the writings-5-第38章

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MAY　26；　1860



HON。　E。　B。　WASHBURNE。



MY　DEAR　SIR：I　have　several　letters　from　you　written　since　the

nomination；　but　till　now　have　found　no　moment　to　say　a　word　by　way　of

answer。　　Of　course　I　am　glad　that　the　nomination　is　well　received　by

our　friends；　and　I　sincerely　thank　you　for　so　informing　me。　　So　far

as　I　can　learn；　the　nominations　start　well　everywhere；　and；　if　they

get　no　back…set；　it　would　seem　as　if　they　are　going　through。　　I　hope

you　will　write　often；　and　as　you　write　more　rapidly　than　I　do；　don't

make　your　letters　so　short　as　mine。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　S。　HAYCRAFT。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　June　4；　1860。



HON。　SAMUEL　HAYCRAFT。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Like　yourself　I　belonged　to　the　old　Whig　party　from　its

origin　to　its　close。　　I　never　belonged　to　the　American　party

organization；　nor　ever　to　a　party　called　a　Union　party；　though　I　hope

I　neither　am　or　ever　have　been　less　devoted　to　the　Union　than

yourself　or　any　other　patriotic　man。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









ABRAHAM　OR　〃ABRAM〃



TO　G。　ASHMUN。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。　　　June　4；　1860



HON。　GEORGE　ASHMUN。



MY　DEAR　SIR：It　seems　as　if　the　question　whether　my　first　name　is

〃Abraham〃　or　〃Abram〃　will　never　be　settled。　　It　is　〃Abraham；〃　and　if

the　letter　of　acceptance　is　not　yet　in　print；　you　may；　if　you　think

fit；　have　my　signature　thereto　printed　〃Abraham　Lincoln。〃　Exercise

your　judgment　about　this。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









UNAUTHORIZED　BIOGRAPHY



TO　S。　GALLOWAY。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　June　19；　1860



HON。　SAM'L　GALLOWAY。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Your　very　kind　letter　of　the　15th　is　received。　　Messrs。

Follett；　Foster；　&　Co。's　Life　of　me　is　not　by　my　authority；　and　I

have　scarcely　been　so　much　astounded　by　anything；　as　by　their　public

announcement　that　it　is　authorized　by　me。　　They　have　fallen　into　some

strange　misunderstanding。　　I　certainly　knew　they　contemplated

publishing　a　biography；　and　I　certainly　did　not　object　to　their　doing

so；　upon　their　own　responsibility。　　I　even　took　pains　to　facilitate

them。　　But；　at　the　same　time；　I　made　myself　tiresome；　if　not　hoarse；

with　repeating　to　Mr。　Howard；　their　only　agent　seen　by　me；　my　protest

that　I　authorized　nothingwould　be　responsible　for　nothing。　　　How

they　could　so　misunderstand　me；　passes　comprehension。　　　As　a　matter

wholly　my　own；　I　would　authorize　no　biography；　without　time　and

opportunity　＇sic＇　to　carefully　examine　and　consider　every　word　of　it

and；　in　this　case；　in　the　nature　of　things；　I　can　have　no　such　time

and　Opportunity　＇sic＇。　　But；　in　my　present　position；　when；　by　the

lessons　of　the　past；　and　the　united　voice　of　all　discreet　friends；　I

can　neither　write　nor　speak　a　word　for　the　public；　how　dare　I　to　send

forth；　by　my　authority；　a　volume　of　hundreds　of　pages；　for

adversaries　to　make　points　upon　without　end？　Were　I　to　do　so；　the

convention　would　have　a　right　to　re…assemble　and　substitute　another

name　for　mine。



For　these　reasons；　I　would　not　look　at　the　proof　sheetsI　am

determined　to　maintain　the　position　of　＇sic＇　truly　saying　I　never　saw

the　proof　sheets；　or　any　part　of　their　work；　before　its　publication。



Now；　do　not　mistake　meI　feel　great　kindness　for　Messrs。　　F。；　F。；　&

Co。do　not　think　they　have　intentionally　done　wrong。　　There　may　be

nothing　wrong　in　their　proposed　bookI　sincerely　hope　there　will

not。　　I　barely　suggest　that　you；　or　any　of　the　friends　there；　on　the

party　account；　look　it　over；　and　exclude　what　you　may　think　would

embarrass　the　party　bearing　in　mind；　at　all　times；　that　I　authorize

nothingwill　be　responsible　for　nothing。



Your　friend；　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。



＇The　custom　then；　and　it　may　be　a　good　one；　was　for　the　Presidential

candidate　to　do　no　personal　canvassing　or　speakingor　as　we　have　it

now　〃running　for　election。〃　　He　stayed　at　home　and　kept　his　mouth

shut。　　D。W。＇









TO　HANNIBAL　HAMLIN。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　July　18；　1860。



