the writings-2-第13章

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Taylor's　nomination　is　as　higha　little　higher　than　it　was　when

you　left。　　Still；　the　case　is　by　no　means　out　of　doubt。　　Mr。

Clay's　letter　has　not　advanced　his　interests　any　here。　　Several

who　were　against　Taylor；　but　not　for　anybody　particularly；

before；　are　since　taking　ground；　some　for　Scott　and　some　for

McLean。　　Who　will　be　nominated　neither　I　nor　any　one　else　can

tell。　　Now；　let　me　pray　to　you　in　turn。　　My　prayer　is　that　you

let　nothing　discourage　or　baffle　you；　but　that；　in　spite　of　every

difficulty；　you　send　us　a　good　Taylor　delegate　from　your　circuit。

Make　Baker；　who　is　now　with　you；　I　suppose；　help　about　it。　　He　is

a　good　hand　to　raise　a　breeze。



General　Ashley；　in　the　Senate　from　Arkansas；　died　yesterday。

Nothing　else　new　beyond　what　you　see　in　the　papers。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN









DEFENSE　OF　MEXICAN　WAR　POSITION



TO　REV。　J。　M。　PECK



WASHINGTON；　May　21；　1848。



DEAR　SIR：



。。。。Not　in　view　of　all　the　facts。　　There　are　facts　which　you　have

kept　out　of　view。　　It　is　a　fact　that　the　United　States　army　in

marching　to　the　Rio　Grande　marched　into　a　peaceful　Mexican

settlement；　and　frightened　the　inhabitants　away　from　their　homes

and　their　growing　crops。　　It　is　a　fact　that　Fort　Brown；　opposite

Matamoras；　was　built　by　that　army　within　a　Mexican　cotton…field；

on　which　at　the　time　the　army　reached　it　a　young　cotton　crop　was

growing；　and　which　crop　was　wholly　destroyed　and　the　field　itself

greatly　and　permanently　injured　by　ditches；　embankments；　and　the

like。　　It　is　a　fact　that　when　the　Mexicans　captured　Captain

Thornton　and　his　command；　they　found　and　captured　them　within

another　Mexican　field。



Now　I　wish　to　bring　these　facts　to　your　notice；　and　to　ascertain

what　is　the　result　of　your　reflections　upon　them。　　If　you　deny

that　they　are　facts；　I　think　I　can　furnish　proofs　which　shall

convince　you　that　you　are　mistaken。　　If　you　admit　that　they　are

facts；　then　I　shall　be　obliged　for　a　reference　to　any　law　of

language；　law　of　States；　law　of　nations；　law　of　morals；　law　of

religions；　any　law；　human　or　divine；　in　which　an　authority　can　be

found　for　saying　those　facts　constitute　〃no　aggression。〃



Possibly　you　consider　those　acts　too　small　for　notice。　　Would　you

venture　to　so　consider　them　had　they　been　committed　by　any　nation

on　earth　against　the　humblest　of　our　people？　　I　know　you　would

not。　　Then　I　ask；　is　the　precept　〃Whatsoever　ye　would　that　men

should　do　to　you；　do　ye　even　so　to　them〃　obsolete？　　of　no　force？

of　no　application？



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









ON　ZACHARY　TAYLOR　NOMINATION



TO　ARCHIBALD　WILLIAMS。



WASHINGTON；　June　12；　1848。



DEAR　WILLIAMS：On　my　return　from　Philadelphia；　where　I　had　been

attending　the　nomination　of　〃Old　Rough；〃　（Zachary　Taylor）　I　found

your　letter　in　a　mass　of　others　which　had　accumulated　in　my

absence。　　By　many；　and　often；　it　had　been　said　they　would　not

abide　the　nomination　of　Taylor；　but　since　the　deed　has　been　done；

they　are　fast　falling　in；　and　in　my　opinion　we　shall　have　a　most

overwhelming；　glorious　triumph。　　One　unmistakable　sign　is　that

all　the　odds　and　ends　are　with　usBarnburners；　Native　Americans；

Tyler　men；　disappointed　office…seeking　Locofocos；　and　the　Lord

knows　what。　　This　is　important；　if　in　nothing　else；　in　showing

which　way　the　wind　blows。　　Some　of　the　sanguine　men　have　set　down

all　the　States　as　certain　for　Taylor　but　Illinois；　and　it　as

doubtful。　　Cannot　something　be　done　even　in　Illinois？　　Taylor's

nomination　takes　the　Locos　on　the　blind　side。　　It　turns　the　war

thunder　against　them。　　The　war　is　now　to　them　the　gallows　of

Haman；　which　they　built　for　us；　and　on　which　they　are　doomed　to

be　hanged　themselves。



Excuse　this　short　letter。　　I　have　so　many　to　write　that　I　cannot

devote　much　time　to　any　one。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









