Annotation
[1] AD, first proof sheets with autograph revisions, second proof sheets, two copies, (1) with revisions by William H. Seward for the most part in the handwriting of Frederick W. Seward, (2) with Lincoln's final revisions, DLC-RTL. Although engrossed official copies of Lincoln's later Messages are in the National Archives, no official copy of the Message of July 4, 1861, has been found. The text reproduced here is that of the second proof containing Lincoln's final revisions, which, with the exception of minor changes in punctuation, are noted in the succeeding footnotes. Variants, emendations, and deletions made by Lincoln in the manuscript and on the first proof are also indicated in the footnotes. Minor inconsistencies in usage occurring in Lincoln's manuscript and autograph changes in the proof sheets have been made to conform with the printed proof, but Lincoln's paragraphing, punctuation and capitalization in the manuscript and autograph corrections have been retained in some cases even though not followed by the printers who set the proofs.
[2] The first paragraph revised to the present text in the manuscript, stood originally as follows: ``Having convened you on an extraordinary occasion as contemplated by the Constitution, I do not ask your attention to any ordinary subject of legislation. You will act on your own judgment and pleasure whether you will consider any such.''
[3] ``All'' standing in the manuscript and first proof, deleted at this point in the second proof by Seward. Deletion adopted by Lincoln.
[4] ``Entirely'' in the manuscript, changed by Seward in the second proof to ``generally.'' Adopted by Lincoln.
[5] ``Either beseiged or'' inserted by Seward in the second proof. Adopted by Lincoln.
[6] ``Perhaps ten'' inserted by Lincoln in the blank space which had stood from manuscript to second proof.
[7] ``Both in number and quality,'' in manuscript and first proof, deleted in second proof.
[8] ``Arms and ammunition,'' in the manuscript and first proof, deleted in second proof, and ``muskets and rifles'' inserted.
[9] ``These States'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed by Seward to ``them'' in second proof. Adopted by Lincoln.
[10] ``And'' in the manuscript and first proof, deleted at this point in the second proof by Seward. Deletion adopted by Lincoln.
[11] ``The officers'' in the manuscript and first proof; ``The'' deleted in the second proof by Seward. Deletion adopted by Lincoln.
[12] This sentence was slightly revised by Lincoln from Seward's suggestion in the second proof. The manuscript and first proof read as follows: ``Also the forms of establishing a federal government of these States, with departments, and provisions, similar to our own, had been gone through; and this supposed Federal government, under the name and style of `The Confederate States of America,' had assumed national independence, and was suing for it's recognition by the powers of the earth.''
[13] ``At the request of the executive,'' in the manuscript, replaced by ``On reflection,'' in first proof.
[14] ``Informed the executive,'' in the manuscript, replaced by ``stated,'' in first proof.
[15] The following sentence deleted from the manuscript at this point: ``In fact, General Scott advised that this should be done at once.''
[16] ``The executive,'' in the manuscript, changed to ``It was'' in first proof.
[17] ``Under the circumstances'' inserted by Seward and adopted by Lincoln in the second proof.
[18] ``Of independence,'' in the manuscript and first proof, deleted at this point by Seward. Deletion adopted by Lincoln.
[19] ``The administration hesitated.'' in the manuscript, changed in first proof to the sentence in the text.
[20] The portion in parentheses appears in the manuscript as a revision of the following: ``and of the existence of which the present administration had not been notified.''
[21] ``But starving'' changed in the manuscript to ``and hungry.''
[22] ``On that occasion'' inserted by Seward and adopted by Lincoln in the second proof.
[23] ``Aggress upon'' changed in the manuscript to ``assail.''
[24] ``Mystification'' changed in the manuscript to ``ingenious sophistry.''
[25] ``Constitutional republic, or a'' inserted in second proof.
[26] ``The administration had no choice left,'' in the manuscript, changed to the present text in first proof.
[27] ``Military power'' changed in the manuscript to ``war-power.''
[28] ``To the administration,'' in the manuscript, deleted at this point in first proof.
[29] ``Except patriotic Delaware'' inserted by Seward and ``except Delaware,'' adopted by Lincoln in second proof.
[30] ``Others'' inserted in second proof.
[31] ``United States service'' changed in the manuscript to ``government service.''
[32] ``In'' inserted in second proof.
