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peculiar　circumstances；　to　say　the　least；　it　would　have　been　proper

for　all　citizens　to　have　greeted　him　as　you　now　greet　me。　　It　is　an

evidence　of　the　devotion　of　the　whole　people　to　the　Constitution；　the

Union；　and　the　perpetuity　of　the　liberties　of　this　country。　　I　am

unwilling　on　any　occasion　that　I　should　be　so　meanly　thought　of　as　to

have　it　supposed　for　a　moment　that　these　demonstrations　are　tendered

to　me　personally。　　They　are　tendered　to　the　country；　to　the

institutions　of　the　country；　and　to　the　perpetuity　of　the　liberties

of　the　country；　for　which　these　institutions　were　made　and　created。



Your　worthy　mayor　has　thought　fit　to　express　the　hope　that　I　may　be

able　to　relieve　the　country　from　the　present；　or；　I　should　say；　the

threatened　difficulties。　　I　am　sure　I　bring　a　heart　true　to　the　work。

For　the　ability　to　perform　it；　I　must　trust　in　that　Supreme　Being　who

has　never　forsaken　this　favored　land；　through　the　instrumentality　of

this　great　and　intelligent　people。　　Without　that　assistance　I　shall

surely　fail；　with　it；　I　cannot　fail。　　When　we　speak　of　threatened

difficulties　to　the　Country；　it　is　natural　that　it　should　be　expected

that　something　should　be　said　by　myself　with　regard　to　particular

measures。　　Upon　more　mature　reflection；　however；　others　will　agree

with　me　that；　when　it　is　considered　that　these　difficulties　are

without　precedent；　and　have　never　been　acted　upon　by　any　individual

situated　as　I　am；　it　is　most　proper　I　should　wait　and　see　the

developments；　and　get　all　the　light　possible；　so　that　when　I　do　speak

authoritatively；　I　may　be　as　near　right　as　possible。　　When　I　shall

speak　authoritatively；　I　hope　to　say　nothing　inconsistent　with　the

Constitution；　the　Union；　the　rights　of　all　the　States；　of　each　State；

and　of　each　section　of　the　country；　and　not　to　disappoint　the

reasonable　expectations　of　those　who　have　confided　to　me　their　votes。

In　this　connection　allow　me　to　say　that　you；　as　a　portion　of　the

great　American　people；　need　only　to　maintain　your　composure；　stand　up

to　your　sober　convictions　of　right；　to　your　obligations　to　the

Constitution；　and　act　in　accordance　with　those　sober　convictions；　and

the　clouds　now　on　the　horizon　will　be　dispelled；　and　we　shall　have　a

bright　and　glorious　future；　and　when　this　generation　has　passed　away；

tens　of　thousands　will　inhabit　this　country　where　only　thousands

inhabit　it　now。　　I　do　not　propose　to　address　you　at　length；　I　have　no

voice　for　it。　　Allow　me　again　to　thank　you　for　this　magnificent

reception；　and　bid　you　farewell。









ADDRESS　AT　ROCHESTER；　NEW　YORK；



FEBRUARY　18；　1861



I　confess　myself；　after　having　seen　many　large　audiences　since

leaving　home；　overwhelmed　with　this　vast　number　of　faces　at　this　hour

of　the　morning。　　I　am　not　vain　enough　to　believe　that　you　are　here

from　any　wish　to　see　me　as　an　individual；　but　because　I　am　for　the

time　being　the　representative　of　the　American　people。　　I　could　not；

if　I　would；　address　you　at　any　length。　　I　have　not　the　strength；　even

if　I　had　the　time；　for　a　speech　at　each　of　these　many　interviews　that

are　afforded　me　on　my　way　to　Washington。　　I　appear　merely　to　see　you；

and　to　let　you　see　me；　and　to　bid　you。　farewell。　　I　hope　it　will　be

understood　that　it　is　from　no　disinclination　to　oblige　anybody　that　I

do　not　address　you　at　greater　length。









ADDRESS　AT　SYRACUSE；　NEW　YORK；



FEBRUARY　18；　1861。



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN：I　See　you　have　erected　a　very　fine　and

