Year: 1865




stand believe this government canno
endure permanently half slave and hal
free l do not expect the house to fall
DO not expect the Union to be dissolved
but do expect it will cease to be divided
1t will become all one thing or all the other


A duty devolves upon me which is, per-
haps, greater than that which has devolv.
ed upon any man since the days of Wash.
ington. He never would have succeeded
except for the aid of Divine Providence,
upon which he at all times relied. fee
that [ cannot succeed without the same di.
vine aid which sustained him, and on the
same Almighty Being l place my reliance
for support.


If the union of these states and the lib
critics of this people shall be lost, it is
but little to any one man of ftifty-two years
Of age, but great deal to the thirty mil
lions of people who inhabit these United
Slater and to their posterity in all COM
ing time.


| cannot but know what you all know,
that without name, perhaps without a
reason why | should have name, there
has fallen upon me task such as did not
rest upon even the father of his country,
and so feeling l cannot but turn and look
for the support without which it will be
impossible for me to perform that great
task. turn, then, and look to the great
Americen people, and to that God who
has never forsaken them.


am sure bring heart true to the
work. For the ability to perform it, l
must trust in that Supreme Being who
has never forsaken this favored land,
through the instrumentality of this great
and intelligent people. Without that as
sistance l shall surely fail; with it l can
not fail.


In this connection allow me to say that
you, as a portion of the great American
people, need only to maintain your COM
posure, stand up to your sober convictions
of right, your obligations to the constitu-
ton, and act in accordance with those So
Der convictions, and the clouds which now
arise in the horizon will be dispelled, and
we shall have bright and glorious flu
ture; and when this generation has passed
away, tens of thousands will inhabit this
country where only thousands inhabit it
now.


1t is true that, while l hold myself,
without mock modesty, the humblest of all
individuals that have ever peen elevated
TO the Presidency have a more ditficnlt
task to perform than any one of them. -
You have generously rendered me the uni
ted support of the great Empire State.
For this, in behalf of the nation-in be-
half of the present and future of the ma
tion-ln behalf of civil and religious liber-
ty for all time to come, most gratefully do
| thank you.


have never had a feeling, politically,
that did not spring from the sentiments
embodied i'll the declaration of indepcnd-
ence. | have pondered over the tolls that
We're endured by the officers and soldiers
Of the army that achieved that independ-
cnce. | have often inquired of myself
what great principle or idea it was that
kept this Confederacy SO long together
1t was not the mere matter of the separa-
ton of the colonies from the mother land,
but that sentiment in the declaration of
independence which gave liberty, not alone
| to the people Of this country, but, hope,
to the world, for all future time 1t was
that which gave promise that in due time
the weight would be lifted from the shoul-
ders of all men. This is the sentiment
embodied in the declaration of independ-
ence. Can this country be saved upon
that basis? If it can, l will consider my
self one Of the happiest men in the world
if can help to save it. If it cannot be
saved upon that principle it will be truly
awful. But if this country cannot be
saved without giving up that principle, l
was about to say would rather be assas-
sinated on this spot than surrender it.


hold that in contemplation of univer-
sal law, and of the constitution, the Union
Of these states is perpetual.


AS a private citizen the executive could
not have consented that these institutions
shall perish much less could he in be.
trayal of so vast and so sacred trust as
these free people have confded to him.
He felt that he had no moral right te
shrink, or even to count the chances of hi:
own life, in what may follow. In full
view of his great responsibility he has SC
far done what he has deemed his duty.


The struggle of to-day is not altogether
for to-day it is for vast future ALSO
With reliance on Providence, all the
more firm and earnest, let us proceed IL
the great task which events have develop.
ed upon us.


Our common country is in great peril
demanding the loftiest views and boldest
action to bring speedy relief: Once re
lieved, its form of government is saved t.
the world its beloved history and cher
ished memories are vindicated, and it
I happy future fully assured and rendere'
inconceivably grand.


I We cannot escape history. We of thi
Congress and this administration will b
remembered in spite of ourselves. Noper
sonal significance or insignifcance ca
spare one or another of us. The fiery tri
al through which we pass will light u
down in honor or dishonor to the lates
generation. We say that we are for tn
Uuion The world will not forget tha
I we say this. We know how to save tn
t Union. The world knows we do kno,