LINCOLN, ABRAHAM. 



419 





to repent, in order to preclude any possible 

 misconstruction, that I Jo most sincerely hope 

 that \ve shall have no use for them ; that it will 

 never become their duty to shed blood, and 

 most especially never to shed fraternal blood. 

 I promise that, so far as I may have wisdom to 

 direct, if so painful a result shall in any wise be 

 brought about, it shall be through no fault of 

 mine. Allusion has also been made by one of 

 your honored speakers to some remark recently 

 made by myself at Pittsburg, in regard to what 

 is supposed to be the especial interests of this 

 great Commonweath of Pennsylvania. I now 

 wish only to say, in regard to that matter, that 

 the few remarks which I uttered on that occa- 

 sion were rather carefully worded. I took pains 

 that they should be so. I have seen no occa- 

 sion since to add to them or subtract from them. 

 I leave them precisely as they stand, adding 

 only now, that I am pleased to have an expres- 

 sion from yon, gentlemen of Pennsylvania, sig- 

 nificant that they are satisfactory to you. And 

 now, gentlemen of the General Assembly of the 

 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, allow me to 

 return you again my most sincere thanks." 



The afternoon was devoted to the reception 

 of the citizen*, and at 6 o'clock Mr. Lincoln re- 

 tired to his private apartments, declining to re- 

 ceive any more visitors. The arrangements for 

 the next day were that he should leave Harris- 

 burg in the morning, stop at noon in Baltimore, 

 and arrive at "Washington in the evening. To the 

 amazement of every one, however, telegraphic 

 despatches from Washington on the next morning 

 reported that Mr. Lincoln was in that city. This 

 proved to be true. Mr. Lincoln had assumed, to 

 prevent recognition, a plaid cap and cloak, and 

 taken a special train that night and passed 

 through to Washington without being recog- 

 nized. This sudden and unexpected arrival at an 

 eajly hour in the morning caused a great surprise, 

 and curiosity was excited to discover the motives 

 of this secret change in the manner of Mr. Lin- 

 coln's journey. Several reports were immedi- 

 ately in circulation. One was that a tele- 

 graphic despatch was sent requesting him to be 

 present at Washington for reasons of State, be- 

 fore the separation of the Peace Conference ; a 

 second was that a despatch from official parties 

 in Washington requested him to come in ad- 

 vance of the time announced, in order to pre- 

 vent possible disturbances that might grow out 

 of conflicting purposes of political clubs in Bal- 

 timore of the Republican clubs to honor Mr. 

 Lincoln with a public demonstration, and of 

 their far more numerous opponents to prevent 

 it; another was, that under all the circum- 

 stances of the case, Mr. Lincoln deemed it 

 would be best to avoid all chances of turmoil, 

 and at the same time he would be relieved of 

 all further demonstrations, of which his jour- 

 ney had already been amply full. 



As early as the 16th of January rumors were 

 afloat of combinations forming to interfere with 

 the inauguration of Mr. Lincoln. In reply to a 

 letter from the mayor of Washington, on the 



subject of those rumors, the marshal of Balti- 

 more, on the 16th, said : 



SIR : In reply to your wish that I would state to you 

 my opinion witii reference to the truth of the rumors 

 which you sav prevail in Washington, and are indus- 

 triously circulated there, to the effect that associations 

 of armed men are being formed here for the purpose 

 of making unlawful demonstrations at the seat of Gov- 

 ernment on the 4th of March, I beg to say, with all the 

 confidence begotten by the fullest means of infor- 

 mation, that they are wholly without foundation. No 

 such organization now exists, none has existed, nor 

 will the citizens of Baltimore tolerate any such. 



The people of Baltimore are a conservative and law- 

 abiding people. They hope and believe, and mean to 

 act upon that belief, that the day for mobs and riots 

 in their midst has passed, never to return. 



That the citizens of Maryland have a strong sympa- 

 thy with their Southern brethren, and that upon'every 

 lawful occasion for the expression of that sympathy it 

 will doubtless be empthatically heard, cannot be deni- 

 ed ; but that they will tolerate or connive at the unlaw- 

 fiil doings of a mob, or permit violence or indignity to 

 any public functionary passing through the State, I 

 believe to be entirely devoid of truth. The whole thing 

 is probably a political canard, receiving a slight color- 

 ing of reality from the thoughtless expressions of a 

 class of people who, in times- of excitement, are mostly 

 to be found at street corners or in public bar-rooms. 



The President-elect will need no armed escort in 

 passing through or sojourning within the limits of this 

 city or State, and, in my view, the provision of any 

 such at this time would be ill-judged. 



The insult offered to President Buchanan in the 

 streets of this city on the eve of his inauguration, to 

 which reference has been made as the ground for ap- 

 prehending a similar indignity to the President-elect, 

 it is well known, was the act of two or three members 

 of one of the fanatical clubs of his political opponents 

 which at that time infested our city, but which have 

 long since been numbered among the things that were. 



In expressing to you the opinion I have given, I do 

 it with full confidence that no such organization could 

 exist here without being speedily brought to my 

 knowledge. 



I have the honor to be, sir, vonr obedient servant, 

 "GEORGE P. KANE. 



On the Wednesday following the Mayor and 

 Council of the city waited upon Mr. Lincoln 

 and tendered to him a welcome. He replied as 

 follows : 



" Mr. Mayor : I thank you, and through yon 

 the municipal authorities of this city who ac- 

 company you, for this welcome. And as it is 

 the first time in my life since the present phase 

 of politics has presented itself in this country, 

 that I have said any thing publicly within a re- 

 gion of country where the institution of sla- 

 very exists. I will take this occasion to say that 

 I think very much of the ill-feeling that has 

 existed, and still exists, between the people in 

 the sections from whence I came and the peo- 

 ple here, is dependent upon a misunderstanding 

 of one another. I therefore avail myself of this 

 opportunity to assure you, Mr. Mayor, and all 

 the gentlemen present, that I have not now, 

 and never have had, any other than as kindly 

 feelings towards you as the people of my own 

 section. I have not now, and never have had, 

 any disposition to treat you in any respect 

 otherwise than as my own neighbors. I have 

 not now any purpose to withhold from you any 

 of the benefits of the Constitution, under any 



