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extraordinary　a　nature　that　they　cannot　fail　to　penetrate　and　soften

even　the　heart　which　is　habitually　insensible　to　the　ever…watchful

providence　of　Almighty　God。　　In　the　midst　of　a　civil　war　of

unequalled　magnitude　and　severity　which　has　sometimes　seemed　to

invite　and　provoke　the　aggressions　of　foreign　states；　peace　has　been

preserved　with　all　nations；　order　has　been　maintained；　the　laws　have

been　respected　and　obeyed；　and　harmony　has　prevailed　everywhere

except　in　the　theatre　of　military　conflict；　while　that　theatre　has

been　greatly　contracted　by　the　advancing　armies　and　navies　of　the

Union。　　The　needful　diversion　of　wealth　and　strength　from　the　fields

of　peaceful　industry；　to　the　national　defense　has　not　arrested　the

plough；　the　shuttle；　or　the　ship：　The　axe　has　enlarged　the　borders　of

our　settlements；　and　the　mines；　as　well　of；　iron　and　coal　as　of　the

precious　metals；　have　yielded　even　more　abundantly　than　heretofore。

Population　has　steadily　increased；　notwithstanding　the　waste　that　has

been　made　in　the　camp；　the　siege；　and　the　battle…field；　and　the

country；　rejoicing　in　the　consciousness　of　augmented　strength　and

vigor；　is　permitted　to　expect　a　continuance　of　years；　with　large

increase　of　freedom。



No　human　counsel　hath　devised；　nor　hath　any　mortal　hand　worked　out

these　great　things。　They　are　the　gracious　gifts　of　the　Most　High　God；

who；　while　dealing　with　us　in　anger　for　our　sins；　hath　nevertheless

remembered　mercy。



It　has　seemed　to　me　fit　and　proper　that　they　should　be　reverently；

solemnly；　and　gratefully　acknowledged；　as　with　one　heart　and　voice；

by　the　whole　American　people。　　I　do；　therefore；　invite　my

fellow…citizens　in　every　part　of　the　United　States；　and　also　those

who　are　at　sea；　and　those　who　are　sojourning　in　foreign　lands；　to　set

apart　and　observe　the　last　Thursday　of　November　next　as　a　day　of

thanksgiving　and　prayer　to　our　beneficent　Father　who　dwelleth　in　the

heavens。　　And　I　recommend　to　them　that；　while　offering　up　the

ascriptions　justly　due　to　Him　for　such　singular　deliverances　and

blessings；　they　do　also；　with　humble　penitence　for　our　national

perverseness　and　disobedience；　commend　to　His　tender　care　all　those

who　have　become　widows；　orphans；　mourners；　or　sufferers　in　the

lamentable　civil　strife　in　which　we　are　unavoidably　engaged；　and

fervently　implore　the　interposition　of　the　Almighty　hand　to　heal　the

wounds　of　the　nation；　and　to　restore　it；　as　soon　as　may　be　consistent

with　divine　purposes；　to　the　full　enjoyment　of　peace；　harmony；

tranquillity；　and　union。



In　testimony　whereof；　I　have　hereunto　set　my　hand；　and　caused　the

seal　of　the　United　States　to　be　affixed。



Done　at　the　city　of　Washington；　this　third　day　of　October；　in　the

year　of　our　Lord　one　thousand　eight　hundred　and　sixty…three；　and　of

the　independence　of　the　United　States　the　eighty…eighth。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。



By　the　President：

WILLIAM　H。　SEWARD；

Secretary　of　State









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　J。　M。　SCHOFIELD。



WASHINGTON　D。C。；　OCTOBER　4；　1863



MAJOR…GENERAL　SCHOFIELD；　St。　　Louis；　Mo。：



I　think　you　will　not　have　just　cause　to　complain　of　my　action。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　W。　S。　ROSECRANS。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　October　4；　1863。　　11。30　A。M。



MAJOR…GENERAL　ROSECRANS；　Chattanooga；　Tenn。：



Yours　of　yesterday　received。　　If　we　can　hold　Chattanooga　and　East

Tennessee；　I　think　the　rebellion　must　dwindle　and　die。　　I　think　you

and　Burnside　can　do　this；　and　hence　doing　so　is　your　main　object。　　Of

course　to　greatly　damage　or　destroy　the　enemy　in　your　front　would　be

a　greater　object；　because　it　would　include　the　former　and　more；　but

it　is　not　so　certainly　within　your　power。　　I　understand　the　main　body

of　the　enemy　is　very　near　you；　so　near　that　you　could　〃board　at

home；〃　so　to　speak；　and　menace　or　attack　him　any　day。　　Would　not　the

doing　of　this　be　your　best　mode　of　counteracting　his　raid　on　your

communications？　　But　this　is　not　an　order。　　I　intend　doing　something

like　what　you　suggest　whenever　the　case　shall　appear　ripe　enough　to

have　it　accepted　in　the　true　understanding　rather　than　as　a

confession　of　weakness　and　fear。



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　C。　D。　DRAKE　AND　OTHERS。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION　；WASHINGTON；