[33] ``Were apparantly, quite against it,'' in the manuscript and first proof replaced in second proof with the conclusion of the sentence as reproduced here.
[34] ``Nearly all the'' changed in the manuscript to ``many.''
[35] ``They, however, submitted,'' in the manuscript, changed in first proof to ``Although they submitted.''
[36] ``Then'' in the manuscript, omitted in first proof, and inserted in the second proof.
[37] Period and new sentence beginning here in manuscript, changed in first proof to the present text.
[38] ``Was,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed in the second proof to ``were.''
[39] ``Confederate'' changed in the manuscript to ``seceded.''
[40] ``Confederate States of America,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed to ``Confederate States'' by Seward and adopted by Lincoln in second proof.
[41] The sentence ``Those citizens are Virginia,'' in the manuscript, changed in first proof to the sentence of the present text. Three additional sentences in Lincoln's autograph appear immediately following this sentence inserted at bottom of page ten of first proof, but were deleted in favor of the full paragraph autograph insertion (see note 42) at the same point. The deleted sentences are as follows: ``Suppose two respectable gentlemen, both of whom have sworn to support the constitution of the United States, shall each, at the same time, claim to be Governor of Virginia. Which of the two should this government recognize? Him who disregards, or him who keeps, his oath, in this respect?''
[42] This paragraph, not in the manuscript, occurs in first proof as an autograph page inserted.
[43] ``Consummated,'' in the autograph insertion in first proof, changed in the second proof to ``completed.''
[44] ``While they may not all be traitors who have favored it, the thing is, in fact, treason in disguise,'' in the autograph insertion in first proof, changed by Seward to the reading adopted by Lincoln in the second proof, Lincoln adding the word ``doubtless'' to Seward's revision. ``Treason'' is amended to ``very injurious'' in the Congressional Globe Appendix, which is followed by Nicolay and Hay, suggesting further revision before release for publication.
[45] Seward deleted, and Lincoln adopted in second proof, the sentence standing next in the manuscript and first proof, as follows: ``On more mature reflection, with observation on current events, it was [the administration] concluded that the measures adopted were inadequate to the occasion, both by reason of the very limited time the militia would be held to serve, and the general insufficiency of numbers in the regular land and naval forces.'' Lincoln had changed ``the administration concluded,'' appearing in the manuscript, to ``it was concluded'' in first proof.
[46] ``Accordingly another call was made for---volunteers,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed by Seward to the present reading adopted in the second proof.
[47] Two short paragraphs as revised in the manuscript and first proof are deleted at this point in the second proof by Seward. Deletion adopted by Lincoln.
They are as follows:
``Whether the proceedings in the nature of blockade, be technically a blockade, scarcely needs to be considered; since foreign nations only claim what we concede, that, as between them and us, the strict law of blockade shall apply.
``The attention of Congress is sought in aid of this means for suppressing the insurrection, as the one affording at once, the greatest efficiency, and least danger to life, of any at the control of the government.''
[48] ``I felt it my duty,'' in the manuscript, revised in first proof to ``it was considered a duty.''
[49] ``At my verbal request, as well as by the Generals own inclination, this authority has been exercised,'' in the manuscript, revised in first proof to ``This authority has purposely been exercised.''
[50] The remainder of this sentence, the next two sentences, and the beginning of the next, were revised in first proof to the present text. In the manuscript they are as follows: ``and I have been reminded from a high quarter that one who is sworn to `take care that the laws be faithfully executed' should not himself be one to violate them. [``So I think'' deleted in the manuscript.] Of course I gave some consideration to the questions of power, and propriety, before I acted in this matter. The whole of the laws which I was sworn to take care that they be faithfully executed, were being resisted, and failing to be executed, in nearly one third of the states. Must I have allowed them,'' etc.
[51] In the manuscript the remainder of this sentence originally read that ``more rogues than honest men find shelter under it, should, to a very limited extent, be violated?'' This was first revised to read as follows: ``that practically more of the guilty than [of] the innocent, find shelter under it,'' etc. The second revision on the manuscript stands in the first proof and thereafter, except for the insertion ``of'' in first proof as indicated in brackets.
[52] ``Violated,'' in the first proof, changed by Seward in the second proof to ``broken.'' Not adopted by Lincoln.
