the writings-2-第26章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！











TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　7；　1849。



HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　THE　HOME　DEPARTMENT。



DEAR　SIR：I　recommend　that　Turner　R。　　King；　now　of　Pekin；

Illinois；　be　appointed　register　of　the　land…office　at　this　place

whenever　there　shall　be　a　vacancy。



I　do　not　know　that　Mr。　Barret；　the　present　incumbent；　has　failed

in　the　proper　discharge　of　any　of　his　duties　in　the　office。　　He

is　a　decided　partisan；　and　openly　and　actively　opposed　the

election　of　General　Taylor。　　I　understand；　too；　that　since　the

election　of　General　Taylor；　Mr。　Barret　has　received　a

reappointment　from　Mr。　Polk；　his　old　commission　not　having

expired。　　Whether　this　be　true；　the　records　of　the　department

will　show。



Whether　he　should　be　removed　I　give　no　opinion；　but　merely

express　the　wish　that　the　department　may　act　upon　some　proper

general　rule；　and　that　Mr。　Barret's　case　may　not　be　made　an

exception　to　it。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。



P。　　S。…The　land　district　to　which　this　office　belongs　is　very

nearly　if　not　entirely　within　my　district；　so　that　Colonel　Baker；

the　other　Whig　representative；　claims　no　voice　in　the

appointment。

A。　　L。









TO　THE　POSTMASTER…GENERAL。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　7；1849。



HON。　　POSTMASTER…GENERAL。



DEAR　Sir：I　recommend　that　Abner　Y。　　Ellis　be　appointed

postmaster　at　this　place；　whenever　there　shall　be　a　vacancy。　　J。

R。　　Diller；　the　present　incumbent；　I　cannot　say　has　failed　in　the

proper　discharge　of　any　of　the　duties　of　the　office。　　He；

however；　has　been　an　active　partisan　in　opposition　to　us。



Located　at　the　seat　of　government　of　the　State；　he　has　been；　for

part　if　not　the　whole　of　the　time　he　has　held　the　office；　a

member　of　the　Democratic　State　Central　Committee；　signing　his

name　to　their　addresses　and　manifestoes；　and　has　been；　as　I

understand；　reappointed　by　Mr。　Polk　since　General　Taylor's

election。　　These　are　the　facts　of　the　case　as　I　understand　them；

and　I　give　no　opinion　of　mine　as　to　whether　he　should　or　should

not　be　removed。　　My　wish　is　that　the　department　may　adopt　some

proper　general　rule　for　such　cases；　and　that　Mr。　Diller　may　not

be　made　an　exception　to　it；　one　way　or　the　other。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。



P。　　S。This　office；　with　its　delivery；　is　entirely　within　my

district；　so　that　Colonel　Baker；　the　other　Whig　representative；

claims　no　voice　in　the　appointment。L。









TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　7；　1849。



HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　THE　HOME　DEPARTMENT。



DEAR　SIR：I　recommend　that　William　Butler　be　appointed　pension

agent　for　the　Illinois　agency；　when　the　place　shall　be　vacant。

Mr。　Hurst；　the　present　incumbent；　I　believe　has　performed　the

duties　very　well。　　He　is　a　decided　partisan；　and　I　believe

expects　to　be　removed。　　Whether　he　shall；　I　submit　to　the

department。　　This　office　is　not　confined　to　my　district；　but

pertains　to　the　whole　State；　so　that　Colonel　Baker　has　an　equal

right　with　myself　to　be　heard　concerning　it。　　However；　the　office

is　located　here；　and　I　think　it　is　not　probable　that　any　one

would　desire　to　remove　from　a　distance　to　take　it。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。











