end, whose heart I have always supposed to be
right.

As to the policy I seem to be pursuing, as you say, I have
not meant to leave any one in doubt.

I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way
under the constitution. The sooner the national authority
can be restored, the nearer the Union will be the Union it
was.

* * * If there be those who would not save the Union,
unless they could at the same time _destroy slavery, I do
not agree with them_. My paramount object in this struggle
_is to save the Union, and is not either to save or to
destroy slavery_. If I could save the Union _without_
freeing _any_ slave _I would do it_, and if I could save it
by freeing _all_ the slaves I would do it; and if I could
save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would
also do that. _What I do about slavery and the colored race,
I do because I believe it helps to save the Union_; and what
I forbear I forbear because I do not believe it would help
to save the Union. I shall do _less_ whenever I shall
believe what I am doing hurts the cause, and I shall do
_more_ whenever I shall believe doing more will help the
cause. I shall try to correct errors when shown to be
errors, and I shall adopt new views so fast as they shall
appear to be true views.

I have here stated my purposes according to my view of
_official_ duty; and I intend no modification of my
oft-expressed _personal_ wish that all men, everywhere,
should be free.

Yours,
A. LINCOLN

Everything--humanity, justice, posterity--was placed upon the
sacrificial altar of the Union, and the slave-power was repeatedly and
earnestly invited to lay down its traitorous arms, be forgiven, and
keep its slaves. With Mr. Lincoln, as President, it was the Union,
first, last, and all the time. And he but echoed the prevailing
opinions of his time. I do not question or criticise his _personal_
attitude; but what he himself called his "view of official duty" was
to execute the will of the people, and that was _not_ to abolish
slavery, at that time.

As the politicians only took hold of the great question when they
thought it would advance their selfish interests, they were prepared
to abandon it or immolate it upon the altar of "expediency," when the
great clouds of