the writings-6-第48章

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that　the　right　time　for　you　to　attack　Bragg　was　not　before；　but　would

be　after；　the　fall　of　Vicksburg；　it　impressed　me　very　strangely；　and

I　think　I　so　stated　to　the　Secretary　of　War　and　General　Halleck。　　It

seemed　no　other　than　the　proposition　that　you　could　better　fight

Bragg　when　Johnston　should　be　at　liberty　to　return　and　assist　him

than　you　could　before　he　could　so　return　to　his　assistance。



Since　Grant　has　been　entirely　relieved　by　the　fall　of　Vicksburg；　by

which　Johnston　is　also　relieved；　it　has　seemed　to　me　that　your　chance

for　a　stroke　has　been　considerably　diminished；　and　I　have　not　been

pressing　you　directly　or　indirectly。　　True；　I　am　very　anxious　for

East　Tennessee　to　be　occupied　by　us；　but　I　see　and　appreciate　the

difficulties　you　mention。　　The　question　occurs；　Can　the　thing　be　done

at　all？　　Does　preparation　advance　at　all？　　Do　you　not　consume

supplies　as　fast　as　you　get　them　forward？　　Have　you　more　animals　to…

day　than　you　had　at　the　battle　of　Stone's　River？　　And　yet　have　not

more　been　furnished　you　since　then　than　your　entire　present　stock？　　I

ask　the　same　questions　as　to　your　mounted　force。



Do　not　misunderstand：　I　am　not　casting　blame　upon　you；　I　rather　think

by　great　exertion　you　can　get　to　East　Tennessee；　but　a　very　important

question　is；　Can　you　stay　there？　　I　make　no　order　in　the　casethat　I

leave　to　General　Halleck　and　yourself。



And　now　be　assured　once　more　that　I　think　of　you　in　all　kindness　and

confidence；　and　that　I　am　not　watching　you　with　an　evil　eye。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION　WASHINGTON；

