I hail this interchange of sentiment, therefore, as an augury that whatever else may happen, whatever misfortune may befall your country or my own, the peace and friendship which now exist between the two nations will be, as it shall be my desire to make them, perpetual. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. WASHINGTON, January 21, 1863. GENTLEMEN OF THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: I submit herewith for your consideration the joint resolutions of the corporate authorities of the city of Washington, adopted September 27, 1862, and a memorial of the same under date of October 28, 1862, both relating to and urging the construction of certain railroads concentrating upon the city of Washington. In presenting this memorial and the joint resolutions to you, I am not prepared to say more than that the subject is one of great practical importance, and that I hope it will receive the attention of Congress. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. INDORSEMENT ON THE PROCEEDINGS AND SENTENCE OF THE FITZ-JOHN PORTER COURT-MARTIAL. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMY, WASHINGTON, In compliance with the Sixty-fifth Article of War, these whole proceedings are transmitted to the Secretary of War, to be laid before the President of the United States. H. W. HALLECK, General-in-Chief. January 21, 1863. The foregoing proceedings, findings, and sentence in the foregoing case of Major-General Fitz-John Porter are approved and confirmed, and it is ordered that the said Fitz-John Porter be, and he hereby is, cashiered and dismissed from the service of the United States as a major-general of volunteers, and as colonel and brevet brigadier-general in the regular service of the United States, and forever disqualified from holding any office of trust or profit under the Government of the United States. ABRAHAM LINCOLN. FROM GENERAL HALLECK TO GENERAL U. S. GRANT. HEADQUARTERS OF THE ARMy, Washington, January 21, 1863. MAJOR-GENERAL GRANT, Memphis. GENERAL:-The President has directed that so much of Arkansas as you may desire to control be temporarily attached to your department. This will give you control of both banks of the river. In your operations down the Mississippi you must not rely too confidently upon any direct co-operation of General Banks and the lower flotilla, as it is possible that they may not be able to pass or reduce Port Hudson. They, however, will do everything in their power to form a junction with you at Vicksburg. If they should not be able to effect this, they will at least occupy a portion of the enemy's forces, and prevent them from reinforcing Vicksburg. I hope, however, that they will do still better and be able to join you. It may be proper to give you some explanation of the revocation of your order expelling all Jews from your department. The President has no objection to your expelling traitors and Jew peddlers, which. I suppose, was the object of your order; but as it in terms proscribed an entire religious class, some of whom are fighting in our ranks, the President deemed it necessary to revoke it. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, War Department, Adjutant-General's Office, WASHING TON, D.C., January 25, 1863. I. The President of the United States has directed: Ist. That Major-General A. E. Burnside, at his own request, be relieved from the command of the Army of the Potomac. 2d. That Major-General E. V. Sumner, at his own request, be relieved from duty in the Army of the Potomac. 3d. That Major-General W. B. Franklin be relieved from duty in the Army of the Potomac. 4th. That Major-General J. Hooker be assigned to the command of the Army of the Potomac. II. The officers relieved as above will report in person to the adjutant-general of the army. By order of the Secretary of War: E. D. TOWNSEND, Assistant Adjutant-General. TO GENERAL J. HOOKER. EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, D. ( MAJOR-GENERAL HOOKER. GENERAL: I have placed you at the he Army of the Potomac. Of course I have upon what appear to me to be sufficient yet I think it best for you to know some things in regard to which I am fied with you. I believe you to be ful soldier, which of course I like. do not mix politics with your you are right. You have which is a valuable if not You are ambitious, whic' does good rather than harm; but I think that during General Burnside's command of the army you have taken counsel of your ambition and thwarted him as much as you could, in which you did a great wrong to the country and to a most meritorious and honorable brother officer. I have heard, in such a way as to believe it, of your recently saying that both the army and the government needed a dictator. Of course it was not for this, but in spite of it, that I have given you the command. Only those generals who gain successes can set up dictators. What I now ask of you is military success, and I will risk the dictatorship. The government will support you to the utmost of its ability, which is neither more nor less than it has done and will do for all commanders. I much fear that the spirit that you have aided to infuse into the army, of criticising their commander and withholding confidence from him, will now turn upon you. I shall assist you as far as I can to put it down. Neither you nor Napoleon, if he were alive again, could get any good out of an army while such a spirit prevails in it. And now beware of rashness. Beware of rashness, but with energy and sleepless vigilance go forward and give us victories. Yours very truly, A. LINCOLN. MESSAGE TO CONGRESS. WASHINGTON CITY, January 28, 1863. TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: In conformity to the law of July 16, 1862, I most cordially recommend that Commander David D. |