按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
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。 Applying the principle
to these new facts； the Fifth and Seventh districts must be added to
the four in which the quotas have already been reduced to 2200 for
the first draft； and with these four others just be added to those to
be re…enrolled。 The correct case will then stand： the quotas of the
Second； Fourth； Fifth； Sixth； Seventh； and Eighth districts fixed at
2200 for the first draft。 The Provost…Marshal…General informs me
that the drawing is already completed in the Sixteenth； Seventeenth；
Eighteenth； Twenty…second； Twenty…fourth； Twenty…sixth； Twenty…
seventh； Twenty…eighth； Twenty…ninth； and Thirtieth districts。 In
the others； except the three outstanding； the drawing will be made
upon the quotas as now fixed。 After the first draft； the Second；
Fourth； Fifth； Sixth； Seventh； Eighth； Sixteenth； Seventeenth；
Twenty…first； Twenty…fifth； Twenty…ninth； and Thirty…first will be
enrolled for the purpose and in the manner stated in my letter of the
7th inst。 The same principle will be applied to the now outstanding
districts when they shall come in。 No part of my former letter is
repudiated by reason of not being restated in this； or for any other
cause。
Your obedient servant；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO GENERAL J。 A。 McCLERNAND。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON；
August 12； 1863。
MAJOR…GENERAL McCLERNAND。
MY DEAR SIR：Our friend William G。 Greene has just presented a kind
letter in regard to yourself； addressed to me by our other friends
Yates； Hatch； and Dubois。
I doubt whether your present position is more painful to you than to
myself。 Grateful for the patriotic stand so early taken by you in
this life…and…death struggle of the nation； I have done whatever has
appeared practicable to advance you and the public interest together。
No charges； with a view to a trial； have been preferred against you
by any one； nor do I suppose any will be。 All there is； so far as I
have heard； is General Grant's statement of his reasons for relieving
you。 And even this I have not seen or sought to see； because it is a
case； as appears to me； in which I could do nothing without doing
harm。 General Grant and yourself have been conspicuous in our most
important successes； and for me to interfere and thus magnify a
breach between you could not but be of evil effect。 Better leave it
where the law of the case has placed it。 For me to force you back
upon General Grant would be forcing him to resign。 I cannot give you
a new command； because we have no forces except such as already have
commanders。
I am constantly pressed by those who scold before they think； or
without thinking at all； to give commands respectively to Fremont；
McClellan； Butler； Sigel； Curtis； Hunter； Hooker； and perhaps others；
when； all else out of the way； I have no commands to give them。 This
is now your case； which； as I have said； pains me not less than it
does you。 My belief is that the permanent estimate of what a general
does in the field is fixed by the 〃cloud of witnesses〃 who have been
with him in the field； and that； relying on these； he who has the
right needs not to fear。
Your friend as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
TELEGRAM TO GOVERNOR SEYMOUR。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON； AUGUST 16； 1863。
GOVERNOR SEYMOUR； New York：
Your despatch of this morning is just received； and I fear I do not
perfectly understand it。
My view of the principle is that every soldier obtained voluntarily
leaves one less to be obtained by draft。 The only difficulty is in
applying the principle properly。 Looking to time； as heretofore； I
am unwilling to give up a drafted man now； even for the certainty；
much less for the mere chance； of getting a volunteer hereafter。
Again； after the draft in any district； would it not make trouble to
take any drafted man out and put a volunteer infor how shall it be
determined which drafted man is to have the privilege of thus going
out； to the exclusion of all the others？ And even before the draft
in any district the quota must be fixed； and the draft must be
postponed indefinitely if every time a volunteer is offered the
officers must stop and reconstruct the quota。 At least I fear there
might be this difficulty； but； at all events； let credits for
volunteers be given up to the last moment which will not produce
confusion or delay。 That the principle of giving credits for
volunteers shall be applied by districts seems fair and proper；
though I do not know how far by present statistics it is practicable。
When for any cause a fair credit is not given at one time； it should
be given as soon thereafter as practicable。 My purpose is to be just
and fair； and yet to not lose time。
A。 LINCOLN
To J。 H。 HACKETT。
EXECUTIVE MANSION； WASHINGTON
August 17； 1863。
JAMES H。 HACKETT； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Months ago I should hav