REPLY TO A DELEGATION FROM THE UNION LEAGUE AFTER HIS RENOMINATION. June 9, 1864. I CAN only say in response to the kind remarks of your chairman, that I am very grateful for the renewed confidence which has been accorded to me, both by the convention and by the National League. I am not insensible at all to the personal compliment there is in this, and yet I do not allow myself to believe that any but a small portion of it is to be appropriated as a personal compliment to me. The convention and the nation, I am assured, are alike animated by a higher view of the interests of the country for the present and the great future; and the part I am entitled to appropriate as a compliment is only that part which I may lay hold of as being the opinion of the convention and of the League, that I am not entirely unworthy to be entrusted with the place which I have occupied for the last three years. I have not permitted myself to conclude that I am the best man in America; but I am reminded in this connection of a story of an old Dutch farmer who remarked to a companion that "it is not best to swap horses while crossing the stream." FROM HIS ADDRESS AT A FAIR OF THE SANITARY COMMISSION IN PHILADELPHIA. June 16, 1864. Yet the war continues, and several relieving coincidents have accompanied it from the beginning, which have not been known, as I understand or have any knowledge of, in any former wars in the history of the world. The Sanitary Commission with all its benevolent labours ; the Christian Commission with all its Christian and benevolent labours; and the various places, arrangements, and institutions have contributed to the comfort and relief of the soldiers. . . The motive and object that lie at the bottom of all these are most worthy; for, say what you will, after all, the most is due to the soldier who takes his life in his hands and goes to fight the battles of his country. . . "It is a pertinent question, often asked in the . mind privately, and from one to the other, when is this war to end? Surely I feel as deep an interest in this question as any other can; but I do not wish to name a day, a month, or a year when it is to end. I do not wish to run any risk of seeing the time come without our being ready for the end, for fear of disappointment because the time had come and not the end. We accepted this war for an object, a worthy object, and the war will end when that object is attained. Under God, I hope it never will end until that time. Speaking of the present campaign, General Grant is reported to have said, "I am going through on this line if it takes all summer." This war has taken three years; it was begun or accepted upon the line of restoring the national authority over the whole national domain; and for the American people, as far as my knowledge enables me to speak, I say we are going through on this line if it takes three years more! "My friends, I did not know but that I might be called upon to say a few words before I got away from here, but I did not know it was coming just here. I have never been in the habit of making predictions in regard to the war, but I am almost tempted to make one. If I were to hazard it, it is this: that Grant is this evening, with General Meade and General Hancock and the brave officers and soldiers with him, in a position from whence he will never be dislodged until Richmond is taken; and I have but one single proposition to put now, and perhaps I can best put it in the form of an interrogative. If I shall discover that General Grant and the noble officers and men under him can be greatly facilitated in their work by a sudden pouring forward of men and assistance, will you give them to me? Are you ready to march? [Cries of, Yes!] Then I say, stand ready, for I am watching for the chance." REMARKS TO THE 164th OHIO REGIMENT. 66 . . There is more involved in this contest than is realised by every one. There is involved in this struggle the question whether your children and my children shall enjoy the privileges we have enjoyed. I say this in order to impress upon you, if you are not already so impressed, that no small matter should divert us from our great purpose. "There may be some inequalities in the practical application of our system. It is fair that each man shall pay taxes in exact proportion to the value of his property; but if we should wait, before collecting a tax, to adjust the taxes upon each man in exact proportion with every other man, we should never collect any tax at all. There may be mistakes made sometimes; things may be done wrong, while the officers of the government do all they can to prevent mistakes. But I beg of you as citizens of this great Republic, not to let your minds be carried off from this great work we have before us. This struggle is too large for you to be diverted from it by any small matter. When you return to your homes, rise up to the height of a generation of men worthy of a free government, and we will carry out the great work we have commenced." ten HIS LETTER TO MRS. ELIZA P. GURNEY. MY ESTEEMED FRIEND, I have not forgot probably never shall forget the very impressive occasion when yourself and friends visited me on a Sabbath forenoon, two years ago. Nor has your kind letter, written nearly a year later, ever been forgotten. In all, it has been your purpose to strengthen my reliance on God. I am much indebted to the good Christian people of the country for their constant prayers and consolations; and to ho one of them more than to yourself. The purposes of the Almighty are perfect, and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance. We hoped for a happy termination of this terrible |