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ADDRESS　TO　THE　LEGISLATURE　OF　PENNSYLVANIA；　AT　HARRISBURG；



FEBRUARY　22；　1861



MR。　SPEAKER　OF　THE　SENATE；　AND　ALSO　MR。　SPEAKER　OF　THE　HOUSE　OF

REPRESENTATIVES；　AND　GENTLEMEN　OF　THE　GENERAL　ASSEMBLY　OF　THE　STATE

OF　PENNSYLVANIA：I　appear　before　you　only　for　a　very　few　brief

remarks　in　response　to　what　has　been　said　to　me。　　I　thank　you　most

sincerely　for　this　reception；　and　the　generous　words　in　which　support

has　been　promised　me　upon　this　occasion。　　I　thank　your　great

commonwealth　for　the　overwhelming　support　it　recently　gave；　not　me

personally；　but　the　cause　which　I　think　a　just　one；　in　the　late

election。



Allusion　has　been　made　to　the　factthe　interesting　fact　perhaps　we

should　saythat　I　for　the　first　time　appear　at　the　capital　of　the

great　commonwealth　of　Pennsylvania　upon　the　birthday　of　the　Father　of

his　Country。　　In　connection　with　that　beloved　anniversary　connected

with　the　history　of　this　country；　I　have　already　gone　through　one

exceedingly　interesting　scene　this　morning　in　the　ceremonies　at

Philadelphia。　　Under　the　kind　conduct　of　gentlemen　there；　I　was　for

the　first　time　allowed　the　privilege　of　standing　in　old　Independence

Hall　to　have　a　few　words　addressed　to　me　there；　and　opening　up　to　me

an　opportunity　of　manifesting　my　deep　regret　that　I　had　not　more　time

to　express　something　of　my　own　feelings　excited　by　the　occasion；　that

had　been　really　the　feelings　of　my　whole　life。



Besides　this；　our　friends　there　had　provided　a　magnificent　flag　of

the　country。　　They　had　arranged　it　so　that　I　was　given　the　honor　of

raising　it　to　the　head　of　its　staff；　and　when　it　went　up　I　was

pleased　that　it　went　to　its　place　by　the　strength　of　my　own　feeble

arm。　　When；　according　to　the　arrangement；　the　cord　was　pulled；　and　it

floated　gloriously　to　the　wind；　without　an　accident；　in　the　bright；

glowing　sunshine　of　the　morning；　I　could　not　help　hoping　that　there

was　in　the　entire　success　of　that　beautiful　ceremony　at　least

something　of　an　omen　of　what　is　to　come。　　Nor　could　I　help　feeling

then；　as　I　have　often　felt；　that　in　the　whole　of　that　proceeding　I

was　a　very　humbled　instrument。　　I　had　not　provided　the　flag；　I　had

not　made　the　arrangements　for　elevating　it　to　its　place；　I　had

applied　but　a　very　small　portion　of　even　my　feeble　strength　in

raising　it。　　In　the　whole　transaction　I　was　in　the　hands　of　the

people　who　had　arranged　it；　and　if　I　can　have　the　same　generous

co…operation　of　the　people　of　this　nation；　I　think　the　flag　of　our

country　may　yet　be　kept　flaunting　gloriously。



I　recur　for　a　moment　but　to　repeat　some　words　uttered　at　the　hotel　in

regard　to　what　has　been　said　about　the　military　support　which　the

General　Government　may　expect　from　the　commonwealth　of　Pennsylvania

in　a　proper　emergency。　　To　guard　against　any　possible　mistake　do　I

recur　to　this。　　It　is　not　with　any　pleasure　that　I　contemplate　the

possibility　that　a　necessity　may　arise　in　this　country　for　the　use　of

the　military　arm。　　While　I　am　exceedingly　gratified　to　see　the

manifestation　upon　your　streets　of　your　military　force　here；　and

exceedingly　gratified　at　your　promise　to　use　that　force　upon　a　proper

emergencywhile　I　make　these　acknowledgments　I　desire　to　repeat；　in

order　to　preclude　any　possible　misconstruction；　that　I　do　most

sincerely　hope　that　we　shall　have　no　use　for　them；　that　it　will　never

become　their　duty　to　shed　blood；　and　most　especially　never　to　shed

fraternal　blood。　　I　promise　that　so　far　as　I　may　have　wisdom　to

direct；　if　so　painful　a　result　shall　in　any　wise　be　brought　about；　it

shall　he　through　no　fault　of　mine。



Allusion　has　also　been　made　by　one　of　your　honored　speakers　to　some

remarks　recently　made　by　myself　at　Pittsburg　in　regard　to　what　is

supposed　to　be　the　especial　interest　of　this　great　commonwealth　of

Pennsylvania。　　I　now　wish　only　to　say　in　regard　to　that　matter；　that

the　few　remarks　which　I　uttered　on　that　occasion　were　rather

carefully　worded。　　I　took　pains　that　they　should　be　so。　　I　have　seen

no　occasion　since　to　add　to　them　or　subtract　from　them。　　I　leave　them

precisely　as　they　stand；　adding　only　now　that　I　am　pleased　to　have　an

expression　from　you；　gentlemen　of　Pennsylvania；　signifying　that　they

are　satisfactory　to　you。



And　now；　gentlemen　of　the　General　Assembly　of　the　Commonwealth　of

Pennsylvania；　allow　me　again　to　return　to　you　my　most　sincere　thanks。









REPLY　TO　THE　MAYOR　OF　WASHINGTON；　D。C。；



FEBRUARY　27；　1861



