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A。　LINCOLN。









BROKEN　EGGS　CANNOT　BE　MENDED



EXTRACT　FROM　LETTER　TO　AUGUST　BELMONT。



July　31；　1862。



Broken　eggs　cannot　be　mended；　but　Louisiana　has　nothing　to　do　now　but

to　take　her　place　in　the　Union　as　it　was；　barring　the　already　broken

eggs。　　The　sooner　she　does　so；　the　smaller　will　be　the　amount　of　that

which　will　be　past　mending。　　This　government　cannot　much　longer　play

a　game　in　which　it　stakes　all；　and　its　enemies　stake　nothing。　　Those

enemies　must　understand　that　they　cannot　experiment　for　ten　years

trying　to　destroy　the　government；　and　if　they　fail；　still　come　back

into　the　Union　unhurt。　　If　they　expect　in　any　contingency　to　ever

have　the　Union　as　it　was；　I　join　with　the　writer　in　saying；　〃Now　is

the　time。〃



How　much　better　it　would　have　been　for　the　writer　to　have　gone　at

this；　under　the　protection　of　the　army　at　New　Orleans；　than　to　have

sat　down　in　a　closet　writing　complaining　letters　northward！



Yours　truly；

A。　LINCOLN。









TO　COUNT　GASPARIN。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；



August　4；　1863。



TO　COUNT　A。　DE　GASPARIN。



DEAR　SIR　…Your　very　acceptable　letter；　dated　Orbe；　Canton　de　Vaud；

Switzerland；　18th　of　July；　1862；　is　received。　　The　moral　effect　was

the　worst　of　the　affair　before　Richmond；　and　that　has　run　its　course

downward。　　We　are　now　at　a　stand；　and　shall　soon　be　rising　again；　as

we　hope。　　I　believe　it　is　true　that；　in　men　and　material；　the　enemy

suffered　more　than　we　in　that　series　of　conflicts；　while　it　is

certain　that　he　is　less　able　to　bear　it。



With　us　every　soldier　is　a　man　of　character；　and　must　be　treated　with

more　consideration　than　is　customary　in　Europe。　　Hence　our　great

army；　for　slighter　causes　than　could　have　prevailed　there；　has

dwindled　rapidly；　bringing　the　necessity　for　a　new　call　earlier　than

was　anticipated。　　We　shall　easily　obtain　the　new　levy；　however。　　Be

not　alarmed　if　you　shall　learn　that　we　shall　have　resorted　to　a　draft

for　part　of　this。　　It　seems　strange　even　to　me；　but　it　is　true；　that

the　government　is　now　pressed　to　this　course　by　a　popular　demand。

Thousands　who　wish　not　to　personally　enter　the　service　are

nevertheless　anxious　to　pay　and　send　substitutes；　provided　they　can

have　assurance　that　unwilling　persons；　similarly　situated；　will　be

compelled　to　do　likewise。　　Besides　this；　volunteers　mostly　choose　to

enter　newly　forming　regiments；　while　drafted　men　can　be　sent　to　fill

up　the　old　ones；　wherein　man　for　man　they　are　quite　doubly　as

valuable。



You　ask；　〃Why　is　it　that　the　North　with　her　great　armies　so　often　is

found　with　inferiority　of　numbers　face　to　face　with　the　armies　of　the

South？〃　While　I　painfully　know　the　fact；　a　military　man；　which　I　am

not；　would　better　answer　the　question。　　The　fact　I　know　has　not　been

overlooked；　and　I　suppose　the　cause　of　its　continuance　lies　mainly　in

the　other　facts　that　the　enemy　holds　the　interior　and　we　the　exterior

lines；　and　that　we　operate　where　the　people　convey　information　to　the

enemy；　while　he　operates　where　they　convey　none　to　us。



I　have　received　the　volume　and　letter　which　you　did　me　the　honor　of

addressing　to　me；　and　for　which　please　accept　my　sincere　thanks。　　You

are　much　admired　in　America　for　the　ability　of　your　writings；　and