August　11。1863。



HIS　EXCELLENCY　HORATIO　　SEYMOUR；

Governor　of　New　York：



Yours　of　the　8th；　with　Judge…Advocate…Genera1　Waterbury's　report；　was

received　to…day。



Asking　you　to　remember　that　I　consider　time　as　being　very　important；

both　to　the　general　cause　of　the　country　and　to　the　soldiers　in　the

field；　I　beg　to　remind　you　that　I　waited；　at　your　request；　from　the

1st　until　the　6th　inst。；　to　receive　your　communication　dated　the　3d。

In　view　of　its　great　length；　and　the　known　time　and　apparent　care

taken　in　its　preparation；　I　did　not　doubt　that　it　contained　your　full

case　as　you　desired　to　present　it。　　It　contained　the　figures　for

twelve　districts；　omitting　the　other　nineteen；　as　I　suppose；　because

you　found　nothing　to　complain　of　as　to　them。　　I　answered　accordingly。

In　doing　so　I　laid　down　the　principle　to　which　I　purpose　adhering；

which　is　to　proceed　with　the　draft；　at　the　same　time　employing

infallible　means　to　avoid　any　great　wrong。　　With　the　communication

received　to…day　you　send　figures　for　twenty…eight　districts；

including　the　twelve　sent　before；　and　still　omitting　three；　for　which

I　suppose　the　enrolments　are　not　yet　received。　　In　looking　over　the

fuller　list　of　twenty…eight　districts；　I　find　that　the　quotas　for

sixteen　of　them　are　above　2000　and　below　2700；　while；　of　the　rest；

six　are　above　2700　and　six　are　below　2000。　　　Applying　the　principle

to　these　new　facts；　the　Fifth　and　Seventh　districts　must　be　added　to

the　four　in　which　the　quotas　have　already　been　reduced　to　2200　for

the　first　draft；　and　with　these　four　others　just　be　added　to　those　to

be　re…enrolled。　　The　correct　case　will　then　stand：　the　quotas　of　the

Second；　Fourth；　Fifth；　Sixth；　Seventh；　and　Eighth　districts　fixed　at

2200　for　the　first　draft。　　The　Provost…Marshal…General　informs　me

that　the　drawing　is　already　completed　in　the　Sixteenth；　Seventeenth；

Eighteenth；　Twenty…second；　Twenty…fourth；　Twenty…sixth；　Twenty…

seventh；　Twenty…eighth；　Twenty…ninth；　and　Thirtieth　districts。　　　In

the　others；　except　the　three　outstanding；　the　drawing　will　be　made

upon　the　quotas　as　now　fixed。　　After　the　first　draft；　the　Second；

Fourth；　Fifth；　Sixth；　Seventh；　Eighth；　Sixteenth；　Seventeenth；

Twenty…first；　Twenty…fifth；　Twenty…ninth；　and　Thirty…first　will　be

enrolled　for　the　purpose　and　in　the　manner　stated　in　my　letter　of　the

7th　inst。　The　same　principle　will　be　applied　to　the　now　outstanding

districts　when　they　shall　come　in。　　No　part　of　my　former　letter　is

repudiated　by　reason　of　not　being　restated　in　this；　or　for　any　other

cause。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GENERAL　J。　A。　McCLERNAND。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

August　12；　1863。



MAJOR…GENERAL　McCLERNAND。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Our　friend　William　G。　Greene　has　just　presented　a　kind

letter　in　regard　to　yourself；　addressed　to　me　by　our　other　friends

Yates；　Hatch；　and　Dubois。



I　doubt　whether　your　present　position　is　more　painful　to　you　than　to

myself。　　Grateful　for　the　patriotic　stand　so　early　taken　by　you　in

this　life…and…death　struggle　of　the　nation；　I　have　done　whatever　has

appeared　practicable　to　advance　you　and　the　public　interest　together。

　No　charges；　with　a　view　to　a　trial；　have　been　preferred　against　you

by　any　one；　nor　do　I　suppose　any　will　be。　　　All　there　is；　so　far　as　I

have　heard；　is　General　Grant's　statement　of　his　reasons　for　relieving

you。　　And　even　this　I　have　not　seen　or　sought　to　see；　because　it　is　a

case；　as　appears　to　me；　in　which　I　could　do　nothing　without　doing

harm。　　General　Grant　and　yourself　have　been　conspicuous　in　our　most

important　successes；　and　for　me　to　interfere　and　thus　magnify　a

breach　between　you　could　not　but　be　of　evil　effect。　　Better　leave　it

where　the　law　of　the　case　has　placed　it。　　For　me　to　force　you　back

upon　General　Grant　would　be　forcing　him　to　resign。　　I　cannot　give　you

a　new　command；　because　we　have　no　forces　except　such　as　already　have

commanders。



I　am　constantly　pressed　by　those　who　scold　before　they　think；　or

without　thinking　at　all；　to　give　commands　respectively　to　Fremont；

McClellan；　Butler；　Sigel；　Curtis；　Hunter；　Hooker；　and　perhaps　others；

when；　all　else　out　of　the　way；　I　have　no　commands　to　give　them。　　This

is　now　your　case；　which；　as　I　have　said；　pains　me　not　less　than　it

does　you。　　My　belief　is　that　the　permanent　estimate　of　what　a　general

does　in　the　field　is　fixed　by　the　〃cloud　of　witnesses〃　who　have　been

with　him　in　the　field；　and　that；　relying　on　these；　he　who　has　the

right　needs　not　to　fear。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　AUGUST　16；　1863。



GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR；　New　York：



Your　despatch　of　this　morning　is　just　received；　and　I　fear　I　do　not

perfectly　understand　it。



My　view　of　the　principle　is　that　every　soldier　obtained　voluntarily

leaves　one　less　to　be　obtained　by　draft。　　The　only　difficulty　is　in

applying　the　principle　properly。　　Looking　to　time；　as　heretofore；　I

am　unwilling　to　give　up　a　drafted　man　now；　even　for　the　certainty；

much　less　for　the　mere　chance；　of　getting　a　volunteer　hereafter。

Again；　after　the　draft　in　any　district；　would　it　not　make　trouble　to

take　any　drafted　man　out　and　put　a　volunteer　infor　how　shall　it　be

determined　which　drafted　man　is　to　have　the　privilege　of　thus　going

out；　to　the　exclusion　of　all　the　others？　　And　even　before　the　draft

in　any　district　the　quota　must　be　fixed；　and　the　draft　must　be

postponed　indefinitely　if　every　time　a　volunteer　is　offered　the

officers　must　stop　and　reconstruct　the　quota。　　At　least　I　fear　there

might　be　this　difficulty；　but；　at　all　events；　let　credits　for

volunteers　be　given　up　to　the　last　moment　which　will　not　produce

confusion　or　delay。　　That　the　principle　of　giving　credits　for

volunteers　shall　be　applied　by　districts　seems　fair　and　proper；

though　I　do　not　know　how　far　by　present　statistics　it　is　practicable。

When　for　any　cause　a　fair　credit　is　not　given　at　one　time；　it　should

be　given　as　soon　thereafter　as　practicable。　　My　purpose　is　to　be　just

and　fair；　and　yet　to　not　lose　time。



A。　LINCOLN









To　J。　H。　HACKETT。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON

August　17；　1863。



JAMES　H。　HACKETT；　Esq。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Months　ago　I　should　have　acknowledged　the　receipt　of

your　book　and　accompanying　kind　note；　and　I　now　have　to　beg　your

pardon　for　not　having　done　so。



For　one　of　my　age　I　have　seen　very　little　of　the　drama。　　The　first

presentation　of　Falstaff　I　ever　saw　was　yours　here；　last　winter　or

spring。　　Perhaps　the　best　compliment　I　can　pay　is　to　say；　as　I　truly

can；　I　am　very　anxious　to　see　it　again。　　Some　of　Shakespeare's　plays

I　have　never　read；　while　others　I　have　gone　over　perhaps　as

frequently　as　any　un…professional　reader。　　Among　the　latter　are　Lear；

Richard　III。；　Henry　VIII。；　Hamlet；　and　especially　Macbeth。　　I　think

nothing　equals　Macbeth。　　It　is　wonderful。



Unlike　you　gentlemen　of　the　profession；　I　think　the　soliloquy　in

Hamlet　commencing　〃Oh；　my　offense　is　rank；〃　surpasses　that　commencing

〃To　be　or　not　to　be。〃　But　pardon　this　small　attempt　at　criticism。　　I

should　like　to　hear　you　pronounce　the　opening　speech　of　Richard　III。

Will　you　not　soon　visit　Washington　again？　　If　you　do；　please　call　and

let　me　make　your　personal　acquaintance。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN









TO　F。　F。　LOWE。



WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；

August　17；　1863。



HON。　P。　F。　LOWE；　San　Francisco；　Cal。：



There　seems　to　be　considerable　misunderstanding　about　the　recent

movement　to　take　possession　of　the　〃New　Almaden〃　mine。　　It　has　no

reference　to　any　other　mine　or　mines。



In　regard　to　mines　and　miners　generally；　no　change　of　policy　by　the

Government　has　been　decided　on；　or　even　thought　of；　so　far　as　I　know。



The　〃New　Almaden〃　mine　was　peculiar　in　this：　　that　its　occupants

claimed　to　be　the　legal　owners　of　it　on　a　Mexican　grant；　and　went

into　court　on　that　claim。　　The　case　found　its　way　into　the　Supreme

Court　of　the　United　States；　and　last　term；　in　and　by　that　court；　the

claim　of　the　occupants　was　decided　to　be　utterly　fraudulent。

Thereupon　it　was　considered　the　duty　of　the　Government　by　the

Secretary　of　the　Interior；　the　Attorney…General；　and　myself　to　take

possession　of　the　premises；　and　the　Attorney…General　carefully　made

out　the　writ　and　I　signed　it。　　It　was　not　obtained　surreptitiously；

although　I　suppose　General　Halleck　thought　it　had　been；　when　he

telegraphed；　simply　because　he　thought　possession　was　about　being

taken　by　a　military　order；　while　he　knew　no　such　order　had　passed

through　his　hands　as　general…in…chief。



The　writ　was　suspended；　upon　urgent　representations　from　California；

simply　to　keep　the　peace。　　It　never　had　any　direct　or　indirect

reference　to　any　mine；　place；　or　person；　except　the　〃New　Almaden〃

mine　and　the　persons　connected　with　it。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　MEADE。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　August　21；　1863。



MAJOR…GENERAL　MEADE；　Warrenton；　Va。：



At　this　late　moment　I　am　appealed　to　in　behalf　of　William　Thompson　of

Company　K；　Third　Maryland　Volunteers；　in　Twelfth　Army　Corps；　said　to

be　at　Kelly's　Ford；　under　sentence　to　be　shot　to…day　as　a　deserter。

He　is　represented　to　me　to　be