ould result from the delay,
especially as, by a note, I promptly acknowledged the receipt of yours,
and promised a fuller answer. Now, on consideration I find there is really
very little to say. My knowledge of Mr. Pomeroy's letter having been made
public came to me only the day you wrote; but I had, in spite of myself,
known of its existence several days before. I have not yet read it, and I
think I shall not. I was not shocked or surprised by the appearance of
the letter, because I had had knowledge of Mr. Pomeroy's committee, and of
secret issues which, I supposed, came from it, and of secret agents who,
I supposed, were sent out by it for several weeks. I have known just as
little a these things as my friends have allowed me to know. They bring
the documents to me, but I do not read them; they tell me what they think
fit to tell me, but I do not inquire for more.

I fully concur with you that neither of us can justly be held responsible
for what our respective friends may do without our instigation or
countenance and I assure you, as you have assured me, that no assault has
been made upon you by my instigation, or with my countenance.

Whether you shall remain at the head of the Treasury Department is a
question which I will not allow myself to consider from any standpoint
other than my judgment of the public service, and, in that view, I do not
perceive occasion for a change.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.

TO GENERAL THOMAS.

EXECUTIVE MANSION WASHINGTON, March 1,1864.

GENERAL L. THOMAS:

This introduces Mr. Lewis, mentioned in my despatch sent you at Louisville
some days ago. I have but little personal acquaintance with him; but he
has the confidence of several members of Congress here who seem to know
him well. He hopes to be useful, without charge to the government, in
facilitating the introduction of the free-labor system on the Mississippi
plantations. He is acquainted with, and has access to, many of the
planters who wish to adopt the system. He will show you two letters of
mine on this subject, one somewhat General, and the other relating to
named persons; they are not different in principle. He will also show you
some suggestions coming from some of the planters themselves. I desire
that all I promise in these letters, so far as practicable, may be in good
faith carried out, and that suggestions from the planters may be heard
and adopted, so far as they may not contravene the principles state