DECEMBER 6, 1864:
President Lincoln delivers his fourth State of
The Union Address. As was the tradition of the time, it was submitted as a report,
not as a speech, to Congress. And as with many 19th Century writings
it is long and convoluted and lacks much of the fire of Lincoln’s famous remarks.
However, some echoes of the Second Inaugural can be heard. What is most
interesting is Lincoln’s lengthy disquisition on foreign affairs --- it is
often forgotten that besides being the Civil
War President he was also the
President, and concerned with issues of foreign trade, U.S. international
prestige, and the expansion of American influence, right down to discussions
about an isthmian canal in Central America.
It
reads in part:
Fellow-Citizens of the
Senate and House of Representatives:
Again the blessings of
health and abundant harvests claim our profoundest gratitude to Almighty God.
The condition of our
foreign affairs is reasonably satisfactory.
Mexico continues to be a
theater of civil war. While our political relations with that country have
undergone no change, we have at the same time strictly maintained neutrality
between the belligerents.
At the request of the
States of Costa Rica and Nicaragua a competent engineer has been authorized to
make a survey of the river San Juan and . . . [i]t is a source of much satisfaction that . .
. the interoceanic transit route .
. . is a good prospect . . . We
could not exaggerate either the commercial or the political importance of that
great improvement.
It would be doing
injustice to an important South American State not to acknowledge the
directness, frankness, and cordiality with which the United States of Colombia
have entered into intimate relations with this Government . . . The new liberal constitution of Venezuela
having gone into effect . . . the Government under it has been recognized and
diplomatic intercourse with it has opened . . . Mutual payments have been made .
. . for the settlement of claims between the United States and Peru . . . Our
relations are of the most friendly nature with Chile, the Argentine Republic,
Bolivia, Costa Rica, Paraguay, San Salvador, and Hayti.
Official correspondence
has been freely opened with Liberia . . . [the United States should] furnish to the
Republic a gunboat . . . for the safety of that State against the native
African races . . .
The proposed overland
telegraph between America and Europe, by the way of Behrings Straits and
Asiatic Russia . . . has been undertaken, under very favorable circumstances .
. . I learn . . . that the noble design of a telegraphic communication between
. . . America and Great Britain has been renewed, with full expectation of its
early accomplishment . . .
Thus it is hoped that
with the return of domestic peace the country will be able to resume with
energy and advantage its former high career of commerce and civilization . . .'
[O]ur relations with
Egypt, as well as our relations with the Barbary Powers, are entirely
satisfactory.
The rebellion which has
so long been flagrant in China has at last been suppressed, with the
cooperating good offices of this Government and of the other Western commercial
States . . . [T]he friendship of Japan toward the United States [has only
increased] . . .
. . . I recommend that provision be made for
effectually preventing foreign slave traders from acquiring domicile and
facilities for their criminal occupation in our country.
. . . Disloyal emissaries
have been neither less assiduous nor more successful during the last year . . .
in their efforts . . . to embroil our country in foreign wars. Th[is] desire
and determination . . . [is] likely to continue to require[ ] the practice of
constant vigilance . . . on the part of the United States . . . In view of the
insecurity of life and property in the region adjacent to the Canadian border,
by reason of recent assaults and depredations committed by inimical and
desperate persons who are harbored there, it has been thought proper to give
notice that after the expiration of six months . . . the United States must
hold themselves at liberty to increase their naval armament upon the Lakes if .
. . necessary . . . I desire, however, to be understood while making this
statement that the colonial authorities of Canada are not deemed to be
intentionally unjust or unfriendly toward the United States . . .
The act passed at the
last session for the encouragement of immigration has . . . been put into
operation . . . I regard our immigrants as one of the principal replenishing
streams which are appointed by Providence to repair the ravages of internal war
and its wastes of national strength and health.
The financial affairs of
the Government have been successfully administered during the last year . . .
The receipts during the year from all sources . . . were $1,394,796,007.62, and
the . . . disbursements . . . were $1,298,056,101.89, leaving a balance . . . of
$96,739,905.73 . . .
. . . It is a subject of congratulation and
laudable pride to our countrymen that a Navy of such vast proportions has been
organized in so brief a period and conducted with so much efficiency and
success . . . [We have now] 671 vessels, carrying 4,610 guns, and of 510,396
tons . . .The total number of men at this time in the naval service, including
officers, is about 51,000 . . . I
cordially concur in the recommendation of the Secretary [of the Navy] as to the
propriety of creating the new rank of vice-admiral . . .