SPEECH　IN　THE　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES；



JUNE　20；　1848。



In　Committee　of　the　Whole　on　the　State　of　the　Union；　on　the　Civil

and　Diplomatic　Appropriation　Bill：



Mr。　CHAIRMAN：I　wish　at　all　times　in　no　way　to　practise　any

fraud　upon　the　House　or　the　committee；　and　I　also　desire　to　do

nothing　which　may　be　very　disagreeable　to　any　of　the　members。　　I

therefore　state　in　advance　that　my　object　in　taking　the　floor　is

to　make　a　speech　on　the　general　subject　of　internal　improvements；

and　if　I　am　out　of　order　in　doing　so；　I　give　the　chair　an

opportunity　of　so　deciding；　and　I　will　take　my　seat。



The　Chair：　I　will　not　undertake　to　anticipate　what　the　gentleman

may　say　on　the　subject　of　internal　improvements。　　He　will；

therefore；　proceed　in　his　remarks；　and　if　any　question　of　order

shall　be　made；　the　chair　will　then　decide　it。



Mr。　Lincoln：　At　an　early　day　of　this　session　the　President　sent

us　what　may　properly　be　called　an　internal　improvement　veto

message。　　The　late　Democratic　convention；　which　sat　at　Baltimore；

and　which　nominated　General　Cass　for　the　Presidency；　adopted　a

set　of　resolutions；　now　called　the　Democratic　platform；　among

which　is　one　in　these　words：



〃That　the　Constitution　does　not　confer　upon　the　General

Government　the　power　to　commence　and　carry　on　a　general　system　of

internal　improvements。〃



General　Cass；　in　his　letter　accepting　the　nomination；　holds　this

language：



〃I　have　carefully　read　the　resolutions　of　the　Democratic　national

convention；　laying　down　the　platform　of　our　political　faith；　and

I　adhere　to　them　as　firmly　as　I　approve　them　cordially。〃



These　things；　taken　together；　show　that　the　question　of　internal

improvements　is　now　more　distinctly　madehas　become　more　intense

than　at　any　former　period。　　The　veto　message　and　the　Baltimore

resolution　I　understand　to　be；　in　substance；　the　same　thing；　the

latter　being　the　more　general　statement；　of　which　the　former　is

the　amplification　the　bill　of　particulars。　　While　I　know　there

are　many　Democrats；　on　this　floor　and　elsewhere；　who　disapprove

that　message；　I　understand　that　all　who　voted　for　General　Cass

will　thereafter　be　counted　as　having　approved　it；　as　having

indorsed　all　its　doctrines。



I　suppose　all；　or　nearly　all；　the　Democrats　will　vote　for　him。

Many　of　them　will　do　so　not　because　they　like　his　position　on

this　question；　but　because　they　prefer　him；　being　wrong　on　this；

to　another　whom　they　consider　farther　wrong　on　other　questions。

In　this　way　the　internal　improvement　Democrats　are　to　be；　by　a

sort　of　forced　consent；　carried　over　and　arrayed　against

themselves　on　this　measure　of　policy。　　General　Cass；　once

elected；　will　not　trouble　himself　to　make　a　constitutional

argument；　or　perhaps　any　argument　at　all；　when　he　shall　veto　a

river　or　harbor　bill；　he　will　consider　it　a　sufficient　answer　to

all　Democratic　murmurs　to　point　to　Mr。　Polk's　message；　and　to　the

Democratic　platform。　　This　being　the　case；　the　question　of

improvements　is　verging　to　a　final　crisis；　and　the　friends　of

this　policy　must　now　battle；　and　battle　manfully；　or　surrender

all。　　In　this　view；　humble　as　I　am；　I　wish　to　review；　and　contest

as　well　as　I　may；　the　general　positions　of　this　veto　message。

When　I　say　general　positions；　I　mean　to　exclude　from

consideration　so　much　as　relates　to　the　present　embarrassed　state

of　the　treasury　in　consequence　of　the　Mexican　War。



Those　general　positions　are：　that　internal　improvements　ought　not

to　be　made　by　the　General　GovernmentFirst。　　Because　they　would

overwhelm　the　treasury　Second。　　Because；　while　their　burdens

would　be　general；　their　benefits　would　be　local　and　partial；

involving　an　obnoxious　inequality；　and　Third。　　Because　they　would

be　unconstitutional。　　Fourth。　　Because　the　States　may　do　enough

by　the　levy　and　collection　of　tonnage　duties；　or　if　notFifth。

That　the　Constitution　may　be　amended。　　〃Do　nothing　at　all；　lest

you　do　something　wrong；〃　is　the　sum　of　these　positions　is　the　sum

of　this　message。　　And　this；　with　the　exception　of　what　is　said

about　constitutionality；