age,
if not to the very salvation, of the country. I cannot at this hour say
what has been the result of the election. But, whatever it may be, I have
no desire to modify this opinion: that all who have labored to-day in
behalf of the Union have wrought for the best interests of the country and
the world; not only for the present, but for all future ages.

I am thankful to God for this approval of the people; but, while deeply
grateful for this mark of their confidence in me, if I know my heart, my
gratitude is free from any taint of personal triumph. I do not impugn the
motives of any one opposed to me. It is no pleasure to me to triumph
over any one, but I give thanks to the Almighty for this evidence of
the people's resolution to stand by free government and the rights of
humanity.

TELEGRAM TO H. W. HOFFMAN. WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, D. C. November 10,
1864.

H. HOFFMAN, Baltimore, Md.:

The Maryland soldiers in the Army of the Potomac cast a total vote of
fourteen hundred and twenty-eight, out of which we get eleven hundred and
sixty majority. This is directly from General Meade and General Grant.

A. LINCOLN.

ON DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT

RESPONSE TO A SERENADE, NOVEMBER 10, 1864.

It has long been a grave question whether any government, not too strong
for the liberties of its people, can be strong enough to maintain its
existence in great emergencies. On this point the present rebellion
brought our government to a severe test, and a presidential election
occurring in regular course during the rebellion, added not a little to
the strain.

If the loyal people united were put to the utmost of their strength by the
rebellion, must they not fail when divided and partially paralyzed by
a political war among themselves? But the election was a necessity. We
cannot have free government without elections; and if the election could
force us to forego or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim
to have already conquered and ruined us. The strife of the election is
but human nature practically applied to the facts of the case. What has
occurred in this case must ever recur in similar cases. Human nature will
not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of
this, we will have as weak and as strong, as silly and as wise, as bad and
as good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this as philosophy to
learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged.

B