the writings-6- 第30部分

a　vote　of　thanks　of　Congress　for　the　eminent　skill　and　gallantry

exhibited　by　him　in　the　late　remarkable　battle　between　the　United

States　ironclad　steamer　Monitor；　under　his　command；　and　the　rebel

ironclad　steamer　Merrimac；　in　March　last。



The　thanks　of　Congress　for　his　services　on　the　occasion　referred　to

were　tendered　by　a　resolution　approved　July　11；　1862；　but　the

recommendation　is　now　specially　made　in　order　to　comply　with　the

requirements　of　the　ninth　section　of　the　act　of　July　16；　1862；　which

is　in　the　following　words；　viz。：



〃That　any　line　officer　of　the　navy　or　marine　corps　may　be　advanced

one　grade　if　upon　recommendation　of　the　President　by　name　he　receives

the　thanks　of　Congress　for　highly　distinguished　conduct　in　conflict

with　the　enemy　or　for　extraordinary　heroism　in　the　line　of　his

profession。〃



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









TO　GENERAL　S。　R。　CURTIS。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；



December　10；　1862。



MAJOR…GENERAL　CURTIS；　St。　　Louis；　Missouri：



Please　suspend；　until　further　order；　all　proceeding　on　the　order　made

by　General　Schofield；　on　the　twenty…eighth　day　of　August　last；　for

assessing　and　collecting　from　secessionists　and　Southern　sympathizers

the　sum　of　five　hundred　thousand　dollars；　etc。；　and　in　the　meantime

make　out　and　send　me　a　statement　of　facts　pertinent　to　the　question；

together　with　your　opinion　upon　it。



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　J。　K。　DUBOIS。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；



December　10；　1862。



Hon。　J。　K。　DuBois。



MY　DEAR　SIR：In　the　summer　of　1859；　when　Mr。　Freeman　visited

Springfield；　Illinois；　in　relation　to　the　McCallister　and　Stebbins

bonds　I　promised　him　that；　upon　certain　conditions；　I　would　ask

members　of　the　Legislature　to　give　him　a　full　and　fair　hearing　of　his

case。　I　do　not　now　remember；　nor　have　I　time　to　recall；　exactly　what

the　conditions　were；　nor　whether　they　were　completely　performed；　but

there　can　be　in　no　case　any　harm　＇in＇　his　having　a　full　and　fair

hearing；　and　I　sincerely　wish　it　may　be　given　him。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









MESSAGE　TO　THE　SENATE。



December　11；　1862。



TO　THE　SENATE　OF　THE　UNITED　STATES：



In　compliance　with　your　resolution　of　December　5；　1862；　requesting

the　President　〃to　furnish　the　Senate　with　all　information　in　his

possession　touching　the　late　Indian　barbarities　in　the　State　of

Minnesota；　and　also　the　evidence　in　his　possession　upon　which　some　of

the　principal　actors　and　head　men　were　tried　and　condemned　to　death；〃

I　have　the　honor　to　state　that　on　receipt　of　said　resolution；　I

transmitted　the　same　to　the　Secretary　of　the　Interior；　accompanied　by

a　note；　a　copy　of　which　is　herewith　inclosed；　marked　A；　and　in

response　to　which　I　received；　through　that　department；　a　letter　of

the　Commissioner　of　Indian　Affairs；　a　copy　of　which　is　herewith

inclosed；　marked　B。



I　further　state　that　on　the　eighth　day　of　November　last　I　received　a

long　telegraphic　despatch　from　Major…General　Pope；　at　St。　　Paul；

Minnesota；　simply　announcing　the　names　of　the　persons　sentenced　to　be

hanged。　　I　immediately　telegraphed　to　have　transcripts　of　the　records

in　all　cases　forwarded　to　me；　which　transcripts；　however；　did　not

reach　me　until　two　or　three　days　before　the　present　meeting　of

Congress。　　Meantime　I　received；　through　telegraphic　despatches　and

otherwise；　appeals　in　behalf　of　the　condemned；　appeals　for　their

execution；　and　expressions　of　opinion　as　to　the　proper　policy　in

regard　to　them　and　to　the　Indians　generally　in　that　vicinity；　none　of

which；　as　I　understand；　falls　within　the　scope　of　your　inquiry。

After　the　arrival　of　the　transcripts　of　records；　but　before　I　had

sufficient　opportunity　to　examine　them；　I　received　a　joint　letter

from　one　of　the　senators　and　two　of　the　representatives　from

Minnesota；　which　contains　some　statements　of　fact　not　found　in　the

records　of　the　trials；　and　for　which　reason　I　herewith　transmit　a

copy；　marked　C。　I　also；　for　the　same　reason；　inclose　a　printed

memorial　of　the　citizens　of　St。　　Paul；　addressed　to　me；　and　forwarded

with　the　letter　aforesaid。



Anxious　to　not　act　with　so　much　clemency　as　to　encourage　another

outbreak　on　the　one　hand；　nor　with　so　much　severity　as　to　be　real

cruelty　on　the　other；　I　caused　a　careful　examination　of　the　records

of　trials　to　be　made；　in　view　of　first　ordering　the　execution　of　such


as　had　been　proved　guilty　of　violating　females。　　Contrary　to　my

expectation；　only　two　of　this　class　were　found。　　I　then　directed　a

further　examination　and　a　classification　of　all　who　were　proven　to

have　participated　in　massacres；　as　distinguished　from　participation

in　battles。　　This　class　numbered　forty；　and　included　the　two

convicted　of　female　violation。　　One　of　the　number　is　strongly

recommended；　by　the　commission　which　tried　them；　for　commutation　to

ten　years　imprisonment　　I　have　ordered　the　other　thirty…nine　to　be

executed　on　Friday　the　19th　instant。　　The　order　was　despatched　from

here　on　Monday；　the　8th　instant；　by　a　messenger　to　General　Sibley；

and　a　copy　of　which　order　is　herewith　transmitted；　marked　D。



An　abstract　of　the　evidence　as　to　the　forty　is　herewith　inclosed；

marked　E。



To　avoid　the　immense　amount　of　copying；　I　lay　before　the　Senate　the

original　transcripts　of　the　records　of　trials；　as　received　by　me。



This　is　as　full　and　complete　a　response　to　the　resolution　as　it　is　in

my　power　to　make。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









MESSAGE　TO　CONGRESS。



December　12；　1862。



FELLOW…CITIZENS　OF　THE　SENATE　AND　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES：



