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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　and　future　of　this　country　for　the　good　both　of　the　North　and

of　the　Southfor　the　good　of　the　one　and　the　other；　and　of　all

sections　of　the　country。　　In　the　meantime；　if　we　have　patience；　if　we

restrain　ourselves；　if　we　allow　ourselves　not　to　run　off　in　a

passion；　I　still　have　confidence　that　the　Almighty；　the　Maker　of　the

universe；　will；　through　the　instrumentality　of　this　great　and

intelligent　people；　bring　us　through　this　as　He　has　through　all　the

other　difficulties　of　our　country。　Relying　on　this；　I　again　thank　you

for　this　generous　reception。









ADDRESS　AT　TROY；　NEW　YORK；



FEBRUARY　19；　1861



MR。　MAYOR　AND　CITIZENS　OF　TROY：I　thank　you　very　kindly　for　this

great　reception。　　Since　I　left　my　home　it　has　not　been　my　fortune　to

meet　an　assemblage　more　numerous　and　more　orderly　than　this。　　I　am

the　more　gratified　at　this　mark　of　your　regard　since　you　assure　me　it

is　tendered；　not　to　the　individual　but　to　the　high　office　you　have

called　me　to　fill。　　I　have　neither　strength　nor　time　to　make　any

extended　remarks　on　this　occasion；　and　I　can　only　repeat　to　you　my

sincere　thanks　for　the　kind　reception　you　have　thought　proper　to

extend　to　me。









ADDRESS　AT　POUGHKEEPSIE；　NEW　YORK；



FEBRUARY　19；　1861



FELLOW…CITIZENS：It　is　altogether　impossible　I　should　make　myself

heard　by　any　considerable　portion　of　this　vast　assemblage；　but；

although　I　appear　before　you　mainly　for　the　purpose　of　seeing　you；

and　to　let　you　see　rather　than　hear　me；　I　cannot　refrain　from　saying

that　I　am　highly　gratifiedas　much　here；　indeed；　under　the

circumstances；　as　I　have　been　anywhere　on　my　routeto　witness　this

noble　demonstrationmade；　not　in　honor　of　an　individual；　but　of　the

man　who　at　this　time　humbly；　but　earnestly；　represents　the　majesty　of

the　nation。



This　reception；　like　all　the　others　that　have　been　tendered　to　me；

doubtless　emanates　from　all　the　political　parties；　and　not　from　one

alone。　　As　such　I　accept　it　the　more　gratefully；　since　it　indicates

an　earnest　desire　on　the　part　of　the　whole　people；　with　out　regard　to

political　differences；　to　savenot　the　country；　because　the　country

will　save　itself　but　to　save　the　institutions　of　the　country；　those

institutions　under　which；　in　the　last　three　quarters　of　a　century；　we

have　grown　to　a　great；　and　intelligent；　and　a　happy　peoplethe

greatest；　the　most　intelligent；　and　the　happiest　people　in　the　world。

These　noble　manifestations　indicate；　with　unerring　certainty；　that

the　whole　people　are　willing　to　make　common　cause　for　this　object；

that　if；　as　it　ever　must　be；　some　have　been　successful　in　the　recent

election　and　some　have　been　beaten；　if　some　are　satisfied　and　some

are　dissatisfied；　the　defeated　party　are　not　in　favor　of　sinking　the

ship；　but　are　desirous　of　running　it　through　the　tempest　in　safety；

and　willing；　if　they　think　the　people　have　committed　an　error　in

their　verdict　now；　to　wait　in　the　hope　of　reversing　it　and　setting　it

right　next　time。　　I　do　not　say　that　in　the　recent　election　the　people

did　the　wisest　thing；　that　could　have　been　doneindeed；　I　do　not

think　they　did；　but　I　do　say　that　in　accepting　the　great　trust

committed　to　me；　which　I　do　with　a　determination　to　endeavor　to　prove

worthy　of　it；　I　must　rely　upon　you；　upon　the　people　of　the　whole

country；　for　support；　and　with　their　sustaining　aid；　even　I；　humble

as　I　am；　cannot　fail　to　carry　the　ship　of　state　safely　through　the

storm。



I　have　now　only　to　thank　you　warmly　for　your　kind　attendance；　and　bid

you　all　an　affectionate　farewell。









ADDRESS　AT　HUDSON；　NEW　YORK；。



FEBRUARY　19；　1860



FELLOW…CITIZENS：I　see　that　you　are　providing　a　platform　for　me。　　I

shall　have　to　decline　standing　upon　it；　because　the　president　of　the

company　tells　me　that　I　shall　not　have　time　to　wait　until　it　is

brought　to　me。　　As　I　said　yesterday；　under　similar　circumstances　at

another　gathering；　you　must　not　draw　the　inference　that　I　have　any

intention　of　deserting　any　platform　with　which　I　have　a　legitimate

connection　because　I　do　not　stand　on　yours。　　Allow　me　to　thank　you

for　this　splendid　reception；　and　I　now　bid　you　farewell。









ADDRESS　AT　PEEKSKILL；　NEW　YORK；

FEBRUARY　19；　1861



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN：I　have　but　a　moment　to　stand　before　you　to

