Among the commanders who hold these views are some who have never had any affinity with what is called “Abolitionism,” or with “Republican Party politics,” but who hold them purely as military opinions.  I submit their opinions are entitled to some weight against the objections often urged that emancipation and arming the blacks are unwise as military measures, and were not adopted as such in good faith.

You say that you will not fight to free negroes.  Some of them seem willing to fight for you; but no matter.  Fight you, then, exclusively, to save the Union.  I issued the proclamation on purpose to aid you in saving the Union.  Whenever you shall have conquered all resistance to the Union, if I shall urge you to continue fighting, it will be an apt time then for you to declare you will not fight to free negroes.  I thought that in your struggle for the Union, to whatever extent the negroes should cease helping the enemy, to that extent it weakened the enemy in his resistance to you.  Do you think differently?  I thought that whatever negroes can be got to do as soldiers, leaves just so much less for white soldiers to do in saving the Union.  Does it appear otherwise to you?  But negroes, like other people, act upon motives.  Why should they do anything for us if we will do nothing for them?  If they stake their lives for us they must be prompted by the strongest motive, even the promise of freedom.  And the promise, being made, must be kept.

The signs look better.  The Father of Waters again goes unvexed to the sea.  Thanks to the great Northwest for it; nor yet wholly to them.  Three hundred miles up they met New England, Empire, Keystone, and Jersey, hewing their way right and left.  The sunny South, too, in more colors than one, also lent a helping hand.  On the spot, their part of the history was jotted down in black and white.  The job was a great national one, and let none be slighted who bore an honorable part in it And while those who have cleared the great river may well be proud, even that is not all.  It is hard to say that anything has been more bravely and well done than at Antietam, Murfreesboro, Gettysburg, and on many fields of less note.  Nor must Uncle Sam’s web-feet be forgotten.  At all the watery margins they have been present; not only on the deep sea, the broad bay, and the rapid river, but also up the narrow, muddy bayou, and wherever the ground was a little damp, they have been and made their tracks.  Thanks to all.  For the great Republic—­for the principle it lives by and keeps alive—­for man’s vast future—­thanks to all.

Peace does not appear so distant as it did.  I hope it will come soon, and come to stay, and so come as to be worth the keeping in all future time.  It will then have been proved that among freemen there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet, and that they who take such appeal are sure to lose their case and pay the cost.  And there will be some black men who can remember that with silent tongue, and clinched teeth, and steady eye, and well-poised bayonet, they have helped mankind on to this great consummation; while I fear there will be some white ones unable to forget that with malignant heart and deceitful speech they have striven to hinder it.