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For　my　own　part；　I　think　I　shall　not；　in　any　event；　retract　the

emancipation　proclamation：　nor；　as　executive；　ever　return　to　slavery

any　person　who　is　free　by　the　terms　of　that　proclamation；　or　by　any

of　the　acts　of　Congress。



If　Louisiana　shall　send　members　to　Congress；　their　admission　to　seats

will　depend；　as　you　know；　upon　the　respective　Houses；　and　not　upon

the　President。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GOVERNOR　SEYMOUR。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

August　7；　1863。



HIS　EXCELLENCY　HORATIO　SEYMOUR；　Governor　of　New　York：



Your　communication　of　the　3rd　instant　has　been　received　and

attentively　considered。



I　cannot　consent　to　suspend　the　draft　in　New　York；　as　you　request；

because；　among　other　reasons；　time　is　too　important。



By　the　figures　you　send；　which　I　presume　are　correct；　the　twelve

districts　represented　fall　into　two　classes　of　eight　and　four

respectively。　　The　disparity　of　the　quotas　for　the　draft　in　these　two

classes　is　certainly　very　striking；　being　the　difference　between　an

average　of　2200　in　one　class　and　4864　in　the　other。　　Assuming　that

the　districts　are　equal　one　to　another　in　entire　population；　as

required　by　the　plan　on　which　they　were　made；　this　disparity　is　such

as　to　require　attention。　　Much　of　it；　however；　I　suppose　will　be

accounted　for　by　the　fact　that　so　many　more　persons　fit　for　soldiers

are　in　the　city　than　are　in　the　country　who　have　too　recently　arrived

from　other　parts　of　the　United　States　and　from　Europe　to　be　either

included　in　the　census　of　1860；　or　to　have　voted　in　1862。　　Still；

making　due　allowance　for　this；　I　am　yet　unwilling　to　stand　upon　it　as

an　entirely　sufficient　explanation　of　the　great　disparity。



I　shall　direct　the　draft　to　proceed　in　all　the　districts；　drawing；

however；　at　first　from　each　of　the　four　districtsto　wit；　the

Second；　Fourth；　Sixth；　and　Eighthonly；　2200　being　the　average　quota

of　the　other　class。　　After　this　drawing；　these　four　districts；　and

also　the　Seventeenth　and　Twenty…ninth；　shall　be　carefully　re…

enrolled；　and；　if　you　please；　agents　of　yours　may　witness　every　step

of　the　process。　　Any　deficiency　which　may　appear　by　the　new　enrolment

will　be　supplied　by　a　special　draft　for　that　object；　allowing　due

credit　for　volunteers　who　may　be　obtained　from　these　districts

respectively　during　the　interval；　and　at　all　points；　so　far　as

consistent　with　practical　convenience；　due　credits　shall　be　given　for

volunteers；　and　your　Excellency　shall　be　notified　of　the　time　fixed

for　commencing　the　draft　in　each　district。



I　do　not　object　to　abide　a　decision　of　the　United　States　Supreme

Court；　or　of　the　judges　thereof；　on　the　constitutionality　of　the

draft　law。　　In　fact；　I　should　be　willing　to　facilitate　the　obtaining

of　it。　　But　I　cannot　consent　to　lose　the　time　while　it　is　being

obtained。　　We　are　contending　with　an　enemy　who；　as　I　understand；

drives　every　able…bodied　man　he　can　reach　into　his　ranks；　very　much

as　a　butcher　drives　bullocks　into　the　slaughter…pen。　　No　time　is

wasted；　no　argument　is　used。　　This　produces　an　army　which　will　soon

turn　upon　our　now　victorious　soldiers　already　in　the　field；　if　they

shall　not　be　sustained　by　recruits　as　they　should　be。　　It　produces　an

army　with　a　rapidity　not　to　be　matched　on　our　side　if　we　first　waste

time　to　re…experiment　with　the　volunteer　system；　already　deemed　by

Congress；　and　palpably；　in　fact；　so　far　exhausted　as　to　be