listen　to　and　return　your　kind　greeting。　I　thank　you　for　this

reception；　and　for　the　pleasant　manner　in　which　it　is　tendered　to　me

by　our　mutual　friends。　I　will　say　in　a　single　sentence；　in　regard　to

the　difficulties　that　lie　before　me　and　our　beloved　country；　that　if

I　can　only　be　as　generously　and　unanimously　sustained　as　the

demonstrations　I　have　witnessed　indicate　I　shall　be；　I　shall　not

fail；　but　without　your　sustaining　hands　I　am　sure　that　neither　I　nor

any　other　man　can　hope　to　surmount　these　difficulties。　　I　trust　that

in　the　course　I　shall　pursue　I　shall　be　sustained　not　only　by　the

party　that　elected　me；　but　by　the　patriotic　people　of　the　whole

country。









ADDRESS　AT　FISHKILL　LANDING



FEBRUARY　19；　1861



LADIES　AND　GENTLEMEN：I　appear　before　you　not　to　make　a　speech。　　I

have　not　sufficient　time；　if　I　had　the　strength；　to　repeat　speeches

at　every　station　where　the　people　kindly　gather　to　welcome　me　as　we

go　along。　　If　I　had　the　strength；　and　should　take　the　time；　I　should

not　get　to　Washington　until　after　the　inauguration；　which　you　must　be

aware　would　not　fit　exactly。　　That　such　an　untoward　event　might　not

transpire；　I　know　you　will　readily　forego　any　further　remarks；　and　I

close　by　bidding　you　farewell。









REMARKS　AT　THE　ASTOR　HOUSE；　NEW　YORK　CITY；　FEBRUARY　19；　1861



FELLOW…CITIZENS：I　have　stepped　before　you　merely　in　compliance　with

what　appears　to　be　your　wish；　and　not　with　the　purpose　of　making　a

speech。　　I　do　not　propose　making　a　speech　this　afternoon。　　I　could

not　be　heard　by　any　but　a　small　fraction　of　you；　at　best；　but；　what

is　still　worse　than　that；　I　have　nothing　just　now　to　say　that　is

worthy　of　your　hearing。　　I　beg　you　to　believe　that　I　do　not　now

refuse　to　address　you　from　any　disposition　to　disoblige　you；　but　to

the　contrary。　　But；　at　the　same　time；　I　beg　of　you　to　excuse　me　for

the　present。









ADDRESS　AT　NEW　YORK　CITY；



FEBRUARY　19；　1861



Mr。　CHAIRMAN　AND　GENTLEMEN：I　am　rather　an　old　man　to　avail　myself

of　such　an　excuse　as　I　am　now　about　to　do。　　Yet　the　truth　is　so

distinct；　and　presses　itself　so　distinctly　upon　me；　that　I　cannot

well　avoid　itand　that　is；　that　I　did　not　understand　when　I　was

brought　into　this　room　that　I　was　to　be　brought　here　to　make　a

speech。　　It　was　not　intimated　to　me　that　I　was　brought　into　the　room

where　Daniel　Webster　and　Henry　Clay　had　made　speeches；　and　where　one

in　my　position　might　be　expected　to　do　something　like　those　men　or

say　something　worthy　of　myself　or　my　audience。　　I　therefore　beg　you

to　make　allowance　for　the　circumstances　in　which　I　have　been　by

surprise　brought　before　you。　　Now　I　have　been　in　the　habit　of

thinking　and　sometimes　speaking　upon　political　questions　that　have

