Page:Six Months at the White House.djvu/83

76 masses beat in sympathy with the North. They instinctively felt that the cause of liberty was bound up with our success in putting down the Rebellion, and the struggle was being watched with the deepest anxiety.

Mr. Lincoln thereupon said: "Mr. Thompson, the people of Great Britain, and of other foreign governments, were in one great error in reference to this conflict. They seemed to think that, the moment I was President, I had the power to abolish slavery, forgetting that, before I could have any power whatever, I had to take the oath to support the Constitution of the United States, and execute the laws as I found them.  When the Rebellion broke out, my duty did not admit of a question.  That was, first, by all strictly lawful means to endeavor to maintain the integrity of the government.  I did not consider that I had a right to touch the 'State' institution of 'Slavery' until all other measures for restoring the Union had failed.  The paramount idea of the constitution is the preservation of the Union.  It may not be specified in so many words, but that this was the idea of its founders is evident; for, without the Union, the constitution would be worthless. It seems clear, then, that in the last extremity, if any local institution threatened the existence of the Union, the Executive could not hesitate as to his duty. In our case, the moment came when I felt that slavery must die that the nation might live! I have sometimes used the