[53] This and the next two sentences inserted in first proof in Lincoln's autograph revised three sentences in the manuscript which read as follows: ``Even in such a case I should consider my official oath broken if I should allow the government to be overthrown, when I might think the disregarding the single law would tend to preserve it. But, in this case I was not, in my own judgment, driven to this ground. In my opinion I violated no law.''
[54] ``I decided,'' in the manuscript, revised to ``It was decided'' in first proof.
[55] ``Of habeas corpus,'' in the manuscript and first proof, deleted in second proof.
[56] ``Which I authorized,'' in the manuscript, revised to ``which was authorized,'' in first proof.
[57] ``Plainly was made'' in the manuscript, revised to ``was plainly made'' in first proof.
[58] ``I can not bring myself to believe that the framers of that instrument,'' in the manuscript, revised to the present text in first proof.
[59] ``That'' in first proof, deleted in second proof.
[60] This sentence is inserted in Lincoln's autograph in first proof, replacing the following, in the manuscript: ``I enter upon no more extended argument; as an opinion, at some length, will be presented by the Attorney General.''
[61] ``I submit,'' in the manuscript, revised to ``is submitted'' in first proof.
[62] The remainder of this sentence is inserted in second proof by Seward and adopted by Lincoln, with minor changes in punctuation, in place of the following in the manuscript and first proof: ``he finds no cause of complaint against the present course of any foreign power, upon this subject.''
[63] ``I now ask,'' in the manuscript, revised to ``It is now recommended'' in first proof.
[64] The remainder of this sentence is revised to its present text in the second proof from the following wording in the manuscript and first proof: ``that you authorize to be applied to the work at least --- hundred thousand men, and three hundred millions of dollars.'' Seward had inserted ``if necessary'' following ``work'' and ``4'' in the blank space. Lincoln adopted only the latter suggestion.
[65] ``Less than one twelfth,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed in second proof to ``about one tenth.''
[66] ``Apparently'' inserted in first proof.
[67] ``Thirtieth,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed in second proof to ``twentythird.''
[68] ``Are,'' in the manuscript, changed to ``seem'' in first proof.
[69] ``It will cost,'' in the manuscript and first proof at the end of this sentence, deleted in second proof.
[70] This sentence was inserted in the manuscript in place of the following: ``The War Department has great trouble to avoid receiving troops faster than it can provide them.'' Although Lincoln kept ``provide them'' in his revision, the printer made it ``provide for them,'' in second proof.
[71] ``Of'' not in the manuscript, but printed in first proof and kept in second proof.
[72] ``Morals'' in the manuscript changed to ``mind.''
[73] ``A single,'' in the manuscript, changed to ``an'' in first proof.
[74] ``Was, and,'' standing at this point in the manuscript and first proof, deleted in second proof. Italics in this sentence were added in first proof.
[75] ``The'' not in the manuscript, but is in first proof.
[76] ``Then'' in the manuscript, changed to ``at the time'' in three pages of manuscript revision which replaced page eighteen of the first proof.
[77] ``Of power'' appears in manuscript revision of first proof, but not in the original manuscript.
[78] ``I believe'' in the original manuscript, changed to ``is believed'' in the autograph revision of page eighteen in first proof.
[79] Four sentences beginning here are not in the manuscript but appear in the autograph revision of page eighteen of the first proof.
[80] ``It can only be against law, and by revolution,'' in the manuscript, changed to ``they can only do so, against law, and by revolution'' in autograph revision of page eighteen in first proof.
[81] This sentence and the next do not appear in the manuscript, but are in the autograph revision of page eighteen of first proof.
[82] The sentence appearing next in the manuscript pages inserted to replace page eighteen of first proof, is deleted in second proof: ``As states, the Union gave birth to them.'' This sentence was itself a revision of a longer sentence in the original manuscript: ``As states, they were born into the Union, not one of them, except Texas, ever having had a State Constitution, independent of the Union.''
[83] The remainder of this paragraph and the next paragraph are as revised in first proof. The manuscript version is as follows: ``Unquestionably they have the powers reserved to them by the constitution; but in those, are not included all conceiveable powers, however mischievous or destructive; but such only, as were known in the world, at the time, as governmental powers; and surely a power to destroy the government itself, was not intended to be among these. And if not intended, it has no existence.