for　some　years　past　agitated　the　country；　and；　if　I　were　disposed　to

do　so；　and　we　could　take　up　some　one　of　the　issues；　as　the　lawyers

call　them；　and　I　were　called　upon　to　make　an　argument　about　it　to　the

best　of　my　ability；　I　could　do　so　without　much　preparation。　　But　that

is　not　what　you　desire　to　have　done　here　to…night。



I　have　been　occupying　a　position；　since　the　Presidential　election；　of

silenceof　avoiding　public　speaking；　of　avoiding　public　writing。　　I

have　been　doing　so　because　I　thought；　upon　full　consideration；　that

was　the　proper　course　for　me　to　take。　　　I　am　brought　before　you　now；

and　required　to　make　a　speech；　when　you　all　approve　more　than

anything　else　of　the　fact　that　I　have　been　keeping　silence。　　And　now

it　seems　to　me　that　the　response　you　give　to　that　remark　ought　to

justify　me　in　closing　just　here。　　I　have　not　kept　silence　since　the

Presidential　election　from　any　party　wantonness；　or　from　any

indifference　to　the　anxiety　that　pervades　the　minds　of　men　about　the

aspect　of　the　political　affairs　of　this　country。　　I　have　kept　silence

for　the　reason　that　I　supposed　it　was　peculiarly　proper　that　I　should

do　so　until　the　time　came　when；　according　to　the　custom　of　the

country；　I　could　speak　officially。



I　still　suppose　that；　while　the　political　drama　being　enacted　in　this

country　at　this　time　is　rapidly　shifting　its　scenesforbidding　an

anticipation　with　any　degree　of　certainty　to…day　of　what　we　shall　see

to…morrowit　is　peculiarly　fitting　that　I　should　see　it　all；　up　to

the　last　minute；　before　I　should　take　ground　that　I　might　be

disposed；　by　the　shifting　of　the　scenes　afterward；　also　to　shift。　　I

have　said　several　times　upon　this　journey；　and　I　now　repeat　it　to

you；　that　when　the　time　does　come；　I　shall　then　take　the　ground　that

I　think　is　rightright　for　the　North；　for　the　South；　for　the　East；

for　the　West；　for　the　whole　country。　　And　in　doing　so　I　hope　to　feel

no　necessity　pressing　upon　me　to　say　anything　in　conflict　with　the

Constitution；　in　conflict　with　the　continued　union　of　these　States；

in　conflict　with　the　perpetuation　of　the　liberties　of　this　people；　or

anything　in　conflict　with　anything　whatever　that　I　have　ever　given

you　reason　to　expect　from　me。　　And　now；　my　friends；　have　I　said

enough？　＇Loud　cries　of　〃No；　no　！〃　and'　Three　cheers　for　LINCOLN！〃＇

Now；　my　friends；　there　appears　to　be　a　difference　of　opinion　between

you　and　me；　and　I　really　feel　called　upon　to　decide　the　question

myself。









REPLY　TO　THE　MAYOR　OF　NEW　YORK　CITY；

FEBRUARY　20；　1861



Mr。　MAYOR：It　is　with　feelings　of　deep　gratitude　that　I　make　my

acknowledgments　for　the　reception　that　has　been　given　me　in　the　great

commercial　city　of　New　York。　　I　cannot　but　remember　that