friends of the South. Much enlightenment may be gained in
five minutes. Be seated, I beg you--if Mr. Seward will allow us.

_Seward_: By all means. Shall I leave you?

_Lincoln_: Leave us--but why? I may want your support, Mr. Secretary,
if we should not wholly agree. Be seated, gentlemen.

SEWARD _places a chair for_ LINCOLN, _and they sit at the table_.

You have messages for us?

_White_: Well, no, we can't say that.

_Lincoln_: No messages? Perhaps I am inquisitive?

_Seward_: These gentlemen are anxious to sound any moderating
influences.

_Lincoln_: I trust they bring moderating influences with them. You
will find me a ready listener, gentlemen.

_Jennings_: It's a delicate matter, Mr. Lincoln. Ours is just an
informal visit.

_Lincoln_: Quite, quite. But we shall lose nothing by knowing each
other's minds.

_White_: Shall we tell the President what we came to say, Mr. Seward?

_Lincoln_: I shall be grateful. If I should fail to understand, Mr.
Seward, no doubt, will enlighten me.

_Jennings_: We thought it hardly worth while to trouble you at so
early a stage.

_Lincoln_: So early a stage of what?

_Jennings_: I mean--

_Seward_: These gentlemen, in a common anxiety for peace, were merely
seeking the best channel through which suggestions could be made.

_Lincoln_: To whom?

_Seward_: To the government.

_Lincoln_: The head of the government is here.

_White_: But--

_Lincoln_: Come, gentlemen. What is it?

_Jennings_: It's this matter of Fort Sumter, Mr. President. If you
withdraw your garrison from Fort Sumter it won't be looked upon as
weakness in you. It will merely be looked upon as a concession to a
natural privilege. We believe that the South at heart does not want
secession. It wants to establish the right to decide for itself.

_Lincoln_: The South wants the stamp of national approval upon
slavery. It can't have it.

_White_: Surely that's not the point. There's no law in the South
against slavery.

_Lincoln_: Laws come from opinion, Mr. White. The South knows it.

_Jennings_: Mr. President, if I may say so, you don't quite
understand.

_Lincoln_: Does Mr. Seward understand?

_White_: We believe so.

_Lincoln_: You are wrong. He doesn't understand, because you didn't
mean him to. I don't blame you. You think you are acting for the best.
You think you've got an honest case. But I'll put your case for you,
and I'll put it naked. Many people in this country want aboli