I have a copy of the original April 23, 1861 Baltimore Sun article, "Interview With The President" wherein Lincoln is quoted as having said: "And what is to become of the revenue? I shall have no government -- no resources."
Here are some excerpts from the article (I put Lincoln's reported words from these excerpts in bold font). The Reverend Dr. Fuller opened the conversation:
"seeking to impress upon Mr. Lincoln the vast responsibility of the position he occupied, and that upon him depended the issues of peace or war -- on one hand a terrible, fratricidal conflict, and on the other peace."
"But," said Mr. Lincoln, "what am I to do?"
"Why, sir, let the country know that you are disposed to recognize the independence of the Southern States. I say nothing of secession, recognize the fact that they have formed a government of their own, that they will never be united again with the North, and peace will instantly take the place of anxiety and suspense, and war may be averted."
"And what is to become of the revenue? I shall have no government -- no resources."
"Dr. Fuller expressed the opinion that the Northern States would constitute an imposing government, and furnish revenue, but our informant could not follow the exact turn of remark."
The conversation turning upon the passage of troops through Maryland," ... "Mr. Lincoln insisted that he wanted troops only for the defense of the capitol, not for the invasion of the Southern States." ... "Why, sir, those Carolinians are now crossing Virginia to come here and hang me, and what can I do?"
"The delegation, on leaving 'the presence,' conferred together, and agreed on the hopelessness of their errand and the sad prospect of any good thing from such a source, and the exclamation was actually made, 'God have mercey on us, when the government is placed in the hands of a man like this!' "
Even the New York Day Book picked up on Lincoln's remarks when they wrote about low tariff revenue. [Source: The New Orleans Daily Crescent newspaper of May 15, 1861 quoting an earlier New York Day Book article]:
The imports of dry goods this week are very small, probably the least reported for many years.
Well may Mr. Lincoln ask, "What will become of my revenue?"
You mean where Fuller is allegedly quoted as quoting Lincoln who allegedly quoted...
Sorry, I’m not persuaded by third-hand anecdotes.
An original copy? So scan it and post it. Otherwise, how do we know?
That story was published in a lot of different papers, some of them quite far away from Baltimore. It would be helpful whether it actually appeared in any Baltimore paper before it was reprinted all those times.
And why, oh why didn't the Baltimore Sun or Baltimore Exchange (a paper sympathetic with the secessionists) ask Fuller or other members of the delegation whether the "informant's" version was accurate?
Is there any way you can post an image of it sufficient to read that statement? The statement has been rejected before by the Union Apologists, but showing it appeared in an actual newspaper is pretty good evidence that he did in fact say it.