Year: 1863

needs no retraction. If it is valid 1t can
not be retracted, any more than the dead
can be brought to life. Some of you pro-
fess to think its re,raction would operate
favorably for the Union. Why better
after the retractioB than before the issue !?
There was more than year and half of
trial to suppress the Rebellion before the
Proclamation was issued, 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 war has certainly
progressed as favorabIy for Us since the
issue Of the Proclamation as before.


| know as fully as one can know the
opinions of others, that some Of the com,
manders of our armies in the field who
I have given US our most important vic
tories, believe the emancipation policy
and the use of colored troops constitute
the heaviest blow yet dealt at the Rebel
lion. aud 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 who hold these
views are spme who have never had any
aft, ity with what is called, "Abolitiou
ism or with "Repuhican party politics.
but who hold them purely as military
opinion | submit their opinions as be-
ing entitled to some weight against the
tubjecti"us often urged that emancipation
and arming the blacks ere unwise as mil
itary measures, aud we're not adopted as
such in good faith.


You say that you will not fight for ne
groeS Some of them seem 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
lighting. it will be an apt time then for
you TO declare that you will net fight tu
free negroes. thought that in your
struggle for the Union to whatever ex
tent the negroes should cease helping the
enemy, to that extent it weakened the
enemy, in his resistance to you. Do you
think differently? l thought thai what
ever negroes could be got to do duty as
soldiers leaves just so much less for white
soldiers to do in saving the Union. Does
II appear otherwise 10 you? But negroes.
like other people, act upon motives
Whv should they do anything for US il
We will do nothing for them? If they
stake their lives for US they must be
prompted by the strongest motive, even
the promise of freedom. And the prom
Use, being made, must be kept.


| The signs look better. The Father ot
Waters again goes unvexed to the sea
Thanks to the great North West for it
Nor yet wholly to them. Three hundred
miles up they net New England, Empire,
Keystone, and jersey, hewing their way
right and left. The sunny South, toe, in
more colors than one, also lent helping
hand. On the spot their part Of the his
tory was jotted down In black and whte.
The job was great national one and let
none be slighted who bore an honorable
part in It, And while those who have
cleared the great river may we'll be proud,
even that is not all. It is hard to say
that anything has been more bravely and
well done than at Antietam, Murfrees-
boro, Gettysburg, and on many fields of


less note Nor must Uncle Sans web.
feet be forgotten. At all the watery
margins they have been present, not only
On the deep sea, the broad bay, and the
rapid river, but also up the narrow mud
DIV bayou and wherever the ground was
a little damp, they have been and made
their track. Thanks to all. For the
great republic-for the principle it lives
by and keeps alive-for the mans vast
| futnre-thanks to all.


Peace does not appear so distant as it
did hope it Will come soon aud come
to stay; aud so come as TO be worth the
keeping i'll all future time. 1t will then
have been proved that among freemen
there can be no successful appeal from
the ballot TO tie 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
c'enched teeth, and steady eye, aud well
poised bayonet, they have helped man
kind on to this great consummaton +;
while | fear there will be some white ones
unable to forget that with malignant
heart and deceiful speech they have
striven to hinder it.


| Still, let US not be over sanguine of a
speedy, final triumph Let US be quife
sober. Let US diligently apply the means,
never doubling that just God, in His
own good time, will give us the rightful
result Yours, very truly.


A. LINCOLN,