Mr。　MAYOR：I　thank　you；　and　through　you　the　municipal　authorities　of

this　city　who　accompany　you；　for　this　welcome。　　And　as　it　is　the

first　time　in　my　life；　since　the　present　phase　of　politics　has

presented　itself　in　this　country；　that　I　have　said　anything　publicly

within　a　region　of　country　where　the　institution　of　slavery　exists；　I

will　take　this　occasion　to　say　that　I　think　very　much　of　the　ill

feeling　that　has　existed　and　still　exists　between　the　people　in　the

section　from　which　I　came　and　the　people　here；　is　dependent　upon　a

misunderstanding　of　one　another。　　I　therefore　avail　myself　of　this

opportunity　to　assure　you；　Mr。　Mayor；　and　all　the　gentlemen　present；

that　I　have　not　now；　and　never　have　had；　any　other　than　as　kindly

feelings　toward　you　as　to　the　people　of　my　own　section。　　I　have　not

now；　and　never　have　had；　any　disposition　to　treat　you　in　any　respect

otherwise　than　as　my　own　neighbors。　　I　have　not　now　any　purpose　to

withhold　from　you　any　of　the　benefits　of　the　Constitution；　under　any

circumstances；　that　I　would　not　feel　myself　constrained　to　withhold

from　my　own　neighbors；　and　I　hope；　in　a　word；　that　when　we　shall

become　better　acquaintedand　I　say　it　with　great　confidencewe

shall　like　each　other　better。　　I　thank　you　for　the　kindness　of　this

reception。









REPLY　TO　A　SERENADE　AT　WASHINGTON；　D。C。；

FEBRUARY　28；　1861



MY　FRIENDS：I　suppose　that　I　may　take　this　as　a　compliment　paid　to

me；　and　as　such　please　accept　my　thanks　for　it。　　I　have　reached　this

city　of　Washington　under　circumstances　considerably　differing　from

those　under　which　any　other　man　has　ever　reached　it。　　I　am　here　for

the　purpose　of　taking　an　official　position　amongst　the　people；　almost

all　of　whom　were　politically　opposed　to　me；　and　are　yet　opposed　to

me；　as　I　suppose。



I　propose　no　lengthy　address　to　you。　　I　only　propose　to　say；　as　I　did

on　yesterday；　when　your　worthy　mayor　and　board　of　aldermen　called

upon　me；　that　I　thought　much　of　the　ill　feeling　that　has　existed

between　you　and　the　people　of　your　surroundings　and　that　people　from

among　whom　I　came；　has　depended；　and　now　depends；　upon　a

misunderstanding。



I　hope　that；　if　things　shall　go　along　as　prosperously　as　I　believe　we

all　desire　they　may；　I　may　have　it　in　my　power　to　remove　something　of

this　misunderstanding；　that　I　may　be　enabled　to　convince　you；　and　the

people　of　your　section　of　the　country；　that　we　regard　you　as　in　all

things　our　equals；　and　in　all　things　entitled　to　the　same　respect　and

the　same　treatment　that　we　claim　for　ourselves；　that　we　are　in　no

wise　disposed；　if　it　were　in　our　power；　to　oppress　you；　to　deprive

you　of　any　of　your　rights　under　the　Constitution　of　the　United

States；　or　even　narrowly　to　split　hairs　with　you　in　regard　to　these

rights；　but　are　determined　to　give　you；　as　far　as　lies　in　our　hands；

all　your　rights　under　the　Constitutionnot　grudgingly；　but　fully　and

fairly。　　I　hope　that；　by　thus　dealing　with　you；　we　will　become　better

acquainted；　and　be　better　friends。



And　now；　my　friends；　with　these　few　remarks；　and　again　returning　my

thanks　for　this　compliment；　and　expressing　my　desire　to　hear　a　little

more　of　your　good　music；　I　bid　you　good…night。









WASHINGTON；　SUNDAY；　MARCH　3；　1861



＇During　the　struggle　over　the　appointments　of　LINCOLN's　Cabinet；　the

President…elect　spoke　as　follows：＇



Gentlemen；　it　is　evident　that　some　one　must　take　the　responsibility

of　these　appointments；　and　I　will　do　it。　　My　Cabinet　is　completed。

The　positions　are　not　definitely　assigned；　and　will　not　be　until　I

announce　them　privately　to　the　gentlemen　whom　I　have　selected　as　my

Constitutional　advisers。









FIRST　INAUGURAL　ADDRESS；

MARCH　4；　1861



FELLOW…CITIZENS　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES：In　compliance　with　a　custom　as

old　as　the　Government　itself；　I　appear　before　you　to　address　you

briefly；　and　to　take　in　your　presence　the　oath　prescribed　by　the

Constitution　of　the　United　States　to　be　taken　by　the　President

〃before　he　enters　on　the　execution　of　his　office。〃



I　do　not　consider　it　necessary　at　present　for　me　to　discuss　those

matters　of　administration　about　which　there　is　no　special　anxiety　or

excitement。



Apprehension　seems　to　exist　among　the　people　of　the　Southern　States

that　by　the　accession　of　a　Republican　administration　their　property

and　their　peace　and　personal　security　are　to　be　endangered。　　There

has　never　been　any　reasonable　cause　for　such　apprehension。　　Indeed；

the　mos