``The right of revolution, is never a legal right. The very term implies the breaking, and not the abiding by, organic law. At most, it is but a moral right, when exercised for a morally justifiable cause. When exercised without such a cause revolution is no right, but simply a wicked exercise of physical power.''
[84] ``For them'' inserted in second proof.
[85] ``Those,'' in the manuscript pages replacing page eighteen in first proof, changed to ``these'' in second proof.
[86] ``I am combatting the position that secession is consistent with the constitution---is peaceful, and lawful,'' in the manuscript, revised to the present text in first proof.
[87] ``The creditors,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed to ``creditors'' in second proof.
[88] ``Are to'' in the manuscript, changed to ``can'' in first proof.
[89] ``In such case, shall we find any more lenders of money, however much we may need them?'' appearing at this point in the manuscript, deleted in first proof.
[90] The remainder of this sentence and the next two are revised in first proof and second proof to the present text. In the manuscript they appear as follows: ``they have departed from ours, in this respect, or they have not. If they have departed from ours, they thereby admit that ours ought to be as they have made theirs, cutting off the right of secession. If they have not departed from ours, by their own theoretic and practical construction of ours, which they copy in this respect, they show that they will secede from one another, whenever they shall find it the easiest way of settling their debts, or effecting any other selfish, or unjust object.''
[91] ``They will,'' in first proof, replaced in the second proof with ``to be consistent they must.''
[92] ``Indeed'' inserted in first proof.
[93] ``Ever elevating them above the rights of majorities,'' appearing in the manuscript at this point, deleted in first proof.
[94] In the manuscript and first proof the beginning of this sentence reads, ``The dread of their existence is that power. . . . '' etc., changed in second proof to the present text.
[95] ``Perhaps'' inserted by Seward and adopted by Lincoln in second proof.
[96] ``That'' inserted in first proof.
[97] ``Say,'' in the manuscript, changed to ``affirm'' in first proof.
[98] ``Demonstrative of'' as misprinted in first proof, corrected by Lincoln to ``demonstrating.''
[99] ``And even others, more decidedly for the Union, in sentiment, would be carried the same way,'' appearing at this point in the manuscript, deleted in first proof.
[100] ``Nor do I know that,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed by Seward to ``I do not say that,'' and revised by Lincoln in second proof to the present text.
[101] ``Why this?'' in the manuscript, changed to ``Why?'' in first proof.
[102] ``Played,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed to ``proved'' in second proof.
[103] ``Very,'' in the manuscript and first proof, deleted in second proof.
[104] ``Has,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed to ``is known to have'' in second proof.
[105] ``Greater'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed in second proof to ``Great.''
[106] ``So far as known'' inserted in second proof.
[107] ``The,'' in the manuscript and first proof, deleted in second proof.
[108] ``The,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed to ``it's'' in second proof.
[109] ``Of it,'' at this point in the manuscript and first proof, deleted in second proof.
[110] ``Internal'' inserted at this point as printed in the Congressional Globe Appendix which is followed by Nicolay and Hay.
[111] ``That those who can not carry an election, can not destroy the government,'' appearing at this point in the manuscript, deleted in first proof.
[112] The remainder of this sentence inserted in first proof.
[113] ``Relative,'' in the manuscript and first proof, changed to ``relatively'' in second proof.
[114] The manuscript ends at this point. The remainder of the Message was composed after first proof had been set.
[115] ``Which any honest man should regret,'' which concludes this sentence in Lincoln's autograph insertion at this point in the first proof, is changed by Seward in the second proof to ``or any deprivation of any citizen of any right of life, liberty, or pursuit of happiness, guaranteed to him by the Constitution or the laws of the land.'' Lincoln did not follow Seward's revision, but changed the conclusion of the sentence to the present text, and added the next paragraph following.
[116] This sentence and the next are revised in the autograph pages of first proof to the present text. As first written they were as follows: ``No compromise could, in his judgment, be a cure; but, at best, could only be a little more lingering death to our popular institutions. No popular government can long survive a precedent, that those who have carried an election, must, on pain of death to the government itself, surrender the point upon which the people gave the election.''
[117] ``He,'' in the autograph pages of revision at the end of the first proof, changed to ``the Executive'' in second proof.
[118] ``In the justness of God'' as first written, revised to ``in God'' in the autograph pages of first proof.