handsome　platform　here　for　me；　and　I　presume　you　expected　me　to　speak

from　it。　　If　I　should　go　upon　it；　you　would　imagine　that　I　was　about

to　deliver　you　a　much　longer　speech　than　I　am。　　I　wish　you　to

understand　that　I　mean　no　discourtesy　to　you　by　thus　declining。　　I

intend　discourtesy　to　no　one。　　But　I　wish　you　to　understand　that；

though　I　am　unwilling　to　go　upon　this　platform；　you　are　not　at

liberty　to　draw　inferences　concerning　any　other　platform　with　which

my　name　has　been　or　is　connected。　　I　wish　you　long　life　and

prosperity　individually；　and　pray　that　with　the　perpetuity　of　those

institutions　under　which　we　have　all　so　long　lived　and　prospered；　our

happiness　may　be　secured；　our　future　made　brilliant；　and　the　glorious

destiny　of　our　country　established　forever。　　I　bid　you　a　kind

farewell。









ADDRESS　AT　UTICA；　NEW　YORK；



FEBRUARY　18；　1860



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN：I　have　no　speech　to　make　to　you；　and　no　time

to　speak　in。　　I　appear　before　you　that　I　may　see　you；　and　that　you

may　see　me；　and　I　am　willing　to　admit　that　so　far　as　the　ladies　are

concerned　I　have　the　best　of　the　bargain；　though　I　wish　it　to　be

understood　that　I　do　not　make　the　same　acknowledgment　concerning　the

men。









REPLY　TO　THE　MAYOR　OF　ALBANY；　NEW　YORK



FEBRUARY　18；　1861。



MR。　MAYOR：I　can　hardly　appropriate　to　myself　the　flattering　terms

in　which　you　communicate　the　tender　of　this　reception；　as　personal　to

myself。　　I　most　gratefully　accept　the　hospitalities　tendered　to　me；

and　will　not　detain　you　or　the　audience　with　any　extended　remarks　at

this　time。　　I　presume　that　in　the　two　or　three　courses　through　which

I　shall　have　to　go；　I　shall　have　to　repeat　somewhat；　and　I　will

therefore　only　express　to　you　my　thanks　for　this　kind　reception。









REPLY　TO　GOVERNOR　MORGAN　OF　NEW　YORK；　AT　ALBANY；



FEBRUARY　18；　1861。



GOVERNOR　MORGAN：I　was　pleased　to　receive　an　invitation　to　visit　the

capital　of　the　great　Empire　State　of　this　nation　while　on　my　way　to

the　Federal　capital。　　I　now　thank　you；　Mr。　Governor；　and　you；　the

people　of　the　capital　of　the　State　of　New　York；　for　this　most　hearty

and　magnificent　welcome。　　If　I　am　not　at　fault；　the　great　Empire

State　at　this　time　contains　a　larger　population　than　did　the　whole　of

the　United　States　of　America　at　the　time　they　achieved　their　national

independence；　and　I　was　proudto　be　invited　to　visit　its　capital；　to

meet　its　citizens；　as　I　now　have　the　honor　to　do。　I　am　notified　by

your　governor　that　this　reception　is　tendered　by　citizens　without

distinction　of　party。　　Because　of　this　I　accept　it　the　more　gladly。

In　this　country；　and　in　any　country　where　freedom　of　thought　is

tolerated；　citizens　attach　themselves　to　political　parties。　　It　is

but　an　ordinary　degree　of　charity　to　attribute　this　act　to　the

supposition　that；　in　thus　attaching　themselves　to　the　various

parties；　each　man　in　his　own　judgment　supposes　he　thereby　best

advances　the　interests　of　the　whole　country。　　And　when　an　election　is

past　it　is　altogether　befitting　a　free　people；　as　I　suppose；　that；

until　the　next　election；　they　should　be　one　people。　　The　reception

you　have　extended　me　to…day　is　not　given　to　me　personally；it　should

