Year: 1863

destroy thelf own 10 keep IL ITOm Tue CD


emy. Civilized belligerents do all il
their power to help themselves or bur
the enemy, except few things REGARDED


as barbarous or cruel. Among the ex


ceptions are the massacre of vanquishe'


foes and non-combatants, male and fe-


male.


But the proclamation, as law, is vali'
or it is not valid. If it is not valid,
needs no retraction. If it is valid, it can


not be retracted any more than the dea,


can be brought back to life. Some 0


you profess to think that its retractiol


would operate favorably for the Union


Why better after the retraction than be


fore the issue? There was more than


year and half Of trial to suppress tht


rebellion before the proclamation was is


sued, the last one hundred days of which


passed under an explicit notice that it was


coming, unless averted by those in revolt


returning to their allegiance. The wal


has certainly progressed as favorably fol


US since the issue of the proclamation a;


before. l know as fully as one can know


the opinions of others, that some of the
commanders of our armies in the field,
who have given US our most important


victories, believe the emancipation policy
and the aid of colored troops constitute
the heaviest blows yet dealt to the rebel
lion, and that at least one of those i'm
portant successes could not have been
achieved when it was, but for the aid Of
black soldiers. Among the commanders
holding these views are some who have
never had any affinity with what is called
aboliIionism, or with republican party
politics. but who hold them purely as
military opinions. submit their opin-
ions as being entitled to some weight
against objections often urged, that eman-
cipation and the arming OF blacks are un-
wise as military measures, and were not
adopted as such in good faith.


You say that you will not fight to free
the negroes. Some Of them seem to be
willing TO fight for you but no matter
Fight you then exclusively TO save the
Union. / issued the proclamation on
purpose to aid you in saving the Union.
Whenever you shall have conquered all
resistance to the Union, if | shall urge
you to continue fighting, it will be an apt
time then for you TO declare that you will
not fight to free the negroes. 1 thought
that in your struggle for the Union, to
whatever extant negroes should cease
helping the enemy, to that extent it weak
ened the enemy in bis resistance to you.
Do you think differently? Thought l that
whatever negroes can be got to do as sol
diers, leaves just SO much less for wlite
soldiers to do in saving the Union. Does
it appear otherwise to you? But negroes
like other people act upon motives. 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 the promise being
made, must be kept.


Signs look better. The father of wa
ters again goes unvexed to the sea-
Thanks to the great northwest for it.
Nor yet wholly to them. Three hundred
miles up they met New England, the
Empire and keystone states and New
Jersey, hewing their way right and left.
The sunny south, too, in more colors than
one, also lent a hand. On the spot their
part of history was jotted down in black
and white. The job was a great national
one, and let none be blamed who bore an
honorable part in it. And while tbo.e
who have cleared the great river may
well be proud, even that is not all. 1t is
hard to say that anything has been more
bravely and better done than at Antietam,
Gettysburg, Murfreesboro, and on many
fields of less note; nor must Uncle Sans
web feet be forgotten. At all waters
margins they have been present, not only
on the deep sea, the broad bay and the
rapid river, but also up the narrow, mud
dy bayou, and where 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 fu-
ture. Thanks to all.


Peace does not appear so distant as il
did. | hope it will come soon and come
to stay, and so come as to be worth keep
ing in all future time. 1t will then have
been proved that among freemen there
can be no successful appeal from the bal
lot 10 the bullet, and that they who take
such appeal are sure to lose their case
and pay the cost. And then there will
be some black men who can remember
that with silent tongue and clcLched teeth, I
steady eye and well poised bayonets, they
have helped mankind to this great con-
summation, while l fear that there will
be some white men unable to forget that
with malignant heart and deceitful speech
they have striven to hinder it, Still, let
US not be over sanguine OF speedy and
final triumph. Let US be quiet and sober.
Let us diligently apply the means, never