ave 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 in--for 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 j