It is of noteworthy
interest that the steady expansion of population, improvement, and governmental
institutions over the new and unoccupied portions of our country have scarcely
been checked, much less impeded or destroyed, by our great civil war . . . {We
have admitted] the State of Nevada [to the Union, and t]he Territories of . . .
Idaho and Montana . . .
The great enterprise of
connecting the Atlantic with the Pacific States by railways and telegraph lines
has been entered upon with a vigor that gives assurance of success . . . The
route of the main line of the road has been definitely located for 100 miles
westward from the initial point at Omaha City, Nebr., and a preliminary
location of the Pacific Railroad of California has been made from Sacramento
eastward . . .
It was recommended in my
last annual message that our Indian system be remodeled . . . Much yet remains
to be done to provide for the proper [security of the frontier] . . . and to provide for the welfare of the Indian.
The liberal provisions
made by Congress for paying pensions to invalid soldiers and sailors of the
Republic and to the widows, orphans, and dependent mothers of those who have
fallen in battle or died of disease contracted or of wounds received in the
service of their country have been diligently administered . . . {T]he number of Revolutionary pensioners was .
. . 12 . . . soldiers, of whom 7 have
since died . . .
The war continues. Since
the last annual message all the important lines and positions then occupied by
our forces have been maintained and our arms have steadily advanced . . .
The most remarkable
feature in the military operations of the year is General Sherman's attempted
march of 300 miles directly through the insurgent region. It tends to show a
great increase of our relative strength that our General in Chief should feel
able to confront and hold in check every active force of the enemy, and yet to
detach a well-appointed large army to move on such an expedition. The result
not yet being known, conjecture in regard to it is not here indulged.
. . . 12,000 citizens in each of the States of
Arkansas and Louisiana have organized loyal State governments, with free
constitutions . . . Maryland presents the example of complete success. Maryland
is secure to liberty and union for all the future. The genius of rebellion will
no more claim Maryland . . .
At the last session of
Congress a proposed amendment of the Constitution abolishing slavery throughout
the United States passed the Senate, but failed . . . in the House of
Representatives. Although the present is the same Congress and nearly the same
members . . . I venture to recommend the reconsideration and passage of the
measure . . . It is the voice of the people now for the first time heard upon
the question. In a great national crisis like ours unanimity of action among
those seeking a common end is very desirable--almost indispensable . . .
. . . While it is melancholy to reflect that
the war has filled so many graves and carried mourning to so many hearts, it is
some relief to know that, compared with the surviving, the fallen have been so
few . . . [T]housands, white and black, join us as the national arms press back
the insurgent lines. . . . [W]e have more men now than we had when the war
began; that we are not exhausted nor in process of exhaustion; that we are
gaining strength and may if need be maintain the contest indefinitely. This as
to men. Material resources are now more complete and abundant than ever.
The national resources,
then, are unexhausted, and, as we believe, inexhaustible. The public purpose to
reestablish and maintain the national authority is unchanged, and, as we
believe, unchangeable. The manner of continuing the effort remains to choose.
On careful consideration of all the evidence accessible it seems to me that no
attempt at negotiation with the insurgent leader could result in any good. He
would accept nothing short of severance of the Union . . . It is an issue which
can only be tried by war and decided by victory. If we yield, we are beaten; if
the Southern people fail him, he is beaten. Either way it would be the victory
and defeat following war. What is true, however, of him who heads the insurgent
cause is not necessarily true of those who follow. Although he can not reaccept
the Union, they can. Some of them, we know, already desire peace and reunion.
The number of such may increase. They can at any moment have peace simply by
laying down their arms and submitting to the national authority under the
Constitution . . . If questions should remain, we would adjust them by the
peaceful means of legislation, conference, courts, and votes, operating only in
constitutional and lawful channels . . .
A year ago general pardon and amnesty, upon
specified terms, were offered to all except certain designated classes, and it
was at the same time made known that the excepted classes were still within
contemplation of special clemency. During the year many availed themselves of
the general provision . . . no voluntary application has been denied . . . It
is still so open to all . . . I mean simply to say that the war will cease on
the part of the Government whenever it shall have ceased on the part of those who
began it.
President
Lincoln's political nemesis, former Secretary of the Treasury, and nominee to succeed Roger B. Taney, Salmon P. Chase,
becomes Chief Justice of the United States.