I　have　in　my　possession　three　valuable　swords；　formerly　the　property

of　General　David　E。　Twiggs；　which　I　now　place　at　the　disposal　of

Congress。　　They　are　forwarded　to　me　from　New　Orleans　by　Major…General

Benjamin　F。　Butler。　　If　they　or　any　of　them　shall　be　by　Congress

disposed　of　in　reward　or　compliment　of　military　service；　I　think

General　Butler　is　entitled　to　the　first　consideration。　　A　copy　of　the

General's　letter　to　me　accompanying　the　swords　is　herewith

transmitted。



ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。









TO　FERNANDO　WOOD。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON

DECEMBER　12；　1862。



HON。　FERNANDO　WOOD。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Your　letter　of　the　8th；　with　the　accompanying　note　of

same　date；　was　received　yesterday。　　The　most　important　paragraph　in

the　letter；　as　I　consider；　is　in　these　words：

〃On　the　25th　of　November　last　I　was　advised　by　an　authority　which　I

deemed　likely　to　be　well　informed；　as　well　as　reliable　and　truthful；

that　the　Southern　States　would　send　representatives　to　the　next

Congress；　provided　that　a　full　and　general　amnesty　should　permit　them

to　do　so。　　No　guarantee　or　terms　were　asked　for　other　than　the

amnesty　referred　to。〃



I　strongly　suspect　your　information　will　prove　to　be　groundless；

nevertheless；　I　thank　you　for　communicating　it　to　me。　　Understanding

the　phrase　in　the　paragraph　just　quoted〃the　Southern　States　would

send　representatives　to　the　next　Congress〃to　be　substantially　the

same　as　that　〃the　people　of　the　Southern　States　would　cease

resistance；　and　would　reinaugurate；　submit　to；　and　maintain　the

national　authority　within　the　limits　of　such　States；　under　the

Constitution　of　the　United　States；〃　I　say　that　in　such　case　the　war

would　cease　on　the　part　of　the　United　States；　and　that　if　within　a

reasonable　time　〃a　full　and　general　amnesty〃　were　necessary　to　such

end；　it　would　not　be　withheld。



I　do　not　think　it　would　be　proper　now　to　communicate　this；　formally

or　informally；　to　the　people　of　the　Southern　States。　　My　belief　is

that　they　already　know　it；　and　when　they　choose；　if　ever；　they　can

communicate　with　me　unequivocally。　　Nor　do　I　think　it　proper　now　to

suspend　military　operations　to　try　any　experiment　of　negotiation



I　should　nevertheless　receive　with　great　pleasure　the　exact

information　you　now　have；　and　also　such　other　as　you　may　in　any　way

obtain。　　Such　information　might　be　more　valuable　before　the　1st　of

January　than　afterwards。



While　there　is　nothing　in　this　letter　which　I　shall　dread　to　see　in

history；　it　is；　perhaps；　better　for　the　present　that　its　existence

should　not　become　public。　　I　therefore　have　to　request　that　you　will

regard　it　as　confidential。



Your　obedient　servant；

A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　CURTIS。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　December　14；　1862



MAJOR…GENERAL　CURTIS；　St。　　Louis；　Missouri：



If　my　friend　Dr。　William　Fithian；　of　Danville；　Ill。；　should　call　on

YOU；　please　give　him　such　facilities　as　you　consistently　can　about

recovering　the　remains　of　a　step…son；　and　matters　connected

therewith。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　H。　H。　SIBLEY。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　December　16；　1862。



BRIG。　GEN。　H。　H。　SIBLEY；　Saint　Paul；　Minn。：



As　you　suggest；　let　the　executions　fixed　for　Friday　the　19th　instant

be　postponed　to；　and　be　done　on；　Friday　the　26th　instant。



A。　LINCOLN。

（Private。）

Operator　please　send　this　very　carefully　and　accurately。　　A。　L。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　CURTIS。



EXECUTIVE　MANSION；　WASHINGTON；　December　16；　1862。



MAJOR…GENERAL　CURTIS；　Saint　Louis；　Missouri：



N。　W。　Watkins；　of　Jackson；　Mo。；　（who　is　half　brother　to　Henry　Clay）；

writes　me　that　a　colonel　of　ours　has　driven　him　from　his　home　at

Jackson。　　Will　you　please　look　into　the　case　and　restore　the　old　man

to　his　home　if　the　public　interest　will　admit？



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM　TO　GENERAL　BURNSIDE。



WAR　DEPARTMENT；　WASHINGTON　CITY；　D。　C。；

December　16；　1862。



MAJOR…GENERAL　BURNSIDE；　Falmouth：



Your　despatch　about　General　Stahel　is　received。　Please　ascertain　from

General　Sigel　and　his　old　corps　whether　Stahel　or　Schurz　is

preferable　and　telegraph　the　result；　and　I　will　act　immediately。

After　all　I　shall　be　governed　by　your　preference。



A。　LINCOLN。









TELEGRAM