not　be　so；but　as　the　representative；　for　the　time　being；　of　the

majority　of　the　nation。　　If　the　election　had　fallen　to　any　of　the

more　distinguished　citizens　who　received　the　support　of　the　people；

this　same　honor　should　have　greeted　him　that　greets　me　this　day；　in

testimony　of　the　universal；　unanimous　devotion　of　the　whole　people　to

the　Constitution；　the　Union；　and　to　the　perpetual　liberties　of

succeeding　generations　in　this　country。



I　have　neither　the　voice　nor　the　strength　to　address　you　at　any

greater　length。　　I　beg　you　will　therefore　accept　my　most　grateful

thanks　for　this　manifest　devotionnot　to　me；　but　the　institutions　of

this　great　and　glorious　country。









ADDRESS　TO　THE　LEGISLATURE　OF　NEW　YORK；　AT　ALBANY；



FEBRUARY　18；　1861。



MR。　PRESIDENT　AND　GENTLEMEN　OF　THE　GENERAL　ASSEMBLY　OF　THE　STATE　OF

NEW　YORK：It　is　with　feelings　of　great　diffidence；　and；　I　may　say；

with　feelings　of　awe；　perhaps　greater　than　I　have　recently

experienced；　that　I　meet　you　here　in　this　place。　　The　history　of　this

great　State；　the　renown　of　those　great　men　who　have　stood　here；　and

have　spoken　here；　and　have　been　heard　here；　all　crowd　around　my

fancy；　and　incline　me　to　shrink　from　any　attempt　to　address　you。　　Yet

I　have　some　confidence　given　me　by　the　generous　manner　in　which　you

have　invited　me；　and　by　the　still　more　generous　manner　in　which　you

have　received　me；　to　speak　further。　　You　have　invited　and　received　me

without　distinction　of　party。　　I　cannot　for　a　moment　suppose　that

this　has　been　done　in　any　considerable　degree　with　reference　to　my

personal　services；　but　that　it　is　done　in　so　far　as　I　am　regarded；　at

this　time；　as　the　representative　of　the　majesty　of　this　great　nation。

I　doubt　not　this　is　the　truth；　and　the　whole　truth　of　the　case；　and

this　is　as　it　should　be。　　It　is　much　more　gratifying　to　me　that　this

reception　has　been　given　to　me　as　the　elected　representative　of　a

free　people；　than　it　could　possibly　be　if　tendered　merely　as　an

evidence　of　devotion　to　me；　or　to　any　one　man　personally。



And　now　I　think　it　were　more　fitting　that　I　should　close　these　hasty

remarks。　　It　is　true　that；　while　I　hold　myself；　without　mock　modesty；

the　humblest　of　all　individuals　that　have　ever　been　elevated　to　the

Presidency；　I　have　a　more　difficult　task　to　perform　than　any　one　of

them。



You　have　generously　tendered　me　the　supportthe　united　supportof

the　great　Empire　State。　　For　this；　in　behalf　of　the　nationin　behalf

of　the　present　and　future　of　the　nationin　behalf　of　civil　and

religious　liberty　for　all　time　to　come；　most　gratefully　do　I　thank

you。　　I　do　not　propose　to　enter　into　an　explanation　of　any　particular

line　of　policy；　as　to　our　present　difficulties；　to　be　adopted　by　the

incoming　administration。　　I　deem　it　just　to　you；　to　myself；　to　all；

that　I　should　see　everything；　that　I　should　hear　everything；　that　I

should　have　every　light　that　can　be　brought　within　my　reach；　in　order

that；　when　I　do　so　speak；　I　shall　have　enjoyed　every　opportunity　to

take　correct　and　true　ground；　and　for　this　reason　I　do　not　propose　to

speak　at　this　time　of　the　policy　of　the　Government。　　But　when　the

time　comes；　I　shall　speak；　as　well　as　I　am　able；　for　the　good　of　the

present