In a public letter of August 22, 1862, Lincoln replied to Greeley, writing that while he personally wished all men could be free, his first obligation as president was to preserve the Union:
ɪn ɐ pˈʌblɪk lˈɛɾɚɹ ʌv ˈɔːɡəst twˈɛnti tˈuː, wˈʌn θˈaʊzənd ˈeɪthˈʌndɹɪd sˈɪksti tˈuː, lˈɪŋkən ɹᵻplˈaɪd tə ɡɹˈiːli, ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ðæt wˌaɪl hiː pˈɜːsənəli wˈɪʃt ˈɔːl mˈɛn kʊd biː fɹˈiː, hɪz fˈɜːst ˌɑːblɪɡˈeɪʃən æz pɹˈɛzɪdənt wʌz tə pɹɪzˈɜːv ðə jˈuːniən: