An 1849 Dover NH newspaper article "the duty of the democratic party"

.."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 freemen 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 chelched teeth and steady eyes and well poised bayonets, they have helped mankind on to this great consummation, while I fear there will be some white men unable to forget that with malignant heart and deceitful speech they have striven 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." September 2, 1863