must Uncle Sam's web-feet be forgotten. At all the watery margins they have been present. Not only on the deep sea, the broad bay, and the rapid river, but also up the narrow, muddy bayou, and wherever the ground was a little damp they have been, and made their tracks. Thanks to all. For the great Republic - for the principle it lives by, and keeps alive - for man's vast future - thanks to all.

Peace does not appear so distant as it did. I hope it will come soon, and come to stay; and so come as to be worth the keeping in all future time. It will then have been proved that, among free men, there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the bullet; and that they who take such appeal are sure to lose their case, and pay the cost. And then, there will be some black men who can remember that, with silent tongue, and clenched teeth, and steady eye, and well pointed bayonet, they have helped making on to this great consummation; while, I fear, there will be some white ones, unable to forget that, with malignant heart and deceitful speech, they have strove to hinder it.

Still let us not be over sanguine of a speedy final triumph. Let us be quite sober. Let us diligently apply the means, never doubting that a just God, in His own good time, will give us the rightful result.

Yours, very truly,

A. LINCOLN.

CIRCULAR.] WAR DEPT., ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE,

Washington, D. C., August 28, 1863.

SIR: The following instructions, received from the General-in- Chief, are furnished for your information and guidance, and are to be strictly observed:

All men charged with desertion who belonged to regiments whose terms of service have expired shall be examined by a commission of from one to three officers, detailed by the officer (not including provost-marshals of enrollment districts) under whose command they may be held in confinement, with a view to ascertain whether they cases will be submitted to the department commander, that the penalty of desertion may be remitted without trial, under paragraph 159, Army Regulations, and the men sent to the mustering officer (under General Orders, Numbers 108, of 1863) nearest the place of enrollment, to the mustered out of service.

If the commission should consider them deserters, or the men cannot clear themselves of the charge, they will be assigned and sent to one of the regiments from the same State, serving in the same corps or department in which the regiments to which they formerly belonged served, for trial, or such disposition as the division, corps, or department commander may make of them, according to regulations, to serve out the time lost by desertion, the regiment to be designated by the officer who forwards them, and entered on their descriptive list or muster and descriptive roll.

The time to be made good will be the time from the date of desertion to the date of joining the regiment to which assigned.

Provost-marshals of enrollment districts will forward deserters from regiments whose terms of service have expired in the same manner as others, with a view to carry out the above instructions.

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

E. D. TOWNSEND,

Assistant Adjutant-General.