HON。　HANNIBAL　HAMLIN。

MY　DEAR　SIR：It　appears　to　me　that　you　and　I　ought　to　be　acquainted；

and　accordingly　I　write　this　as　a　sort　of　introduction　of　myself　to

you。　　You　first　entered　the　Senate　during　the　single　term　I　was　a

member　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　but　I　have　no　recollection

that　we　were　introduced。　　I　shall　be　pleased　to　receive　a　line　from

you。



The　prospect　of　Republican　success　now　appears　very　flattering；　so

far　as　I　can　perceive。　　Do　you　see　anything　to　the　contrary？



Yours　truly；　　　　A。　LINCOLN。









TO　A。　JONAS。



（Confidential。）



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　JULY　21；　1860。



HON。　A。　JONAS。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　20th　is　received。　I　suppose　as　good　or

even　better　men　than　I　may　have　been　in　American　or　Know…Nothing

lodges；　but　in　point　of　fact；　I　never　was　in　one　at　Quincy　or

elsewhere。　　I　was　never　in　Quincy　but　one　day　and　two　nights　while

Know…Nothing　lodges　were　in　existence；　and　you　were　with　me　that　day

and　both　those　nights。　　I　had　never　been　there　before　in　my　life；　and

never　afterward；　till　the　joint　debate　with　Douglas　in　1858。　　It　was

in　1854　when　I　spoke　in　some　hall　there；　and　after　the　speaking；　you；

with　others；　took　me　to　an　oyster…saloon；　passed　an　hour　there；　and

you　walked　with　me　to；　and　parted　with　me　at；　the　Quincy　House；　quite

late　at　night。　　I　left　by　stage　for　Naples　before　daylight　in　the

morning；　having　come　in　by　the　same　route　after　dark　the　evening；

previous　to　the　speaking；　when　I　found　you　waiting　at　the　Quincy

House　to　meet　me。　　A　few　days　after　I　was　there；　Richardson；　as　I

understood；　started　this　same　story　about　my　having　been　in　a

Know…Nothing　lodge。　　When　I　heard　of　the　charge；　as　I　did　soon　after；

I　taxed　my　recollection　for　some　incident　which　could　have　suggested

it；　and　I　remembered　that　on　parting　with　you　the　last　night　I　went

to　the　office　of　the　hotel　to　take　my　stage…passage　for　the　morning；

was　told　that　no　stage…office　for　that　line　was　kept　there；　and　that

I　must　see　the　driver　before　retiring；　to　insure　his　calling　for　me

in　the　morning；　and　a　servant　was　sent　with　me　to　find　the　driver；

who；　after　taking　me　a　square　or　two；　stopped　me；　and　stepped　perhaps

a　dozen　steps　farther；　and　in　my　hearing　called　to　some　one；　who

answered　him；　apparently　from　the　upper　part　of　a　building；　and

promised　to　call　with　the　stage　for　me　at　the　Quincy　House。

I　returned；　and　went　to　bed；　and　before　day　the　stage　called　and　took

me。　This　is　all。



That　I　never　was　in　a　Know…Nothing　lodge　in　Quincy；　I　should　expect

could　be　easily　proved　by　respectable　men　who　were　always　in　the

lodges　and　never　saw　me　there。　　An　affidavit　of　one　or　two　such　would

put　the　matter　at　rest。



And　now　a　word　of　caution。　Our　adversaries　think　they　can　gain　a

point　if　they　could　force　me　to　openly　deny　the　charge；　by　which　some

degree　of　offence　would　be　given　to　the　Americans。　　For　this　reason

it　must　not　publicly　appear　that　I　am　paying　any　attention　to　the

charge。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　JOHN　B。　FRY。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　August　15；　1860。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　9th；　inclosing　the　letter　of　HON。　John

Minor　Botts；　was　duly　received。　　The　latter　is　herewith　returned

according　to　your　request。　　It　contains　one　of　the　many　assurances　I

receive　from　the　South；　that　in　no　probable　event　will　there　be　any

very　formidable　effort　to　break　up　the　Union。　　The　people　of　the

South　have　too　much　of　good　sense　and　good　temper　to　attempt　the　ruin

of　the　government　rather　than　see　it　administered　as　it　was

administered　by　the　men　who　made　it。　　At　least　so　I　hope　and　believe。

I　thank　you　both　for　your　own　letter　and　a　sight　of　that　of　Mr。

Botts。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　THURLOW　WEED



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。　August　17　1860。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　13th　was　received　this　morning。　　Douglas

is　managing　the　Bell　element　wi