the writings-6-第43章

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occasional　questions　with　General　Herran　as　the　minister

plenipotentiary　and　envoy　extraordinary　of　the　Granadian　Confederacy；

but　in　no　other　character。　No　definitive　measure　or　proceeding　has

resulted　from　these　communications；　and　a　communication　of　them　at

present　would　not；　in　my　judgment；　be　compatible　with　the　public

interest。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









TO　SECRETARY　OF　WAR。



WASHINGTON；　January　15；　1863。



SECRETARY　OF　WAR：



Please　see　Mr。　Stafford；　who　wants　to　assist　in　raising　colored

troops　in　Missouri。



A。　LINCOLN。









PRINTING　MONEY



MESSAGE　TO　CONGRESS。



January　17；　1863。



TO　THE　SENATE　AND　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES：



I　have　signed　the　joint　resolution　to　provide　for　the　immediate

payment　of　the　army　and　navy　of　the　United　States；　passed　by　the

House　of　Representatives　on　the　14th　and　by　the　Senate　on　the　15th

instant。



The　joint　resolution　is　a　simple　authority；　amounting；　however；　under

existing　circumstances；　to　a　direction；　to　the　Secretary　of　the

Treasury　to　make　an　additional　issue　of　100；000；000　in　United　States

notes；　if　so　much　money　is　needed；　for　the　payment　of　the　army　and

navy。



My　approval　is　given　in　order　that　every　possible　facility　may　be

afforded　for　the　prompt　discharge　of　all　arrears　of　pay　due　to　our

soldiers　and　our　sailors。



While　giving　this　approval；　however；　I　think　it　my　duty　to　express　my

sincere　regret　that　it　has　been　found　necessary　to　authorize　so　large

an　additional　issue　of　United　States　notes；　when　this　circulation　and

that　of　the　suspended　banks　together　have　become　already　so　redundant

as　to　increase　prices　beyond　real　values；　thereby　augmenting　the　cost

of　living　to　the　injury　of　labor；　and　the　cost　of　supplies　to　the

injury　of　the　whole　country。



It　seems　very　plain　that　continued　issues　of　United　States　notes

without　any　check　to　the　issues　of　suspended　banks；　and　without

adequate　provision　for　the　raising　of　money　by　loans　and　for　funding

the　issues　so　as　to　keep　them　within　due　limits；　must　soon　produce

disastrous　consequences；　and　this　matter　appears　to　me　so　important

that　I　feel　bound　to　avail　myself　of　this　occasion　to　ask　the　special

attention　of　Congress　to　it。



That　Congress　has　power　to　regulate　the　currency　of　the　country　can

hardly　admit　of　doubt；　and　that　a　judicious　measure　to　prevent　the

deterioration　of　this　currency；　by　a　seasonable　taxation　of　bank

circulation　or　otherwise；　is　needed　seems　equally　clear。

Independently　of　this　general　consideration；　it　would　be　unjust　to

the　people　at　large　to　exempt　banks　enjoying　the　special　privilege　of

circulation　from　their　just　proportion　of　the　public　burdens。



In　order　to　raise　money　by　way　of　loans　most　easily　and　cheaply；　it

is　clearly　necessary　to　give　every　possible　support　to　the　public

credit。　　To　that　end　a　uniform　currency；　in　which　taxes；

subscriptions　to　loans；　and　all　other　ordinary　public　dues　as　well　as

all　private　dues　may　be　paid；　is　almost　if　not　quite　indispensable。

Such　a　currency　can　be　furnished　by　banking　associations　organized

under　a　general　act　of　Congress；　as　suggested　in　my　message　at　the

beginning　of　the　present　session。　　The　securing　of　this　circulation

by　the　pledge　of　United　States　bonds；　as　therein　suggested；　would

still　further　facilitate　loans；　by　increasing　the　present　and　causing

a　future　demand　for　such　bonds。



In　view　of　the　actual　financial　embarrassments　of　the　government；　and

of　the　greater　embarrassment　sure　to　come　if　the　necessary　means　of

relief　be　not　afforded；　I　feel　that　I　should　not　perform　my　duty　by　a

simple　announcement　of　my　approval　of　the　joint　resolution；　which

proposes　relief　only　by　increased　circulation；　without　expressing　my

earnest　desire　that　measures　such　in　substance　as　those　I　have　just

referred　to　may　receive　the　early　sanction　of　Congress。　　By　such

measures；　in　my　opinion；　will　payment　be　most　certainly　secured；　not

only　to　the　army　and　navy；　but　to　all　honest　creditors　of　the

government；　and　satisfactory　provision　made　for　future　demands　on　the

treasury。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









TO　THE　WORKING…MEN　OF　MANCHESTER；　ENGLAND。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；

