The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1863-03-07

Letter from President Lincoln to the La.
boring Wen of Manchester.
The following letter and Enclosure were reed
yesterday, by the Mayor. of Manchester, Abe
Haywood, Esq: a
LEGATION OF THE UNITED SrArEs)
81 @Ff - 90 London, Feb. 9, 1868.
SIR: / have the honor to transmit to you, by
the hands of Mr.. Moran, the Assistant Secretary
of this Legation, letter of the President Of the
United States, addressed to you as chairman of
the meeting of workingmen held at Manchester,
on the 81st of December, and in acknowledge
ment of the address which had the pleasure to
forward from that meeting
sE am, Sir, your obedient servant,
fa a.. CHARLES F. ADAMS.
ABEL HIYwooD, Chairman, &C., Manchester.
aR EXECUTIVE MANSION, WAsHNGroN,l
4sta 8d5 , JAN 49, 1868.
To the Workingnaen of Manchester:
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt
Of the address and resolutions which You sent
nae on the eve Of the new year.
When I came, on the 4th of March, 1851,
through free and constitutional election, to
preside 10 the Government of the United States,
the country was found at the verge of civil war.
Whatever mighthave been the cause, or whoseso
ever the fault, one duty, paramount to all 9TH
ers, was before me, namely, to maintain and pre-
serve at once the Constitution and the integrity
Of the Federal Republic. A conscientious purs
pose to perform this duty is the key to all the
measures Of administration which have been,
aud to oil which will hereafter be pursued. On.
der our frame Of government and my official
oath, could not depart from this purpose if
would. It is not always in the power of Gov
ernments to enlarge or restrict the scope of
moral results which follow the policies that they
may deem it necessary for the public safety, from
time to time to adopt. 's1i p
81 have understood we'll that the duty of self
preservation rests solely with the American peo:
pie. But at the same time have been aware
that favor or disfayor of foreign nations might
have material influence in enlarging and pro-
longing the struggle with disoyal men in which
the country is engaged. A fair examination of
past action and influences of the United States
we're generally regarded as having been benefc,
ial towards mankind. have, therefore, reckon-
ed upon the forbesrance of nations CirSum.
stances-to some Of which you kindly allude-
induced me especially to expect that, if justice
and good faith should be practiced by the Uni.
ted States, they would encounter no hostile iu-
fuence on the part Of Great Britain. II ID now
q pleasant duty to acknowledge the demoustra.
ton you have given of your desire that spirit
of peace and amity toward this country may
prevail in the councils of your Queen, who is
respected and esteemed in your own country on.
~ more than she is by the kindred nation which
has its home On this side Of the Atlantic,
81 know, and deeply deplore, the suffsrings
which the workingmen ct Manchester, and in al
Europe, are called to endure in this crisis It
has been often and studiously represented that
the attempt to overthrow this Government, which
was built upon the foundation of human rights,
and to substitute for it one which should rest
exclusively on the basis Of human slavery, vas
likely to obtain the favor of Europe. Through
the action of our disloyal citizens, the working
men of Europe have been subjected to severe
trial. for the purpose Of forcing their sanction
to that attempt. Under these circumstances
cannot but regard your decisive utterancss upon
the question as an instance of sublime Christian
beroism which has not been surpassed in any age
or in any country. 1t is indeed an energetic and
reinspiring assurance of the inherent power of
truth, and of the ultimate and universal triumph
OF justice, humanity and freedom. I do not
doubt that the sentiments you have expressed
VIII De sustained by your great nation and on
the other hand, have no hesitation in sssurngi
you that they will excite admiration, esteem and
the most reciprocal feelings of friendship among
the American people. hail this interchange
OF sentiment, therefore, as an augury that, what
ever else may happen, whatever misfortune may
befall your country or nv own, the peace and
friendship which now exist between the two
nations will be, as it shall be my desire to make
them, perpetual. ABRAHAM LINCOLN"
q . .a#s.a