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assumed。　　Here　my　children　were　born；　and　here　one　of　them　lies

buried。　　To　you；　my　friends；　I　owe　all　that　I　have；　all　that　I　am。

All　the　strange　checkered　past　seems　to　crowd　upon　my　mind。　　To…day　I

leave　you。　　I　go　to　assume　a　task　more　difficult　than　that　which

devolved　upon　General　Washington。　　Unless　the　great　God　who　assisted

him　shall　be　with　and　aid　me　I　cannot　prevail；　but　if　the　same

almighty　arm　that　directed　and　protected　him　shall　guide　and　support

me　I　shall　not　fail；　I　shall　succeed。　　Let　us　pray　that　the　God　of

our　fathers　may　not　forsake　us　now。　　To　Him　I　commend　you　all。

Permit　me　to　ask　that　with　equal　sincerity　and　faith　you　will　all

invoke　His　wisdom　and　goodness　for　me。



With　these　words　I　must　leave　you；　for　how　long　I　know　not。　　Friends；

one　and　all；　I　must　now　wish　you　an　affectionate　farewell。









REMARKS　AT　TOLONO；　ILLINOIS；　FEBRUARY　11；　1861



I　am　leaving　you　on　an　errand　of　national　importance；　attended；　as

you　are　aware；　with　considerable　difficulties。　　　Let　us　believe；　as

some　poet　has　expressed　it；　〃Behind　the　cloud　the　sun　is　still

shining。〃　I　bid　you　an　affectionate　farewell。









REPLY　TO　ADDRESS　OF　WELCOME；　INDIANAPOLIS；



INDIANA；　FEBRUARY　11；　1861



GOVERNOR　MORTON　AND　FELLOW　CITIZENS

OF　THE　STATE　OF　INDIANA：



Most　heartily　do　I　thank　you　for　this　magnificent　reception；　and

while　I　cannot　take　to　myself　any　share　of　the　compliment　thus　paid；

more　than　that　which　pertains　to　a　mere　instrument；　an　accidental

instrument；　perhaps　I　should　say；　of　a　great　cause；　I　yet　must　look

upon　it　as　a　most　magnificent　reception；　and　as　such　most　heartily　do

thank　you　for　it。　　You　have　been　pleased　to　address　yourself　to　me

chiefly　in　behalf　of　this　glorious　Union　in　which　we　live；　in　all　of

which　you　have　my　hearty　sympathy；　and；　as　far　as　may　be　within　my

power；　will　have；　one　and　inseparable；　my　hearty　consideration。

While　I　do　not　expect；　upon　this　occasion；　or　until　I　get　to

Washington；　to　attempt　any　lengthy　speech；　I　will　only　say　to　the

salvation　of　the　Union　there　needs　but　one　single　thingthe　hearts

of　a　people　like　yours。



The　peoplewhen　they　rise　in　mass　in　behalf　of　the　Union　and　the

liberties　of　their　country；　truly　may　it　be　said；　〃The　gates　of　hell

cannot　prevail　against　them。〃　In　all　trying　positions　in　which　I

shall　be

placedand；　doubtless；　I　shall　be　placed　in　many　suchmy　reliance

will　be　placed　upon　you　and　the　people　of　the　United　States；　and　I

wish　you　to　remember；　now　and　forever；　that　it　is　your　business；　and

not　mine；　that　if　the　union　of　these　States　and　the　liberties　of　this

people　shall　be　lost；　it　is　but　little　to　any　one　man　of　fifty…two

years　of　age；　but　a　great　deal　to　the　thirty　millions　of　people　who

inhabit　these　United　States；　and　to　their　posterity　in　all　coming

time。　　It　is　your　business　to　rise　up　and　preserve　the　Union　and

liberty　for　yourselves；　and　not　for　me。



I　desire　they　should　be　constitutionally　performed。　　I；　as　already

intimated；　am　but　an　accidental　instrument；　temporary；　and　to　serve

but　for　a　limited　time；　and　I　appeal　to　you　again　to　constantly　bear

in　mind　that　with　you；　and　not　with　politicians；　not　with　Presidents；

not　with　office…seekers；　but　with　you　is　the　question；　Shall　the

Union　and　shall　the　liberties　of　this　country　be　preserved　to　the

latest　generations？









ADDRESS　TO　THE　LEGISLATURE　OF　INDIANA；　AT　INDIANAPOLIS；



FEBRUARY　12；　1861



FELLOW…CITIZENS　OF　THE　STATE　OF　INDIANA：I　am　here　to　thank　you　much

for　this　magnificent　welcome；　and　still　more　for　the　generous　support

given　by　your　State　to　that　political　cause　which　I　think　is　the　true

and　just　cause　of　the　whole　country　and　the　whole　world。



Solomon　says　there　is　〃a　time　to　keep　silence；〃　and　when　men　wrangle

by　the　mouth　with　no　certainty　that　they　mean　the　same　thing　while

using　the　same　word；　it　perhaps　were　as　well　if　they　would　keep

silence。



The　words　〃coercion〃　and　〃invasion〃　are　much　used　in　these　days；　and

often　with　some　temper　and　hot　blood。　　Let　us　make　sure；　if　we　can；

the　meaning　of　those　who　use　them。　　Let　us　get　the　exact　definitions

of　these　words；　not　from　dictionaries；　but　from　the　men　themselves；

who　certainly　deprecate　the　things　they　would　represent　by　the　use　of

the　words。



What；　then；　is　coercion？　What　is　invasion？　Would　the　marching　of　an

army　into　South　Carolina；　without　the　consent　of　her　people；　and　with

