The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1864-05-26

~ AOhGAei lh04 llAC ulQ iiIhO JUutI
be protected, yet often limb must be
amputstsd TO save life; but lite is
never wisely given to ssve limb. !
feel that measures, otherwise unconsti-
tutional, might become lawful, BY be-
coming indispensable to the preserva.
ton Of the Constitution, through the
preservation of the Nation Right or
wrong, assumed this ground, and
now avow IT, / could not feel that to
the best Of my ability had even tried
to preserve the Constitution, If 70 save
slavery or any minor matter, should
permit the wreck Of Government,
Country, and the Constitution alto
gether. When early in the war, Gen
eral Fremont attempted military enan.
cipation, / forbade It because / did not
then think it an indispensable neces-
sity. When little later, General
Cameron, the Secretary of War. sug-
gested the arming of the blacks, OBJ
Ijected, because | did not yet think it
an indispensable necessity. When
still later, General Hunter attempted
military emancipation, again for
bade, because I did not yet think the
indispensable necessity had come.
Io When in March, and May, and July,
1862, l made earnest and successive
appeals to the Border States to favor
compensated emancipation, / believed
the indispensable necessity for militia
ry emancipation and arming the blacks
would come, unless averted by that
measure. They declined the PROPOSE
ton, and was, in my best judgment
driven to the alternative Of either sur
rendering the Union. and with it. tht
Constitution, or of laying strong hanc
upon the colored element. / chose tht
latter. In choosing it, | hoped fol
greater gain than loss; but OF this
was not entirely confident. More thar
year of trial now shows no loss byit
in our foreign relations; none in ou
home popular sentiment none in ou,
; white military force-no loss by !
anyhow or anywhere. On the con
trary, it shows a gain of quite a hun
; dred and thirty thousand soldiers, sea
> men and laborers. These are palpa
Bile facts, about which. rs facts, ther
can be no eaviing. We have the men
and we could not have had them with
out the measure. .3
"And now, let any Union man, VIII
complains of the measure, test himselt
> by writing down in one line, that h
] is for subduing the rebellion by fore
3 of arms, and in the next, that he is 70
: taking these hundred and thirty thou
: sand men from the Union side, an
placing them where they would b.
u but for the measure be condemns.
: he cannot face his cause SO stated, it !
only because he cannot face the truti
II add word. which was net i
e the verbal conversation. In tcllin
It this tale, l attempt no compliment t
IS my own sagacity. ! claim MOTTO hav
2. controlled events, but confess plainl
e that events have controlled me. Nov
Ie at the end ofthree years struggle. II
i, nations condition is not what eith'
d. party or any man devised or expects
n God alone can claim it. Whittier it
e tending seems plain. If God now viii
n the removal Of great wrong, an
l. wills also that we Of the North, as we
d as you of the South, shall pay fairly fl
Y, our completely in that wrong, impa
n, tial history will find therein new eau
b, to attest, and revere the justice al
n goodness of God.
t. "Ypurs truly,
Ell "a. LINCOLN