January；　1863。



TO　THE　WORKING…MEN　OF　MANCHESTER：



I　have　the　honor　to　acknowledge　the　receipt　of　the　address　and

resolutions　which　you　sent　me　on　the　eve　of　the　new　year。　　When　I

came；　on　the　4th　of　March；　1861；　through　a　free　and　constitutional

election　to　fireside　in　the　Government　of　the　United　States；　the

country　was　found　at　the　verge　of　civil　war。　　Whatever　might　have

been　the　cause；　or　whosesoever　the　fault；　one　duty；　paramount　to　all

others；　was　before　me；　namely；　to　maintain　and　preserve　at　once　the

Constitution　and　the　integrity　of　the　Federal　Republic。

A　conscientious　purpose　to　perform　this　duty　is　the　key　to　all　the

measures　of　administration　which　have　been　and　to　all　which　will

hereafter　be　pursued。　　Under　our　frame　of　government　and　my　official

oath；　I　could　not　depart　from　this　purpose　if　I　would。　　It　is　not

always　in　the　power　of　governments　to　enlarge　or　restrict　the　scope

of　moral　results　which　follow　the　policies　that　they　may　deem　it

necessary　for　the　public　safety　from　time　to　time　to　adopt。



I　have　understood　well　that　the　duty　of　self…preservation　rests

solely　with　the　American　people；　but　I　have　at　the　same　time　been

aware　that　favor　or　disfavor　of　foreign　nations　might　have　a　material

influence　in　enlarging　or　prolonging　the　struggle　with　disloyal　men

in　which　the　country　is　engaged。　　A　fair　examination　of　history　has

served　to　authorize　a　belief　that　the　past　actions　and　influences　of

the　United　States　were　generally　regarded　as　having　been　beneficial

toward　mankind。　　I　have；　therefore；　reckoned　upon　the　forbearance　of

nations。　　Circumstancesto　some　of　which　you　kindly　alludeinduce

me　especially　to　expect　that　if　justice　and　good　faith　should　be

practised　by　the　United　States；　they　would　encounter　no　hostile

influence　on　the　part　of　Great　Britain。　　It　is　now　a　pleasant　duty　to

acknowledge　the　demonstration　you　have　given　of　your　desire　that　a

spirit　of　amity　and　peace　toward　this　country　may　prevail　in　the

councils　of　your　Queen；　who　is　respected　and　esteemed　in　your　own

country　only　more　than　she　is　by　the　kindred　nation　which　has　its

home　on　this　side　of　the　Atlantic。



I　know　and　deeply　deplore　the　sufferings　which　the　workingmen　at

Manchester；　and　in　all　Europe；　are　called　to　endure　in　this　crisis。

It　has　been　often　and　studiously　represented　that　the　attempt　to

overthrow　this　government；　which　was　built　upon　the　foundation　of

human　rights；　and　to　substitute　for　it　one　which　should　rest

exclusively　on　the　basis　of　human　slavery；　was　likely　to　obtain　the

favor　of　Europe。　　Through　the　action　of　our　disloyal　citizens；　the

working…men　of　Europe　have　been　subjected　to　severe　trials；　for　the

purpose　of　forcing　their　sanction　to　that　attempt。　　Under　the

circumstance；　I　cannot　but　regard　your　decisive　utterances　upon　the

question　as　an　instance　of　sublime　Christian　heroism　which　has　not

been　surpassed　in　any　age　or　in　any　country。　　It　is　indeed　an

energetic　and　inspiring　assurance　of　the　inherent　power　of　truth　and

of　the　ultimate　and　universal　triumph　of　justice；　humanity；　and

freedom。　　I　do　not　doubt　that　the　sentiments；　you　have　expressed　will

be　sustained　by　your　great　nation；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　I　have　no

hesitation　in　assuring　you　that　they　will　excite　admiration；　esteem；

and　the　most　reciprocal　feelings　of　friendship　among　the　American

people。



I　hail　this　interchange　of　sentiment；　therefore；　as　an　augury　that

whatever　else　may　happen；　whatever　misfortune　may　befall　your　country

or　my　own；　the　peace　and　friendship　which　now　exist　between　the　two

nations　will　be；　as　it　shall　be　my　desire　to　make　them；　perpetual。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









MESSAGE　TO　CONGRESS。



WASHINGTON；