New-York tribune., 1919-12-07

sistance. And you hope that if you |
can tide over the first crisis and make
US give way opinion will prevent US
from opposing you with force again,
and you'll be able to get your own way
about the slave business by threats. |
That's your case. You didn't say so to
Mr.. Seward, but it is. Now, I'll give
you my answer. Gentlemen, it's no
good hiding this thing in a corner.
It's got to be settled. | said the other
day that Fort Sumter would be held as
long as we could hold it. said it
because / know exactly what it means.
Why arc you investing it? Say, if you
like, it's to establish your right of
secession with no purpose of exercis-
ing it, Why do you want to establish
that right? Because now we will allow
no C., ansion Of slavery, and because
some NY we may abolish it. You can't
deny it.; there's no other answer.
JENNINGS-I see how it is. You
may force freedom as much as you
like, but we are to beware how we
4 force slavery.
SLlNCOLN-It couldn't be put better,
Mr. Jonnings. That's what the Union
means. 1t is a Union that stands for
common right. That is it's foundation
that is why it is for every honest
man to preserve it. Be clear about
This issue. If there is war; it will not
be on the slave question. If the South
is legal to the Union, it can fight slave
legislation by Constitutional means,
and win its way if it can. If it claims
me right to secede, then to pre-. erve
this country from disruption, to main
tain that right to which every state
pledged itself when the Union was won
ior US b. our fathers, war may be the
Only way. We won't break up the Union.
and you shan't. In your hands, and
not in mine, is the momcntous issue of
civil war. You can have no conflict
without yourselves being tine aggres-
) sars. am loath to close. We are not
enemies, but friends. We must not be
) enemies. Though passion may have
strained do not allow it to break, our
bonds of Affection That is our answer.
, Tell them that. WIN you tell them
, that?
: White and Jennings 90 1citn Ike Clerk.
f'of q moment Lincoln o1d Seccayd orc
silsaf, Li'ecoIn pocing tic room,
Seecard standing al the table.
LINCOLN (after pause )-"There is
a tide IN the affairs of men"
| DO you read Shascsp. are Seward?
4 SEW Shakespeare No.
!, LINCOIN-Ah!
Salmon 2. Choac. Secretary Of the
Treosayy end Montgomery Blair,
Postmaster General. comes ir.
Good morning, Mr.. Chase, Mr. Blair.
hWARD-Good morning, gentlemen.
4 BLAIR-Gcod morning, Air Presi-
: dent. How dye do. Mr.. Seward.
r. CHASE-Good morning, Mr.. Presi-
= dent. Something urgent?
:. LINCOLN--Let US be seated.
As they d''ow chairs up to the table,
q the other men,bers of the Cabinet,
= Simon Cameron, Caleb Smith, Burnet
HOOK aud Gideon Velles, come iu.
t. There is an crchunge of greetings,
st chiie trey orange themselves round
the iab!e.
4, Gentlemen, we meet in a crisis, the
most fateful, perhaps, that has ever
Y faced any government in this country
1t can be stated briefly. message
: has just come from Anderson. He can
hold Fort Sumter three days at most
un'ess We send men and provisions.
e CAMERON-How many men?
t LlNCOLN-I shall know from Scott
u in few minutes how many are neces-
t. sary.
>. WELLEs- Suppose we haven't as
II ynanv.
$ LlNCOLN--Then it's question OF
t. provisioning. We may not be able te
o do enough to be effective. The ques.
' ton is whether we@hall do as much Us
t. we can.
it CA knock at the door.)
5 LINCOLN--Come in.
5 Hey comes ia Hc 9iues letter to Lin
! coin and goes.
r (Reading) Scott says twenty thou
n sand men.
e SEWARD-We haven't ten thousand
r ready.
q LlNCOLN-It remains a question OF
ay sending provisions, I charge Won. al