Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 7 [Nov. 5, 1863-Sept. 12, 1864].

To Nathaniel P. Banks1Jump to section

Executive Mansion,
Major General Banks Washington, December 24. 1863.

Yours of the 6th. Inst. has been received, and fully considered. I deeply regret to have said or done anything which could give you pain, or uneasiness. I have all the while intended you to be master, as well in regard to re-organizing a State government for Louisiana, as in regard to the military matters of the Department; and hence my letters on reconstruction have nearly if not quite all been addressed to you. My error has been that it did not occur to me that Gov. Shepley or any one else would set up a claim to act independently of you; and hence I said nothing expressly upon the point. Language has not been guarded at a point where no danger was thought of. I now tell you that in every dispute, with whomsoever, you are master. Gov. Shepley was appointed to assist the

Commander of the Department, and not to thwart him, or act independently of him. Instructions have been given directly to him, merely to spare you detail labor, and not to supersede your authority. This, in it's liability to be misconstrued, it now seems was an error in us. But it is past. I now distinctly tell you that you are master of all, and that I wish you to take the case as you find it, and give us a free-state re-organization of Louisiana, in the shortest possible time. What I say here is to have a reasonable construction. I do not mean that you are to withdraw from Texas, or abandon any other military measure which you may deem important. Nor do I mean that you are to throw away available work already done for re-construction; or that war is to be made upon Gov. Shepley, or upon any one else, unless it be found that they will not co-operate with you, in which case, and in all cases, you are master while you remain in command of the Department.

My thanks for your successful and valuable operations in Texas. Yours as ever A. LINCOLN

Annotation

[1]   ALS, IHi. General Banks wrote on December 6, 1863:

``Your letter dated Nov. 5th. relating to the organization of Government in Louisiana, I recd. upon my return from Texas Dec. 2d. Your letter of the 5th. August, upon the same subject, was also duly received, and answered. My reply expressed a cordial concurrence in your views, and an earnest desire to co-operate in their execution. From the first I have regarded reorganization of government here as of the highest importance, and I have never failed to advocate every where the earliest development of this interest by congressional elections and by initiatory measures for state, organization. . . . In the initial reconstruction, the basis should be that of a free state beyond the possibility of failure. Having secured this other states, will easily follow. . . . So strong has been my conviction on this subject that I requested Governor Boutwell to press upon your attention my views---when I returned from the Teche Country in October. . . . I addressed to you a lengthy letter, and also wrote to Governor Shepley, and to Mr. Durant, Attorney General and other gentlemen, urging the completion of this duty by the quickest methods: but I found most of these gentlemen so interested in topics, that seemed to me disconnected with the general subject, and so slightly disposed to encourage my participation in the affair that I retained the letter I had written, and turned my attention, not unwillingly, to matters more likely to be accomplished, though not more important. The restoration of our Flag in Texas from Ringold Barracks on the Rio Grande to the Brasos on the coast, rewarded my change of purpose.

``You will judge my surprise, leniently, I hope, when I learned by your letter of the 5th. of Nov. that you attached responsibility to my actions in regard to the execution of your wishes. I assure you it is not so understood here. I do not so understand it. All the officers of the government are officially informed, that it has been committed by special instructions from Washington, to Governor Shepley. When the crazy project of an unauthorized election in November was made known, upon the rumor that I had given it my countenance and my approval Governor Shepley and Honorable Mr Durant both notified me by official letters, that the subject of an election or state organization had been exclusively committed to him, the military Governor. I so understood it myself. I have had neither authority, influence, or recognition as an officer entrusted with this duty. My suggestions are respectfully, but silently received by the Governor and his

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associates. In that I supposed they were right. How then can I be in any just sense responsible for the result? I beg your just consideration of these facts! Since I received your letter---the reply to which is made with extreme solicitude---I have recurred to my orders from your government. . . . Had the organization of a free state in Louisiana been committed to me under general instructions only, it would have been complete before this day. It can be effected now in sixty days---let me say, even in thirty days, if necessary. . . . But it should be undertaken only by those who have authority to act: who know what to do, who have no personal interests in addition or superior to the creation of a FREE STATE, and who can harmonize the action of individuals without the sacrifice of public interest. I do not suppose I have the qualifications for this duty; certain I am that I have not the authority. How then can I be held responsible for the failure to satisfy your expectations?. . .''

See further Lincoln to Banks, December 29, infra.