much　loved　for　your　generosity　to　us　and　your　devotion　to　liberal

principles　generally。



You　are　quite　right　as　to　the　importance　to　us；　for　its　bearing　upon

Europe；　that　we　should　achieve　military　successes；　and　the　same　is

true　for　us　at　home　as　well　as　abroad。　　Yet　it　seems　unreasonable

that　a　series　of　successes；　extending　through　half　a　year；　and

clearing　more　than　100；000　square　miles　of　country；　should　help　us　so

little；　while　a　single　half…defeat　should　hurt　us　so　much。　　But　let

us　be　patient。



I　am　very　happy　to　know　that　my　course　has　not　conflicted　with　your

judgment　of　propriety　and　policy　I　can　only　say　that　I　have　acted

upon　my　best　convictions；　without　selfishness　or　malice；　and　that　by

the　help　of　God　I　shall　continue　to　do　so。



Please　be　assured　of　my　highest　respect　and　esteem。



A。　LINCOLN。









SPEECH　AT　A　WAR　MEETING；



WASHINGTON；　AUGUST　6；　1862



FELLOW　CITIZENS：　I　believe　there　is　no　precedent　for　my　appearing

before　you　on　this　occasion；　but　it　is　also　true　that　there　is　no

precedent　for　your　being　here　yourselves；　and　I　offer　in

justification　of　myself　and　of　you　that；　upon　examination；　I　have

found　nothing　in　the　Constitution　against　it。　　I；　however；　have　an

impression　that；　there　are　younger　gentlemen　who　will　entertain　you

better　and　better　address　your　understanding　than　I　will　or　could；

and　therefore　I　propose　but　to　detain　you　a　moment　longer。　　I　am　very

little　inclined　on　any　occasion　to　say　anything　unless　I　hope　to

produce　some　good　by　it。　　The　only　thing　I　think　of　just　now　not

likely　to　be　better　said　by　some　one　else　is　a　matter　in　which　we

have　heard　some　other　persons　blamed　for　what　I　did　myself　There　has

been　a　very　widespread　attempt　to　have　a　quarrel　between　General

McClellan　and　the　Secretary　of　War　　Now；　I　occupy　a　position　that

enables　me　to　believe　that　these　two　gentlemen　are　not　nearly　so　deep

in　the　quarrel　as　some　presuming　to　be　their　friends。　　General

McClellan's　attitude　is　such　that　in　the　very　selfishness　of　his

nature　he　cannot　but　wish　to　be　successfuland　I　hope　he　willand

the　Secretary　of　War　is　precisely　in　the　same　situation。　　If　the

military　commanders　in　the　field　cannot　be　successful；　not　only　the

Secretary　of　War；　but　myself；　for　the　time　being　the　master　of　both；

cannot　but　be　failures。　　I　know　General　McClellan　wishes　to　be

successful；　and　I　know　he　does　not　wish　it　any　more　than　the

Secretary　of　War　for　him；　and　both　of　them　together　no　more　than　I

wish　it。　　Sometimes　we　have　a　dispute　about　how　many　men　General

McClellan　has　had；　and　those　who　would　disparage　him　say　he　has　had　a

very　large　number；　and　those　who　would　disparage　the　Secretary　of　War

insist　that　General　McClellan　has　had　a　very　small　number。　　The　basis

for　this　is；　there　is　always　a　wide　difference；　and　on　this　occasion

perhaps　a　wider　one；　between　the　grand　total　on　McClellan's　rolls　and

the　men　actually　fit　for　duty；　and　those　who　would　disparage　him　talk

of　the　grand　total　on　paper；　and　those　who　would　disparage　the

Secretary　of　War　talk　of　those　at　present　fit　for　duty。　　General

McClellan　has　sometimes　asked　for　things　that　the　Secretary　of　War

did　not　give　him。　　General　McClellan　is　not　to　blame　for　asking　for

what　he　wanted　and　needed；　and　the　Secretary　of　War　is　not　to　blame

