the writings-5-第47章

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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　it　is　done

by　the　people　who　do　not；　by　a　large　majority；　agree　with　me　in

political　sentiment。　　It　is　the　more　grateful　to　me　because　in　this　I

see　that　for　the　great　principles　of　our　Government　the　people　are

pretty　nearly　or　quite　unanimous。　　In　regard　to　the　difficulties　that

confront　us　at　this　time；　and　of　which　you　have　seen　fit　to　speak　so

becomingly　and　so　justly；　I　can　only　say　I　agree　with　the　sentiments

expressed。　　In　my　devotion　to　the　Union　I　hope　I　am　behind　no　man　in

the　nation。　　As　to　my　wisdom　in　conducting　affairs　so　as　to　tend　to

the　preservation　of　the　Union；　I　fear　too　great　confidence　may　have

been　placed　in　me。　　I　am　sure　I　bring　a　heart　devoted　to　the　work。

There　is　nothing　that　could　ever　bring　me　to　consentwillingly　to

consentto　the　destruction　of　this　Union　（in　which　not　only　the

great　city　of　New　York；　but　the　whole　country；　has　acquired　its

greatness）；　unless　it　would　be　that　thing　for　which　the　Union　itself

was　made。　　I　understand　that　the　ship　is　made　for　the　carrying　and

preservation　of　the　cargo；　and　so　long　as　the　ship　is　safe　with　the

cargo；　it　shall　not　be　abandoned。　　This　Union　shall　never　be

abandoned；　unless　the　possibility　of　its　existence　shall　cease　to

exist　without　the　necessity　of　throwing　passengers　and　cargo

overboard。　　So　long；　then；　as　it　is　possible　that　the　prosperity　and

liberties　of　this　people　can　be　preserved　within　this　Union；　it　shall

be　my　purpose　at　all　tunes　to　preserve　it。　　And　now；　Mr。　Mayor；

renewing　my　thanks　for　this　cordial　reception；　allow　me　to　come　to　a

close。









ADDRESS　AT　JERSEY　CITY；　NEW　JERSEY



FEBRUARY　21；　1860



MR。　DAYTON　AND　GENTLEMEN　OF　THE　STATE　OF　NEW　JERSEY：I　shall　only

thank　you　briefly　for　this　very　kind　reception　given　me；　not

personally；　but　as　the　temporary　representative　of　the　majesty　of　the

nation。　　To　the　kindness　of　your　hearts；　and　of　the　hearts　of　your

brethren　in　your　State；　I　should　be　very　proud　to　respond；　but　I

shall　not　have　strength　to　address　you　or　other　assemblages　at

length；　even　if　I　had　the　time　to　do　so。　　I　appear　before　you；

therefore；　for　little　else　than　to　greet　you；　and　to　briefly　say

farewell。　You　have　done　me　the　very　high　honor　to　present　your

reception　courtesies　to　me　through　your　great　man　a　man　with　whom　it

is　an　honor　to　be　associated　anywhere；　and　in　owning　whom　no　State

can　be　poor。　　He　has　said　enough；　and　by　the　saying　of　it　suggested

enough；　to　require　a　response　of　an　hour；　well　considered。　　I　could

not　in　an　hour　make　a　worthy　response　to　it。　　I　therefore；　ladies　and

gentlemen　of　New　Jersey；　content　myself　with　saying；　most　heartily　do

I　indorse　all　the　sentiments　he　has　expressed。　　Allow　me；　most

gratefully；　to　bid　you　farewell。









REPLY　TO　THE　MAYOR　OF　NEWARK；　NEW　JERSEY；



FEBRUARY　21；　1861。



MR。　MAYOR：I　thank　you　for　this　reception　at　the　city　of　Newark。

With　regard　to　the　great　work　of　which　you　speak；　I　will　say　that　I

bring　to　it　a　heart　filled　with　love　for　my　country；　and　an　honest

desire　to　do　what　is　right。　　I　am　sure；　however；　that　I　have　not　the

ability　to　do　anything　unaided　of　God；　and　that　without　His　support

and　that　of　this　free；　happy；　prosperous；　and　intelligent　people；　no

man　can　succeed　in　doing　that　the　importance　of　which　we　all

comprehend。　　Again　thanking　you　for　the　reception　you　have　given　me；

I　will　now　bid　you　farewell；　and　proceed　upon　my　journey。









ADDRESS　IN　TRENTON　AT　THE　TRENTON　HOUSE；



FEBRUARY　21；　1861



I　have　been　invited　by　your　representatives　to　the　Legislature　to

visit　this　the　capital　of　your　honored　State；　and　in　acknowledging

their　kind　invitation；　compelled　to　respond　to　the　welcome　of　the

presiding　officers　of　each　body；　and　I　suppose　they　intended　I　should

speak　to　you　through　them；　as　they　are　the　representatives　of　all　of

you；　and　if　I　were　to　speak　again　here；　I　should　only　have　to　repeat

in　a　great　measure　much　that　I　have　said；　which　would　be　disgusting

to　my　friends　around　me　who　have　met　here。　　I　have　no　speech　to　make；

but　merely　appear　to　see　you　and　let　you　look　at　me；　and　as　to　the

latter　I　think　I　have　greatly　the　best　of　the　bargain。　　My　friends；

allow　me　to　bid　you　farewell。









ADDRESS　TO　THE　SENATE　OF　NEW　JERSEY



FEBRUARY　21；　1861



MR。　PRESIDENT　AND　GENTLEMEN　OF　THE　SENATE　OF　THE　STATE　OF　NEW

JERSEY：I　am　very　grateful　to　you　for　the　honorable　reception　of

which　I　have　been　the　object。　　I　cannot　but　remember　the　place　that

New　Jersey　holds　in　our　early　history。　　In　the　Revolutionary　struggle

few　of　the　States　among　the　Old　Thirteen　had　more　of　the　battle…

fields　of　the　country　within　their　limits　than　New　Jersey。　May　I　be

pardoned　if；　upon　this　occasion；　I　mention　that　away　back　in　my

childhood；　the　earliest　days　of　my　being　able　to　read；　I　got　hold　of

a　small　book；　such　a　one　as　few　of　the　younger　members　have　ever　seen

Weems's　Life　of　Washington。　　I　remember　all　the　accounts　there　given

of　the　battle…fields　and　struggles　for　the　liberties　of　the　country；

and　none　fixed　themselves　upon　my　imagination　so　deeply　as　the

struggle　here　at　Trenton；　New　Jersey。　　The　crossing　of　the　river；　the

contest　with　the　Hessians；　the　great　hardships　endured　at　that　time；

all　fixed　themselves　on　my　memory　more　than　any　single　Revolutionary

event；　and　you　all　know；　for　you　have　all　been　boys；　how　these　early

impressions　last　longer　than　any　others。　　I　recollect　thinking　then；

boy　even　though　I　was；　that　there　must　have　been　something　more　than

common　that　these　men　struggled　for。　　I　am　exceedingly　anxious　that

that　thing　that　something　even　more　than　national　independence；　that

something　that　held　out　a　great　promise　to　all　the　people　of　the

world　to　all　time　to　comeI　am　exceedingly　anxious　that　this　Union；

the　Constitution；　and　the　liberties　of　the　people　shall　be

perpetuated　in　accordance　with　the　original