Annotation
[1] Copy, DLC-RTL. The copy is in Nicolay's handwriting without signature. George Bancroft, historian and former minister to Great Britain (1846-1849), wrote Lincoln on November 15, 1861, enclosing a clipping from the New York Times, November 8, which gave an account of the meeting at Cooper Institute for the relief of loyal citizens of Hatteras, North Carolina, represented by Reverend T. W. Conway and Reverend Marble N. Taylor (see Lincoln to Cameron, October 25, supra). The closing paragraph of Bancroft's letter is as follows:
``Your administration has fallen upon times, which will be remembered as long as human events find a record. I sincerely wish to you the glory of perfect success. Civil war is the instrument of Divine Providence to root out social slavery; posterity will not be satisfied with the result, unless the consequences of the war shall effect an increase of free states. This is the universal expectation and hope of men of all parties.'' (DLC-RTL).