THE WORLD'S FAMOUS ORATIONS constantly called forth on every point and phase of the great contest which still absorbs the attention and engi^osses the energies of the na- tion, little that is new could be presented. The progress of our arms, upon which all else chiefly depends, is as well known to the public as to myself, and it is, I trust, reason- ably satisfactory and encouraging to all. With high hope for the future, no prediction in re- gard to it is ventured. On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago, all thoughts were anxiously directed to an impending civil war. All dreaded it; all sought to avoid it. While the inaugural address was being delivered from this place, devoted altogether to saving the Union without war, insurgent agents were in the city seeking to destroy it with war — seeking to dissolve the Union and divide the effects by negotiation. Both parties deprecated war, but one of them would make war rather than let the nation sur- vive, and the other would accept war rather than let it perish, and the war came. One-eighth of the whole population were colored slaves, not distributed generally over the Union, but local- ized in the Southern part of it These slaves constituted a peculiar and pow^- erful interest. All knew that this interest was somehow the cause of the war. To strengthen^ perpetuate, and extend this interest was the ob- ject for which the insurgents would rend the Union by war, while the government claimed no 256
