The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1862-08-14
Speech of President Lincoln at the
Washington Meeting.

FELLOW CITIZENS; / believe there
is no precedent for my appearing be-
fore you Oh this occasion, applause,1 J
but it is also true that there is no pre-
cedent for your being here yourselves,
[applause and laughter and offer,
IN justification of myself aud of you,
that, upon examination, have found
nothing in the Constitution against it.
Renewed applause. I, however.
have All impression that there are
younger gentlemen who will entertain
you better, voices, 'No, no; none can
do better than yourself! Go on !''1 and
better address your understanding,
than l will or could and therefore I
propose but to detain you o moment
longer. Cries of $50 on Tar and
feather the rebels!"1 IL
/ am very little inclined on any oc-
casiOn to say anything unless I hope
to produce some good by it. A voice
lOu do that; go on."l The only
thing | think of just now not likely to
be better said by some one else, is a
matter IN ichich zoe haze heard some
other persons blamed for aohat I did
myself "What is it?"1
There has been a very wide spread at
tempt TO have quarrel between Gem
Mcclellan and the Secretary of War.
Noao, 1 occupy a position that enables
me to obserUe, at least, these too gentle
men are not nearly so deep IN the quar-
rel as some pretending to be their.
friends. Cries of "Good."l Gen.
Me cClellan's attitude is such that, in the
very selishness of bis nature, he can.
not but wish to be successful, and /
hope he willard the Secretary Of
War is in precisely the same situation.
Ii the military commanders in the field
cannot be successful, not only the
Secretary of War, but myself, for the
time being the master of them both,
cannot be but failures. Laughter and
applause. / know Gen. Mcclellan
wishes to be successful, and / know he
does not wish it any more than the
Secretary of War for him, and both Of
them together no more than l wish it.
Applause and cries "Good."1 Some
times we have a dispute about how
many men Gen. Mcclellan has had,
and those who would disparage him
say that he has had very large num-
Der, and those who would disparage
the Secretary of War insist that Gen.
Mcclellan has had very small mum.
ber. The basis for this is, there is al,
ways wide difference, and on this
occasion, perhaps, a wider one, be-
tween the grand total on McClellanss
rolls and the men actually fit tor duty;
and those who would disparage him
talk of the grand total on paper, and
those who would disparage the Secre-
tary of War talk of those at present
fit for duty. Gen. Mcclellan has some
times asked for things that the Secre-
tary Of Var did not giUe him. Gen.
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 schen he had none to gice.
Applause, laughter, and cries of
"Good, good."I And / say here, as
far as | know, the Secretary Of Var
has soithheld no one thing at any tinae
in N.Y. po,oer to gioe him. Wild ap-
plause, and voice--"Give him enough
now"] ! have no accusation against
him. I believe he Is a brave and noble
man, [applaase,] and stand here, as
Justice require me to do, to take upon
myself schdt has been charged on, tho
Secretary Of War as withholding from
him.
/ have talked longer than I expected
to do, cries of "No, no-go on, and
now | avail myself of my privilege of
saying no more. sit'a 'dtEs7d