hostile　intent　toward　them；　be　invasion？　I　certainly　think　it　would；

and　it　would　be　coercion　also；　if　the　South　Carolinians　were　forced

to　submit。　　But　if　the　United　States　should　merely　hold　and　retake

its　own　forts　and　other　property；　and　collect　the　duties　on　foreign

importations；　or　even　withhold　the　mails　from　places　where　they　were

habitually　violated；　would　any　or　all　of　these　things　be　invasion　or

coercion？　Do　our　professed　lovers　of　the　Union；　who　spitefully

resolve　that　they　will　resist　coercion　and　invasion；　understand　that

such　things　as　these；　on　the　part　of　the　United　States；　would　be

coercion　or　invasion　of　a　State？　If　so；　their　idea　of　means　to

preserve　the　object　of　their　great　affection　would　seem　to　be

exceedingly　thin　and　airy。　　If　sick；　the　little　pills　of　the

homoeopathist　would　be　much　too　large　for　it　to　swallow。　　In　their

view；　the　Union；　as　a　family　relation；　would　seem　to　be　no　regular

marriage；　but　rather　a　sort　of　〃free…love〃　arrangement；　to　be

maintained　on　passional　attraction。



By　the　way；　in　what　consists　the　special　sacredness　of　a　State？　I

speak　not　of　the　position　assigned　to　a　State　in　the　Union　by　the

Constitution；　for　that　is　a　bond　we　all　recognize。　　That　position；

however；　a　State　cannot　carry　out　of　the　Union　with　it。　　I　speak　of

that　assumed　primary　right　of　a　State　to　rule　all　which　is　less　than

itself；　and　to　ruin　all　which　is　larger　than　itself。　　If　a　State　and

a　county；　in　a　given　case；　should　be　equal　in　number　of　inhabitants；

in　what；　as　a　matter　of　principle；　is　the　State　better　than　the

county？　Would　an　exchange　of　name　be　an　exchange　of　rights？　Upon　what

principle；　upon　what　rightful　principle；　may　a　State；　being　no　more

than　one　fiftieth　part　of　the　nation　in　soil　and　population；　break　up

the　nation；　and　then　coerce　a　proportionably　large　subdivision　of

itself　in　the　most　arbitrary　way？　What　mysterious　right　to　play

tyrant　is　conferred　on　a　district　of　country；　with　its　people；　by

merely　calling　it　a　State？　Fellow…citizens；　I　am　not　asserting

anything。　　I　am　merely　asking　questions　for　you　to　consider。　　And　now

allow　me　to　bid　you　farewell。









INTENTIONS　TOWARD　THE　SOUTH



ADDRESS　TO　THE　MAYOR　AND　CITIZENS　OF



CINCINNATI；　OHIO；　FEBRUARY　12；　1861



Mr。　MAYOR；　AND　GENTLEMEN：Twenty…four　hours　ago；　at　the　capital　of

Indiana；　I　said　to　myself；　〃I　have　never　seen　so　many　people

assembled　together　in　winter　weather。〃　I　am　no　longer　able　to　say

that。　　But　it　is　what　might　reasonably　have　been　expectedthat　this

great　city　of　Cincinnati　would　thus　acquit　herself　on　such　an

occasion。　　My　friends；　I　am　entirely　overwhelmed　by　the　magnificence

of　the　reception　which　has　been　given；　I　will　not　say　to　me；　but　to

the　President…elect　of　the　United　States　of　America。　　Most　heartily

do　I　thank　you；　one　and　all；　for　it。



I　have　spoken　but　once　before　this　in　Cincinnati。　　That　was　a　year

previous　to　the　late　Presidential　election。　　On　that　occasion；　in　a

playful　manner；　but　with　sincere　words；　I　addressed　much　of　what　I

said　to　the　Kentuckians。　　I　gave　my　opinion　that　we；　as　Republicans；

would　ultimately　beat　them　as　Democrats；　but　that　they　could　postpone

that　result　longer　by　nominating　Senator　Douglas　for　the　Presidency

than　they　could　by　any　other　way。　　They　did　not；　in　any　true　sense　of

the　word；　nominate　Mr。　Douglas；　and　the　result　has　come　certainly　as

soon　as　ever　I　expected。　　I　also　told　them　how　I　expected　they　would

be　treated　after　they　should　have　been　beaten；　and　I　now　wish　to　call

their　attention　to　what　I　then　said　upon　that　subject。　　I　then　said：



〃When　we　do　as　we　say；　beat　you；　you　perhaps　want　to　know　what　we

will　do　with　you。　　I　will　tell　you；　as　far　as　I　am　authorized　to

speak　for　the　Opposition；　what　we　mean　to　do　with　you。　　We　mean　to

treat　you；　as　near　as　we　possibly　can；　as　Washington；　Jefferson；　and

Madison　treated　you。　　We　mean　to　leave　you　alone；　and　in　no　way　to

interfere　with　your　institutions；　to　abide　by　all　and　every

compromise　of　the　Constitution；　and；　in　a　word；　coming　back　to　the

original　proposition；　to　treat　you　so　far　as　degenerate　men；　if　we

have　degenerated；　may；　according　to　the　example　of　those　noble

fathers；　Washington；　Jefferson；　and　Madison。



〃We　mean　to　remember　that　you　are　as　good　as　we；　that　there　is　no

difference　between　us　other　than　the　difference　of　circumstances。　　We

mean　to　recognize　and　bear　in　mind　always　that　you　have　as　good

hearts　in　your　bosoms　as　other　people