for　not　giving　when　he　had　none　to　give。　　And　I　say　here；　so　far　as　I

know；　the　Secretary　of　War　has　withheld　no　one　thing　at　any　time　in

my　power　to　give　him。　　I　have　no　accusation　against　him。　　I　believe

he　is　a　brave　and　able　man；　and　I　stand　here；　as　justice　requires　me

to　do；　to　take　upon　myself　what　has　been　charged　on　the　Secretary　of

War　as　withholding　from　him。　　I　have　talked　longer　than　I　expected　to

do；　and　now　I　avail　myself　of　my　privilege　of　saying　no　more。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　ANDREW。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　D。C。；　August　12；　1862。



GOVERNOR　ANDREW；　Boston；　Mass。：



Your　despatch　saying　〃I　can't　get　those　regiments　off　because　I　can't

get　quick　work　out　of　the　V。　S。　disbursing　officer　and　the　paymaster〃

is　received。　　Please　say　to　these　gentlemen　that　if　they　do　not　work

quickly　I　will　make　quick　work　with　them。　　In　the　name　of　all　that　is

reasonable；　how　long　does　it　take　to　pay　a　couple　of　regiments？　　We

were　never　more　in　need　of　the　arrival　of　regiments　than　noweven

to…day。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GOVERNOR　CURTIN。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON；　D。C。；　August　12；　1862。



GOVERNOR　CURTIN；　Harrisburg；　Penn。：



It　is　very　important　for　some　regiments　to　arrive　here　at　once。　　What

lack　you　from　us？　　What　can　we　do　to　expedite　matters？　　Answer。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　S。　R。　CURTIS。



WASHINGTON；　D。　C。；　August　12；　1862。



MAJOR…GENERAL　CURTIS；　St。　　Louis；　Missouri：



Would　the　completion　of　the　railroad　some　distance　farther　in　the

direction　of　Springfield；　Mo。；　be　of　any　military　advantage　to　you？

Please　answer。



A。　LINCOLN。









ADDRESS　ON　COLONIZATION　TO　A　DEPUTATION　OF　COLORED　MEN。



WASHINGTON；　　Thursday；　August　14；　1862。



This　afternoon　the　President　of　the　United　States　gave　an　audience　to

a　committee　of　colored　men　at　the　White　House。　　They　were　introduced

by　Rev。　　J。　Mitchell；　Commissioner　of　Emigration；　　E。　M。　Thomas；　the

chairman；　remarked　that　they　were　there　by　invitation　to　hear　what

the　Executive　had　to　say　to　them。



Having　all　been　seated；　the　President；　after　a　few　preliminary

observations；　informed　them　that　a　sum　of　money　had　been　appropriated

by　Congress；　and　placed　at　his　disposition；　for　the　purpose　of　aiding

the　colonization；　in　some　country；　of　the　people；　or　a　portion　of

them；　of　African　descent；　thereby　making　it　his　duty；　as　it　had　for　a

long　time　been　his　inclination；　to　favor　that　cause。　　And　why；　he

asked；　should　the　people　of　your　race　be　colonized；　and　where？　　Why

should　they　leave　this　country？　　This　is；　perhaps；　the　first　question

for　proper　consideration。　　You　and　we　are　different　races。　　We　have

between　us　a　broader　difference　than　exists　between　almost　any　other

two　races。　　Whether　it　is　right　or　wrong　I　need　not　discuss；　but　this

physical　difference　is　a　great　disadvantage　to　us　both；　as　I　think。

Your　race　suffer　very　greatly；　many　of　them；　by　living　among　us；

while　ours　suffer　from　your　presence。　　In　a　word；　we　suffer　on　each

side。　　If　this　is　admitted；　it　affords　a　reason；　at　least；　why　we

should　be　separated。　　You　here　are　free　men；　I　suppose。



＇A　voice　…〃Yes；　sir！〃＇



Perhaps　you　have　long　been　free；　or　all　your　lives。　　Your　race　are

suffering；　in　my　judgment；　the