　at　once；　giving　at　least　the

new…born　a　vested　interest　in　freedom　which　could　not　be　taken　away。

If　Senator　Sebastian　could　come　with　something　of　this　sort　from

Arkansas；　I；　at　least；　should　take　great　interest　in　his　case；　and　I

believe　a　single　individual　will　have　scarcely　done　the　world　so

great　a　service。　　See　him　if　you　can；　and　read　this　to　him；　but

charge　him　not　to　make　it　public　for　the　present。　　Write　me　again。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　FROM　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR。

ALBANY；　August　1；　1863。　　Recvd　2　P。M。



TO　THE　PRESIDENT　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES：



I　ask　that　the　draft　be　suspended　in　this　State　until　I　can　send　you

a　communication　I　am　preparing。



HORATIO　SEYMOUR。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR



WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　August　1；　1863。　　4　P。M。



HIS　EXCELLENCY　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR；　Albany；　N。Y。：



By　what　day　may　I　expect　your　communication　to　reach　me？　　Are　you

anxious　about　any　part　except　the　city　and　vicinity？



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　FOSTER。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　August　3；　1863。



MAJOR…GENERAL　FOSTER　（or　whoever　may　be　in　command　of　the　military

department　with　headquarters　at　Fort　Monroe；　Va。）：



If　Dr。　Wright；　on　trial　at　Norfolk；　has　been　or　shall　be　convicted；

send　me　a　transcript　of　his　trial　and　conviction；　and　do　not　let

execution　be　done　upon　him　until　my　further　order。



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GENERAL　N。　P。　BANKS。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

August　5；1863。



MY　DEAR　GENERAL　BANKS：



While　I　very　well　know　what　I　would　be　glad　for　Louisiana　to　do；　it

is　quite　a　different　thing　for　me　to　assume　direction　of　the　matter。

I　would　be　glad　for　her　to　make　a　new　constitution；　recognizing　the

emancipation　proclamation；　and　adopting　emancipation　in　those　parts

of　the　State　to　which　the　proclamation　does　not　apply。　　And　while　she

is　at　it；　I　think　it　would　not　be　objectionable　for　her　to　adopt　some

practical　system　by　which　the　two　races　could　gradually　live

themselves　out　of　their　old　relation　to　each　other；　and　both　come　out

better　prepared　for　the　new。　　Education　for　young　blacks　should　be

included　in　the　plan。　　After　all；　the　power　or　element　of　〃contract〃

may　be　sufficient　for　this　probationary　period；　and　by　its　simplicity

and　flexibility　may　be　the　better。



As　an　antislavery　man；　I　have　a　motive　to　desire　emancipation　which

proslavery　men　do　not　have　but　even　they　have　strong　enough　reason　to

thus　place　themselves　again　under　the　shield　of　the　Union；　and　to

thus　perpetually　hedge　against　the　recurrence　of　the　scenes　through

which　we　are　now　passing。



Governor　Shepley　has　informed　me　that　Mr。　Durant　is　now　taking　a

registry；　with　a　view　to　the　election　of　a　constitutional　convention

in　Louisiana。　　This；　to　me；　appears　proper。　　If　such　convention　were

to　ask　my　views；　I　could　present　little　else　than　what　I　now　say　to

you。　　I　think　the　thing　should　be　pushed　forward；　so　that；　if

possible；　its　mature　work　may　reach　here　by　the　meeting　of　Congress。



For　my　own　part；　I　think　I　shall　not；　in　any　event；　retract　the

emancipation　proclamation：　nor；　as　executive；　ever　return　to　slavery

any　person　who　is　free　by　the　terms　of　that　proclamation；　or　by　any

of　the　acts　of　Congress。



If　Louisiana　shall　send　members　to　Congress；　their　admission　to　seats

will　depend；　as　you　know；　upon　the　respective　Houses；　and　not　upon

the　President。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

August　7；　1863。



HIS　EXCELLENCY　HORATIO　SEYMOUR；　Governor　of　New　York：



Your　communication　of　the　3rd　instant　has　been　received　and

attentively　considered。



I　cannot　consent　to　suspend　the　draft　in　New　York；　as　you　request；

because；　among　other　reasons；　time　is　too　important。



By　the　figures　you　send；　which　I　presume　are　correct；　the　twelve

districts　represented　fall　into　two　classes　of　eight　and　four

respectively。　　The　disparity　of　the　quotas　for　the　draft　in　these　two

classes　is　certainly　very　striking；　being　the　difference　between　an

average　of　2200　in　one　class　and　4864　in　the　other。　　Assuming　that

the　districts　are　equal　one　to　another　in　entire　population；　as

required　by　the　plan　on　which　they　were　made；　this　disparity　is　such

as　to　require　attention。　　Much　of　it；　however；　I　suppose　will　be

accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　so　many　more　persons　fit　for　soldiers

are　in　the　city　than　are　in　the　country　who　have　too　recently　arrived

from　other　parts　of　the　United　States　and　from　Europe　to　be　either

included　in　the　census　of　1860；　or　to　have　voted　in　1862。　　Still；

making　due　allowance　for　this；　I　am　yet　unwilling　to　stand　upon　it　as

an　entirely　sufficient　explanation　of　the　great　disparity。



I　shall　direct　the　draft　to　proceed　in　all　the　districts；　drawing；

however；　at　first　from　each　of　the　four　districtsto　wit；　the

Second；　Fourth；　Sixth；　and　Eighthonly；　2200　being　the　average　quota

of　the　other　class。　　After　this　drawing；　these　four　districts；　and

also　the　Seventeenth　and　Twenty…ninth；　shall　be　carefully　re…

enrolled；　and；　if　you　please；　agents　of　yours　may　witness　every　step

of　the　process。　　Any　deficiency　which　may　appear　by　the　new　enrolment

will　be　supplied　by　a　special　draft　for　that　object；　allowing　due

credit　for　volunteers　who　may　be　obtained　from　these　districts

respectively　during　the　interval；　and　at　all　points；　so　far　as

consistent　with　practical　convenience；　due　credits　shall　be　given　for

volunteers；　and　your　Excellency　shall　be　notified　of　the　time　fixed

for　commencing　the　draft　in　each　district。



I　do　not　object　to　abide　a　decision　of　the　United　States　Supreme

Court；　or　of　the　judges　thereof；　on　the　constitutionality　of　the

draft　law。　　In　fact；　I　should　be　willing　to　facilitate　the　obtaining

of　it。　　But　I　cannot　consent　to　lose　the　time　while　it　is　being

obtained。　　We　are　contending　with　an　enemy　who；　as　I　understand；

drives　every　able…bodied　man　he　can　reach　into　his　ranks；　very　much

as　a　butcher　drives　bullocks　into　the　slaughter…pen。　　No　time　is

wasted；　no　argume