inadequate；　and　then　more　time　to　obtain　a　court　decision　as　to

whether　a　law　is　constitutional；　which　requires　a　part　of　those　not

now　in　the　service　to　go　to　the　aid　of　those　who　are　already　in　it；

and　still　more　time　to　determine　with　absolute　certainty　that　we　get

those　who　are　to　go　in　the　precisely　legal　proportion　to　those　who

are　not　to　go。　　My　purpose　is　to　be　in　my　action　just　and

constitutional；　and　yet　practical；　in　performing　the　important　duty

with　which　I　am　charged；　of　maintaining　the　unity　and　the　free

principles　of　our　common　country。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GENERAL　U。S。　GRANT。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION　WASHINGTON；

August　9；　1863。



MY　DEAR　GENERAL　GRANT：



I　see　by　a　despatch　of　yours　that　you　incline　quite　strongly　toward

an　expedition　against　Mobile。　　This　would　appear　tempting　to　me　also；

were　it　not　that　in　view　of　recent　events　in　Mexico　I　am　greatly

impressed　with　the　importance　of　re…establishing　the　national

authority　in　western　Texas　as　soon　as　possible。　　I　am　not　making　an

order；　however；　that　I　leave；　for　the　present　at　least；　to　the

general…in…chief。



A　word　upon　another　subject：　General　Thomas　has　gone　again　to　the

Mississippi　Valley；　with　the　view　of　raising　colored　troops。　　I　have

no　reason　to　doubt　that　you　are　doing　what　you　reasonably　can　upon

the　same　subject。　　I　believe　it　is　a　resource　which　if　vigorously

applied　now　will　soon　close　the　contest。　　It　works　doubly；　weakening

the　enemy　and　strengthening　us。　　We　were　not　fully　ripe　for　it　until

the　river　was　opened。　　Now；　I　think　at　least　one　hundred　thousand　can

and　ought　to　be　rapidly　organized　along　its　shores；　relieving　all

white　troops　to　serve　elsewhere。　　Mr。　Dana　understands　you　as

believing　that　the　Emancipation　Proclamation　has　helped　some　in　your

military　operations。　　I　am　very　glad　if　this　is　so。



Did　you　receive　a　short　letter　from　me　dated　the　13th　of　July？



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　GENERAL　W。　S。　ROSECRANS。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

August　10；　1863。



MY　DEAR　GENERAL　ROSECRANS：



Yours　of　the　1st　was　received　two　days　ago。　　I　think　you　must　have

inferred　more　than　General　Halleck　has　intended；　as　to　any

dissatisfaction　of　mine　with　you。　　I　am　sure　you；　as　a　reasonable

man；　would　not　have　been　wounded　could　you　have　heard　all　my　words

and　seen　all　my　thoughts　in　regard　to　you。　　　I　have　not　abated　in　my

kind　feeling　for　and　confidence　in　you。　　I　have　seen　most　of　your

despatches　to　General　Halleckprobably　all　of　them。　　After　Grant

invested　Vicksburg　I　was　very　anxious　lest　Johnston　should　overwhelm

him　from　the　outside；　and　when　it　appeared　certain　that　part　of

Bragg's　force　had　gone　and　was　going　to　Johnston；　it　did　seem　to　me

it　was　exactly　the　proper　time　for　you　to　attack　Bragg　with　what

force　he　had　left。　　In　all　kindness　let　me　say　it　so　seems　to　me　yet。

Finding　from　your　despatches　to　General　Halleck　that　your　judgment

was　different；　and　being　very　anxious　for　Grant；　I；　on　one　occasion；

told　General　Halleck　I　thought　he　should　direct　you　to　decide　at　once

to　immediately　attack　Bragg　or　to　stand　on　the　defensive　and　send

part　of　your　force　to　Grant。　　He　replied　he　had　already　so　directed

in　substance。　　Soon　after；　despatches　from　Grant　abated　my　anxiety

for　him；　and　in　proportion　abated　my　anxiety　about　any　movement　of

yours。　　When　afterward；　however；　I　saw　a　despatch　of　yours　arguing

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。　　　A