October　5；　1863。



HON。　CHARLES　D。　DRAKE　AND　OTHERS；　Committee。



GENTLEMEN：…Your　original　address；　presented　on　the　30th　ult。；　and　the

four　supplementary　ones　presented　on　the　3d　inst。；　have　been

carefully　considered。　　I　hope　you　will　regard　the　other　duties

claiming　my　attention；　together　with　the　great　length　and　importance

of　these　documents；　as　constituting　a　sufficient　apology　for　not

having　responded　sooner。



These　papers；　framed　for　a　common　object；　consist　of　the　things

demanded　and　the　reasons　for　demanding　them。



The　things　demanded　are



First。　　That　General　Schofield　shall　be　relieved；　and　General　Butler

be　appointed　as　Commander　of　the　Military　Department　of　Missouri。



Second。　　That　the　system　of　enrolled　militia　in　Missouri　may　be

broken　up；　and　national　forces　he　substituted　for　it；　and



Third。　　That　at　elections　persons　may　not　be　allowed　to　vote　who　are

not　entitled　by　law　to　do　so。



Among　the　reasons　given；　enough　of　suffering　and　wrong　to　Union　men

is　certainly；　and　I　suppose　truly；　stated。　　Yet　the　whole　case；　as

presented；　fails　to　convince　me　that　General　Schofield；　or　the

enrolled　militia；　is　responsible　for　that　suffering　and　wrong。　　　The

whole　can　be　explained　on　a　more　charitable；　and；　as　I　think；　a　more

rational　hypothesis。



We　are　in　a　civil　war。　　In　such　cases　there　always　is　a　main

question；　but　in　this　case　that　question　is　a　perplexing　compound

Union　and　slavery。　　It　thus　becomes　a　question　not　of　two　sides

merely；　but　of　at　least　four　sides；　even　among　those　who　are　for　the

Union；　saying　nothing　of　those　who　are　against　it。　　Thus；　those　who

are　for　the　Union　with；　but　not　without　slavery；　those　for　it

without；　but　not　with；　those　for　it　with　or　without；　but　prefer　it

with；　and　those　for　it　with　or　without；　but　prefer　it　without。



Among　these；　again；　is　a　subdivision　of　those　who　are　for　gradual；

but　not　for　immediate；　and　those　who　are　for　immediate；　but　not　for

gradual　extinction　of　slavery。



It　is　easy　to　conceive　that　all　these　shades　of　opinion；　and　even

more；　may　be　sincerely　entertained　by　honest　and　truthful　men。　　Yet；

all　being　for　the　Union；　by　reason　of　these　differences　each　will

prefer　a　different　way　of　sustaining　the　Union。　　At　once；　sincerity

is　questioned；　and　motives　are　assailed。　　Actual　war　coining；　blood

grows　hot　and　blood　is　spilled。　　Thought　is　forced　from　old　channels

into　confusion。　　Deception　breeds　and　thrives。　　Confidence　dies；　and

universal　suspicion　reigns。　　Each　man　feels　an　impulse　to　kill　his

neighbor；　lest　he　be　killed　by　him。　　Revenge　and　retaliation　follow。

And　all　this；　as　before　said；　may　be　among　honest　men　only。　　But　this

is　not　all。　　Every　foul　bird　comes　abroad；　and　every　dirty　reptile

rises　up。　　These　add　crime　to　confusion。　　Strong　measures　deemed

indispensable；　but　harsh　at　best；　such　men　make　worse　by

maladministration。　　Murders　for　old　grudges；　and　murders　for　self；

proceed　under　any　cloak　that　will　best　serve　for　the　occasion。



These　causes　amply　account　for　what　has　occurred　in　Missouri；　without

ascribing　it　to　the　weakness　or　wickedness　of　any　general。　　The

newspaper　files；　those　chroniclers　of　current　events；　will　show　that

the　evils　now　complained　of　were　quite　as　prevalent　under　Fremont；

Hunter；　Halleck；　and　Curtis；　as　under　Schofield。　　If　the　former　had

greater　force　opposed　to　them；　they　also　had　greater　force　with　which

to　meet　it。　　When　the　organized　rebel　army　left　the　State；　the　main

Federal　force　had　to　go　also；　leaving　the　department　commander　at

home　relatively　no　stronger　than　before。　　Without　disparaging　any；　I

affirm　with　confidence　that　no　commander　of　that　department　has；　in

proportion　to　his　means；　done　better　than　General　Schofield。



The　first　specific　charge　against　General　Schofield　is；　that　the

enrolled　militia　was　placed　under　his　command；　whereas　it　had　not

been　placed　under　the　command　of　General　Curtis。　　The　fact　is；　I

believe；　true；　but　you　do　not　point　out；　nor　can　I　conceive；　how　that

did；　or　could；　injure　loyal　men　or　the　Union　cause。



You　charge　that；　General　Curtis　being　superseded　by　General

Schofield；　Franklin　A。　Dick　was　superseded　by　James　O。　Broadhead　as

Provost…Marshal　General。　　No　very　specific　showing　is　made　as　to　how

this　did　or　could　injure　the　Union　cause。　　It　recalls；　however；　the

condition　of　things；　as　presented　to　me；　which　led　to　a　change　of

commander　of　that　department。



To　restrain　contraband　intelligence　and　trade；　a　system　of　searches；

seizures；　permits；　and　passes；　had　been　introduced；　I　think；　by

General　Fremont。　　When　General　Halleck　came；　he　found　and　continued

the　system；　and　add