the writings-6-第59部分

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by　any　one；　nor　do　I　suppose　any　will　be。　　　All　there　is；　so　far　as　I

have　heard；　is　General　Grant's　statement　of　his　reasons　for　relieving

you。　　And　even　this　I　have　not　seen　or　sought　to　see；　because　it　is　a

case；　as　appears　to　me；　in　which　I　could　do　nothing　without　doing

harm。　　General　Grant　and　yourself　have　been　conspicuous　in　our　most

important　successes；　and　for　me　to　interfere　and　thus　magnify　a

breach　between　you　could　not　but　be　of　evil　effect。　　Better　leave　it

where　the　law　of　the　case　has　placed　it。　　For　me　to　force　you　back

upon　General　Grant　would　be　forcing　him　to　resign。　　I　cannot　give　you

a　new　command；　because　we　have　no　forces　except　such　as　already　have

commanders。



I　am　constantly　pressed　by　those　who　scold　before　they　think；　or

without　thinking　at　all；　to　give　commands　respectively　to　Fremont；

McClellan；　Butler；　Sigel；　Curtis；　Hunter；　Hooker；　and　perhaps　others；

when；　all　else　out　of　the　way；　I　have　no　commands　to　give　them。　　This

is　now　your　case；　which；　as　I　have　said；　pains　me　not　less　than　it

does　you。　　My　belief　is　that　the　permanent　estimate　of　what　a　general

does　in　the　field　is　fixed　by　the　〃cloud　of　witnesses〃　who　have　been

with　him　in　the　field；　and　that；　relying　on　these；　he　who　has　the

right　needs　not　to　fear。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　AUGUST　16；　1863。



GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR；　New　York：



Your　despatch　of　this　morning　is　just　received；　and　I　fear　I　do　not

perfectly　understand　it。



My　view　of　the　principle　is　that　every　soldier　obtained　voluntarily

leaves　one　less　to　be　obtained　by　draft。　　The　only　difficulty　is　in

applying　the　principle　properly。　　Looking　to　time；　as　heretofore；　I

am　unwilling　to　give　up　a　drafted　man　now；　even　for　the　certainty；

much　less　for　the　mere　chance；　of　getting　a　volunteer　hereafter。

Again；　after　the　draft　in　any　district；　would　it　not　make　trouble　to

take　any　drafted　man　out　and　put　a　volunteer　infor　how　shall　it　be

determined　which　drafted　man　is　to　have　the　privilege　of　thus　going

out；　to　the　exclusion　of　all　the　others？　　And　even　before　the　draft

in　any　district　the　quota　must　be　fixed；　and　the　draft　must　be

postponed　indefinitely　if　every　time　a　volunteer　is　offered　the

officers　must　stop　and　reconstruct　the　quota。　　At　least　I　fear　there

might　be　this　difficulty；　but；　at　all　events；　let　credits　for

volunteers　be　given　up　to　the　last　moment　which　will　not　produce

confusion　or　delay。　　That　the　principle　of　giving　credits　for

volunteers　shall　be　applied　by　districts　seems　fair　and　proper；

though　I　do　not　know　how　far　by　present　statistics　it　is　practicable。

When　for　any　cause　a　fair　credit　is　not　given　at　one　time；　it　should

be　given　as　soon　thereafter　as　practicable。　　My　purpose　is　to　be　just

and　fair；　and　yet　to　not　lose　time。



A。　LINCOLN









To　J。　H。　HACKETT。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON

August　17；　1863。



JAMES　H。　HACKETT；　Esq。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Months　ago　I　should　have　acknowledged　the　receipt　of

your　book　and　accompanying　kind　note；　and　I　now　have　to　beg　your

pardon　for　not　having　done　so。



For　one　of　my　age　I　have　seen　very　little　of　the　drama。　　The　first

presentation　of　Falstaff　I　ever　saw　was　yours　here；　last　winter　or

spring。　　Perhaps　the　best　compliment　I　can　pay　is　to　say；　as　I　truly

can；　I　am　very　anxious　to　see　it　again。　　Some　of　Shakespeare's　plays

I　have　never　read；　while　others　I　have　gone　over　perhaps　as

frequently　as　any　un…professional　reader。　　Among　the　latter　are　Lear；

Richard　III。；　Henry　VIII。；　Hamlet；　and　especially　Macbeth。　　I　think

nothing　equals　Macbeth。　　It　is　wonderful。



Unlike　you　gentlemen　of　the　profession；　I　think　the　soliloquy　in

Hamlet　commencing　〃Oh；　my　offense　is　rank；〃　surpasses　that　commencing

〃To　be　or　not　to　be。〃　But　pardon　this　small　attempt　at　criticism。　　I

should　like　to　hear　you　pronounce　the　opening　speech　of　Richard　III。

Will　you　not　soon　visit　Washington　again？　　If　you　do；　please　call　and

let　me　make　your　personal　acquaintance。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN









