acific, and its development
has scarcely commenced. During the war, when we were adding a couple of
millions of dollars every day to our national debt, I did not care about
encouraging the increase in the volume of our precious metals. We had the
country to save first. But now that the rebellion is overthrown, and we
know pretty nearly the amount of our national debt, the more gold and
silver we mine, we make the payment of that debt so much the easier.
"Now," said he, speaking with more emphasis, "I am going to encourage that
in every possible way. We shall have hundreds of thousands of disbanded
soldiers, and many have feared that their return home in such great
numbers might paralyze industry, by furnishing, suddenly, a greater supply
of labor than there will be demand for. I am going to try to attract them
to the hidden wealth of our mountain ranges, where there is room enough
for all. Immigration, which even the war has not stopped, will land upon
our shores hundreds of thousands more per year from overcrowded Europe.
I intend to point them to the gold and silver that wait for them in the
West. Tell the miners for me, that I shall promote their interests to the
utmost of my ability; because their prosperity is the prosperity of the
nation; and," said he, his eye kindling with enthusiasm, "we shall prove,
in a very few years, that we are indeed the treasury of the world."

TO GENERAL VAN ALLEN.

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, April 14, 1865

GENERAL VAN ALLEN:

I intend to adopt the advice of my friends and use due precaution....
I thank you for the assurance you give me that I shall be supported by
conservative men like yourself, in the efforts I may make to restore the
Union, so as to make it, to use your language, a Union of hearts and hands
as well as of States.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.

LINCOLN'S LAST WRITTEN WORDS

Allow Mr. Ashmer and friend to come in at 9 A.M. to-morrow.

A. LINCOLN. April 14, 1865

End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of The Papers And Writings Of Abraham
Lincoln, Volume Seven, by Abraham Lincoln

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