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    A. Lincoln Letter To Horace Greely (8!22!1862)

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    will27ns
    Lincoln letter to Greely: Aug. 22, 1862

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    A. Lincoln Letter To Horace Greely (8!22!1862)

    Uploaded by

    will27ns
    8 views2 pages
    Lincoln letter to Greely: Aug. 22, 1862

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    A. Lincoln Letter to Horace Greely (8!22!1862)

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    Lincoln letter to Greely: Aug. 22, 1862

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    8 views2 pages

    A. Lincoln Letter To Horace Greely (8!22!1862)

    Uploaded by

    will27ns
    Lincoln letter to Greely: Aug. 22, 1862

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    You are on page 1of 2

    His Letter to Horace Greeley.

    August 22, 1862

    I have just read yours of the 19th instant, addressed to myself through the "New
    York Tribune."

    If there be in it any statements or assumptions of fact which I may know to be


    erroneous, I do not now and here controvert them.

    If there be in it any inferences which I may believe to be falsely drawn, I do not


    now and here argue against them.

    If there be perceptible in it an impatient and dictatorial tone, I waive it, in deference


    to an old friend 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 in the shortest way under the
    Constitution.

    The sooner the national authority can be restored, the nearer the Union will be,—the
    Union as it was.

    If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time
    save slavery, I do not agree with them.

    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 not either to save or
    to destroy slavery.

    If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; 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 coloured 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 that 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 where shown to be errors, and I shall adopt new views as
    fast as they shall appear to be true views.

    I have here stated my purpose according to my views of official duty, and I intend
    no modification of my oft-expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be
    free.

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