Year: 1863

military opinions. submit their opin-
ion as being entitled to somc weight
against opinions often urge that eman-
cipation among blacks are unwise
as military measures, and werc not
adopted as such in good faith. You
say that you win not fight to free tho
negroes. Some of them seem TO be
willing to fight for you, but no matter.
Fight you then exclusively to save tho
Union. | issued the proclamation ON
purpose to aid you in saving the Union.
Whenever you shall have conquered
all resistance TO the Union, if L shall
urge you to continue fighting, it will
be ample time then for you to declare
that you win not fight to free negroes.
| thought that in your struggle for tho
Union, to whatever extent, the negroes
should cease helping the enemy. To
that extent it weakens the enemy in
his resistance TO you. DO You thinh
differently? i thought that whatever
negroes can be got to do as soldiers,
leaves just so much less fer white SOL
diers to do in saving the Union. Does
it appear otherwise to you, but negroes
like other people act upon motive
Why should they do anything for us
if we will do nothing for them? If
they stake their lives for us, they must
be prompted by the strongest motives,
even the promise of freedom, and this
promise being made, must be kept
The signs look better. The Father Of
waters again flows unchecked to the
sea, thanks TO the great Northwest for
it; nor yet wholly to them. Three
hundred miles up they met New Eng
land Empire, keystone and Jersey,
hewing their way right and left, the
sunny South too i'll more colors than
one also lent hand on the spot
Their part part of the history was jot-
ted down III black and white. The
job was great national one, and let
one band who bore a special part in it
and while those who have Gle lred tho
great river may well be proud. That
is not all. 1t is hard to say that any
thing has been more bravely and let
terdone than at Antietam, Murfreesbo-
TO, Gettysburg, and many fields of less
note. Nor must Uncle Sans webLeI
feet be forgotten at all the war mar
gins. They have been present not
only on deep sea, the broad bay and
rapid river, but also up the narrow
Muddy Bayou, and wherever the
ground was little damp, they have
been and made their tracks. Thanks
to all for the great republic for the
principles by which it lives and keeps
alive for mans vast future. Thanks
to all. Peace does not appear so dis
tant as it did. / hope it will como
soon and come to stay, and so como
as to be worth the keeping. In future
time it win be proved thatamong free
men there can be no successful appeal
from the ballot to the bullet, and that
they who like such appeal are sure
to lose their case and pay the COSTS
There will be some blacks who can re-
member that with silent tongue and
with clenchcd teeth and with steady
eye and well pointed bayonet they
have helped mankind on to thus
great consumation, while / fear that
there will be some white men unable
TO forget that with malignant heart
and deceitful speech they have strivcn
TO hinder it, still let us not be over
sanguine ofaspcedy and final triumph.
Let us be quite sober; let MS diligent-
ly apply the means, never doubling
that a just God in his own good time
viii give lis the rightful result.


Yours, very truly A LINCOLN.