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To the Senate1Jump to section
To the Senate of the United States. I have received a copy of a resolution of the Senate passed on the 25th instant requesting me, if in my opinion not incompatible with the public interest to communicate to the Senate the despatches of Major Robert Anderson to the War Department during the time he has been in command at Fort Sumter.
On examining the correspondence thus called for I have with the highest respect for the Senate come to the conclusion that at the present moment the publication of it would be inexpedient.
Washington, 26th. March, 1861. [ABRAHAM LINCOLN.]
Annotation
[1] Copy, DLC-RTL. Labeled ``(Copy)'' in Lincoln's autograph, the document is otherwise in Seward's handwriting and is without signature. The original has not been found, and the text does not appear in the Senate Executive Journal. The Congressional Globe, March 29, 1861, prints the same text as in the copy, under proceedings of March 27, 1861 (p. 1512). The text printed by Nicolay and Hay (VI, 225-26) contains minor verbal variations (``the resolution,'' ``of Fort Sumter,'' ``On examination of''), which may represent the wording of the original.