Executive Mansion, Washington, August 22, 1862.
Hon. Horace Greeley:
Dear Sir: I have just read yours of the 19th, addressed to myself
through the N. Y. _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 is _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 colored
race, I do because I believe it helps to save this 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 when 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. Yours,