TO MR. FESSENDEN, URGING HIM TO ACCEPT THE APPOINTMENT OF SECRETARY OF THE TREAS URY ON THE RESIGNATION 1864. "I do not think you have any right to tell me you will not take the place. I believe that the suppression of the rebellion has been decreed by a higher power than any represented by us, and that the Almighty is using his own means to that end. You are one of them. is as much your duty to accept as it is mine to appoint." It REPLY TO MR. CHITTENDEN, CONVER SATIONALLY, 1864. "That the Almighty does make use of human agencies and directly intervenes in human affairs, is one of the plainest statements of the Bible. I have had so many evidences of His direction, so many in stances when I have been controlled by some other power than my own will, that I cannot doubt that this power comes from above. I frequently see my way clear to a decision when I am conscious that I have no sufficient facts upon which to found it. But I cannot recall one instance in which I have followed my own judgment, founded upon such a decision, where the results have been unsatisfactory; whereas, in almost every instance where I have yielded to the views of others, I have had occasion to regret it. I am satisfied that when the Almighty wants me to do or not to do a particular thing he finds a way of letting me know it." REPLY TO A LADY FROM TENNESSEE, AUTUMN, 1864. "You say your husband is a re ligious man; tell him, when you meet him, that I say I am not much of a judge of religion, but that, in my opinion, the religion that sets men to fight and rebel against this government, because, as they think, that government does not sufficiently help some men to eat their bread on the sweat of other men's faces, is not the sort of religion upon which people can get to Heaven." SPEECH AT A SERENADE, NOV. 9, 1864, ON OCCASION OF HIS SECOND ELEC TION TO THE PRESIDENCY. "I do not impugn the motives of any one opposed to me. It is no pleasure to me to triumph over any one, but I give thanks to the Almighty for the evidence of the people's resolution to stand by free government and the rights of humanity." TO MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL SYNOD OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCH, AUGUST, 1864. "In taking up the sword thus forced into our hands, this government appealed to the prayers of the pious and the good, and declared that it placed its whole dependence upon the favor of God. I now humbly and reverently, in your presence, reiterate the acknowledgment of that dependence." RESPONSE TO SERENADE AT WASHINGTON, MAY 13, 1864. "I will volunteer to say that I am very glad at what has happened, but there is a great deal yet to be done. While we are grateful to all the brave men and officers for the events of the past few days, we should, above all, be very grateful to Almighty God, who gives us vic tory." LETTER TO MRS. ELIZA SEPT. 30, 1864. P. GURNEY, "The purposes of the Almighty are perfect and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to perceive them in advance. We hoped for a happy termination of this terrible war, long before this; but God knows best and has ruled otherwise. We shall yet acknowledge His wisdom and our own errors therein; meanwhile we must work earnestly, in the best light He gives us, trusting that so working still conduces to the great end He ordains. Surely He intends some great good to follow this mighty convulsion which no mortal could make, and no mortal hand could stay. For those appealing to me on conscientious grounds, I have done and shall do the best I could and can in my own conscience under my oath to the law." |