Year: 1863

their allegiance. The war has certainly


progressed AS favorable for Us since the


issuing of the Proclamation ~ before


| know rs fully as one can know the


opinions OF others, that some of the com


manders in the field who have given us


our most important victories, believe the


emancipation policy and the aid of color
ed troops constitute the heaviest blow.


Yet dealt the rebellion; and that at least


one of those important victories could not


have been achieved but for tn" aid oi
black soldiers.


Among the commanders holding these
views are some who never had any aifini
ty with what are called AbohtiOnsts or


with Republican party politics" but who
hold them as purely military opinions
/ ! submit their opinions rs being entitled
; to some weight against the objections of
ten urged that emancipation and armIng
I the blacks are unwise as military meas
ures, and were not adopted as such in
good faith.


! You say that you will not fight to free
negroes Some of them seem willing to
/ fight for You-but no matter. Fight you,
then, exclusively to serve the Union.
issued the proclamation on purpose TO aid
you Is saving the I mon.


Whenever you shall have conquered all
resistance TO the Union, if | shall urge
You to continue fighting, il will be an apt
time then for you TO declare that you will
not fight to free negroes.


| thought that in your struggle for the
Union, to whatever extent the negroes
should cease helping the enemy, To that
extent it weakened the enemy in his re-
sistence to you. Do you think diiierl Mt
ly? thought that whatever negroes can
be got to do as soldiers, leaves just so
much less for white soldiers TO do in say
ing 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
motive, even the promise of their free
dom. And the promise being made.
must be kept.


The signs look better. The Father of.
Waters again goes unveXed 10 the sea.
Thanks to the great Northwest for it
Not yet wholly to them. Three hundred
miles up they met New England, Key
stone, Jersey, hewing their way right and
left. The sunny South too, in more col
ors than one, also lent hand. On the
spot their part of the history was .iotted
down in black and white. The job was
a great national one. and let none be
blamed who took an honorable part And
while those who have cleared the great
river may we'll be proud, even that is not
all.


1t is hard to say that anything has been /
more bravely and better done than at !
Antietam, Murfreesboro, Gettysburg, and I
on many fields of lesser note. !


Nor must Uncle Sans "web feet be /
forgotten. At all the waters margins /
hey have been present, not only on the /
leep sea, the broad bays and the rapid
liver, but also upon the muddy. narrow
,ayou, and wherever the ground was a
title damp, they have been and made
heir tracks.


Thanks to all. For the great Republic
for the principles by which it lives and
,eeps alive-for mans vast future
hanks to all
Peace does not appear so distant as it
lid. hope it will come soon and come
o stay; and so come as to be worth the
,eeping in all future time. /,


1t will then have been proved that,
mong freemen, there can be no success
ul appeal from the ballot to the bullet.
nd that they who take such appeal are
ure to lose their case, and pay the cost.
And then there will be some black men ,
Tho can remember that, with silent
ongue, and clenched teeth, and steady .
ye, and well poised bhyonet, they have ,
elped mankind on to this great consum-
nation, while l fear there will be some
'hlte men unable to forget that, with
Malignant heart and deceitful speech
hey have striven to hinder it.


Still, let us not be over sanguine of
peedy triumph. Let US be quite sober
Let us diligently apply the means, never .
oubting that a just God, in his own
ood time, will give us the rightful result !


Yours, very truly,


A. LINCOLN. ;