May 18, 1861.—Letter to Colonel F. P. Blair.
Washington, D. C.,
May 18, 1861.
Hon. F. P. Blair
My dear Sir: We have a good deal of anxiety here about St. Louis.
I understand an order has gone from the War Department to you, to be delivered or withheld in your discretion, relieving General Harney from his command. I was not quite satis?ed with the order when It was made, though on the whole I thought it best to make it; but since then I have become more doubtful of its propriety. I do not write now to countermand it, but to say I wis you would withhold it, unless in your judgment the necessity to the contrary is very urgent. There are several reasons for this. We had better have him a friend than an enemy. It will dissatisfy a good many who otherwise would be quiet. More than all, we ?rst relieve him, then restore him, and now if we relieve him again the public will ask, “Why all this vacillation?” Still, if in your judgment it is indispensable, let it be so.
I understand an order has gone from the War Department to you, to be delivered or withheld in your discretion, relieving General Harney from his command. I was not quite satis?ed with the order when It was made, though on the whole I thought it best to make it; but since then I have become more doubtful of its propriety. I do not write now to countermand it, but to say I wis you would withhold it, unless in your judgment the necessity to the contrary is very urgent. There are several reasons for this. We had better have him a friend than an enemy. It will dissatisfy a good many who otherwise would be quiet. More than all, we ?rst relieve him, then restore him, and now if we relieve him again the public will ask, “Why all this vacillation?” Still, if in your judgment it is indispensable, let it be so.
Yours very truly,
A. Lincoln.