TO　F。　F。　LOWE。



WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；

August　17；　1863。



HON。　P。　F。　LOWE；　San　Francisco；　Cal。：



There　seems　to　be　considerable　misunderstanding　about　the　recent

movement　to　take　possession　of　the　〃New　Almaden〃　mine。　　It　has　no

reference　to　any　other　mine　or　mines。



In　regard　to　mines　and　miners　generally；　no　change　of　policy　by　the

Government　has　been　decided　on；　or　even　thought　of；　so　far　as　I　know。



The　〃New　Almaden〃　mine　was　peculiar　in　this：　　that　its　occupants

claimed　to　be　the　legal　owners　of　it　on　a　Mexican　grant；　and　went

into　court　on　that　claim。　　The　case　found　its　way　into　the　Supreme

Court　of　the　United　States；　and　last　term；　in　and　by　that　court；　the

claim　of　the　occupants　was　decided　to　be　utterly　fraudulent。

Thereupon　it　was　considered　the　duty　of　the　Government　by　the

Secretary　of　the　Interior；　the　Attorney…General；　and　myself　to　take

possession　of　the　premises；　and　the　Attorney…General　carefully　made

out　the　writ　and　I　signed　it。　　It　was　not　obtained　surreptitiously；

although　I　suppose　General　Halleck　thought　it　had　been；　when　he

telegraphed；　simply　because　he　thought　possession　was　about　being

taken　by　a　military　order；　while　he　knew　no　such　order　had　passed

through　his　hands　as　general…in…chief。



The　writ　was　suspended；　upon　urgent　representations　from　California；

simply　to　keep　the　peace。　　It　never　had　any　direct　or　indirect

reference　to　any　mine；　place；　or　person；　except　the　〃New　Almaden〃

mine　and　the　persons　connected　with　it。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　MEADE。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　August　21；　1863。



MAJOR…GENERAL　MEADE；　Warrenton；　Va。：



At　this　late　moment　I　am　appealed　to　in　behalf　of　William　Thompson　of

Company　K；　Third　Maryland　Volunteers；　in　Twelfth　Army　Corps；　said　to

be　at　Kelly's　Ford；　under　sentence　to　be　shot　to…day　as　a　deserter。

He　is　represented　to　me　to　be　very　young；　with　symptoms　of　insanity。

Please　postpone　the　execution　till　further　order。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　SCHOFIELD。



WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　August　22；　1863。



GENERAL　SCHOFIELD；　Saint　Louis；　Mo。：



Please　send　me　if　you　can　a　transcript　of　the　record　in　the　case　of

McQuin　and　Bell；　convicted　of　murder　by　a　military　commission。　　I

telegraphed　General　Strong　for　it；　but　he　does　not　answer。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　MRS。　GRIMSLEY。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　August　24；　1863。



MRS。　ELIZABETH　J。　GRIMSLEY；　Springfield；　Ill。：



I　mail　the　papers　to　you　to…day　appointing　Johnny　to　the　Naval

school。



A。　LINCOLN









TO　CRITICS　OF　EMANCIPATION



To　J。　C。　CONKLING。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

August　26；　1863。



HON。　JAMES　C。　CONKLING。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Your　letter　inviting　me　to　attend　a　mass　meeting　of

unconditional　Union　men；　to　be　held　at　the　capital　of　Illinois；　on

the　3d　day　of　September；　has　been　received。　　It　would　be　very

agreeable　for　me　thus　to　meet　my　old　friends　at　my　own　home；　but　I

cannot　just　now　be　absent　from　here　so　long　as　a　visit　there　would

require。



The　meeting　is　to　be　of　all　those　who　maintain　unconditional　devotion

to　the　Union；　and　I　am　sure　that　my　old　political　friends　will　thank

me　for　tendering；　as　I　do；　the　nation's　gratitude　to　those　other

noble　men　whom　no　partisan　malice　or　partisan　hope　can　make　false　to

the　nation's　life。



There　are　those　who　are　dissatisfied　with　me。　　To　such　I　would　say：

You　desire　peace；　and　you　blame　me　that　we　do　not　have　it。　　But　how

can　we　obtain　it？　　There　are　but　three　conceivable　ways：



Firstto　suppress　the　rebellion　by　force　of　arms。　　This　I　am　trying

to　do。　　Are　you　for　it？　　If　you　are；　so　far　we　are　agreed。　　If　you

are　not　for　it；　a　second　way　is　to　give　up　the　Union。　　I　am　against

this。　　Are　you　for　it？　　If　you　are　you　should　say　so　plainly。　　If　you

are　not　for　force　nor　yet　for　dissolution；　there　only　remains　some

imaginable　compromise。



I　do　not　believe　that　any　compromise　embracing　the　maintenance　of　the

Union　is　now　possible。　　All　that　I　learn　leads　to　a　directly　opposite

belief。　　The　strength　of　the　rebellion　is　its　military；　its　army。

That　army　dominates　all　the　country　and　all　the　people　within　its

range。　　Any　offer　of　terms　made　by　any　man　or　men　within　that　range；

in　opposition　to　that　army；　is　simply　nothing　for　the　present；

because　such　man　or　men　have　no　power　whatever　to　enforce　their　side

of　a　compromise；　if　one　were　made　with　them。



To　illustrate：　Suppose　refugees　from　the　South　and　peace　men　of　the

North　get　together　in　convention；　and　frame　and　proclaim　a　compromise

embracing　a　restoration　of　the　Union。　　In　what　way　can　that

compromise　be　used　to　keep　Lee's　army　out　of　Pennsylvania？　　Meade's

army　can　keep　Lee's　army　out　of　Pennsylvania；　and；　I　th