The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1900-10-12
LINCOLN TO ScHURz.

While the Longs and Valandighams
were shouting imperialism and mill
tarism at Lincoln during the war,
Carl Schurz was not far behind in
backbiting criticism. He was cock
sure Lincoln was wrong, and the Schurz
way the only right one. Intolerant
himself he could ill appreciate the mo-
tives of the tolerant Lincoln, but he
was never more neatly boxed up than
when, after complaining to Lincoln of
the appointment of Democrats to i'm
portant posts in the army, he received
from him the following reply:
November Gath, 1862.
General Carl Schurz.
My Dear Sir: l have just received
and read your letter of the goth. The
purport of it is that we lost the late
elections and the administration is
failing because the war is unsuccess-
full, and that / must not iatter myself
that l am not justly to blame for 1t. L
certainly know that if the war fails,
the administration fails, and that l
will be blamed for it, whether | de-
serve to or not. And ought to be
blamed if could better. You think I
could do better; therefore you blame
me already. l think I could not do
better therefore blame you for blam-
ing me. understand you now to be
willing to accept the help of men who
are not Republicans, provided they
have "heart in it. . Agreed. I want
no others. But who is to be the judge
of hearts, or of "heart in it2" If 1
must discard my judgment and take
yours l must also take that Of others !;
and by the time I should reject all 1
should be advised to reject I should
have none left, Republicans or others
NOT even yourself. For be assured,
my dear sir. there are men who have
heart in it, that think you are per-
forming your part poorly as you think
am performing mine. l certainly
have been dissatisfied with the slow
ness of Buell. and Mcclellan but be-
fore I relieved them I had great fears
l should not find successors to them
who would do better and l am sorry
to add that have seen little since to
relieve those fears
do not clearly see the prospect of
any more rapid movements I fear
we shall at least find out that the diff
Guilty is in our case rather than in
particular generals. l wish to dis
who sympathize with me but must
say [ need success more than l need
sympathy and that l have not seen
so much greater evidence of getting
success from my sympathizers than
from those who are denounced as the
contrary. 1t does seem to me that in
the field the two classes have been
very much alike in what they have
done and what they have faced to do.
In sealing their faith with their blood
Baker and Lyon and Bohlen and Rich
ardson, Republicans, did all that men
could do; but did they any more than
Kearny and Stevens and Reno and
Mansfield, none of whom were Repub-
icans, and some at least of whom
have been bitterly and repeatedly de-
nounced to me as secession sympathiz
ers2 / will not perform the ungrateful
task of comparing cases of failure.
In answer to your question, HAS it
not been publicly stated in the news
papers. and apparently proved as a
fact, that from the commencement of
the war the enemy was continually
supplied with information by some of
thu. confidential subordinates of as i'm
portant an officer as Adjutant General
Thomas?" must say "No" as far
as my knowledge extends. And add
that if you can give any tangible evil
dence upon the subject, I will thank
you to come to this city and do so.
Very truly your friend,
A. LINCOLN.