TO　THOMPSON。



SPRINGFIELD；　April　25；　1849。



DEAR　THOMPSON：

A　tirade　is　still　kept　up　against　me　here　for　recommending　T。　R。

King。　　This　morning　it　is　openly　avowed　that　my　supposed

influence　at　Washington　shall　be　broken　down　generally；　and

King's　prospects　defeated　in　particular。　　Now；　what　I　have　done

in　this　matter　I　have　done　at　the　request　of　you　and　some　other

friends　in　Tazewell；　and　I　therefore　ask　you　to　either　admit　it

is　wrong　or　come　forward　and　sustain　me。　　If　the　truth　will

permit；　I　propose　that　you　sustain　me　in　the　following　manner：

copy　the　inclosed　scrap　in　your　own　handwriting　and　get　everybody

（not　three　or　four；　but　three　or　four　hundred）　to　sign　it；　and

then　send　it　to　me。　　Also；　have　six；　eight　or　ten　of　our　best

known　Whig　friends　there　write　to　me　individual　letters；　stating

the　truth　in　this　matter　as　they　understand　it。　　Don't　neglect　or

delay　in　the　matter。　　I　understand　information　of　an　indictment

having　been　found　against　him　about　three　years　ago；　for　gaming

or　keeping　a　gaming　house；　has　been　sent　to　the　department。　　I

shall　try　to　take　care　of　it　at　the　department　till　your　action

can　be　had　and　forwarded　on。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。



SPRINGFIELD　ILLINOIS。　　May　10；　1849。



HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　THE　INTERIOR。



DEAR　SIR：I　regret　troubling　you　so　often　in　relation　to　the

land…offices　here；　but　I　hope　you　will　perceive　the　necessity　of

it；　and　excuse　me。　　On　the　7th　of　April　I　wrote　you　recommending

Turner　R。　　King　for　register；　and　Walter　Davis　for　receiver。

Subsequently　I　wrote　you　that；　for　a　private　reason；　I　had

concluded　to　transpose　them。　　That　private　reason　was　the　request

of　an　old　personal　friend　who　himself　desired　to　be　receiver；　but

whom　I　felt　it　my　duty　to　refuse　a　recommendation。　　He　said　if　I

would　transpose　King　and　Davis　he　would　be　satisfied。　　I　thought

it　a　whim；　but；　anxious　to　oblige　him；　I　consented。　　Immediately

he　commenced　an　assault　upon　King's　character；　intending；　as　I

suppose；　to　defeat　his　appointment；　and　thereby　secure　another

chance　for　himself。　　This　double　offence　of　bad　faith　to　me　and

slander　upon　a　good　man　is　so　totally　outrageous　that　I　now　ask

to　have　King　and　Davis　placed　as　I　originally　recommended；that

is；　King　for　register　and　Davis　for　receiver。



An　effort　is　being　made　now　to　have　Mr。　Barret；　the　present

register；　retained。　　I　have　already　said　he　has　done　the　duties

of　the　office　well；　and　I　now　add　he　is　a　gentleman　in　the　true

sense。　　Still；　he　submits　to　be　the　instrument　of　his　party　to

injure　us。　　His　high　character　enables　him　to　do　it　more

effectually。　　Last　year　he　presided　at　the　convention　which

nominated　the　Democratic　candidate　for　Congress　in　this　district；

and　afterward　ran　for　the　State　Senate　himself；　not　desiring　the

seat；　but　avowedly　to　aid　and　strengthen　his　party。　　He　made

speech　after　speech　with　a　degree　of　fierceness　and　coarseness

against　General　Taylor　not　quite　consistent　with　his　habitually

gentlemanly　deportment。　　At　least　one　（and　I　think　more）　of　those

who　are　now　trying　to　have　him　retained　was　himself　an　applicant

for　this　very　office；　and；　failing　to　get　my　recommendation；　now

takes　this　turn。



In　writing　you　a　third　time　in　relation　to　these　offices；　I

stated　that　I　supposed　charges　had　been　forwarded　to　you　against

King；　and　that　I　would　inquire　into　the　truth　of　them。　　I　now

send　you　herewith　what　I　suppose　will　be　an　ample　defense　against

any　such　charges。　　I　ask　attention　to　all　the　papers；　but

particularly　to　the　letters　of　Mr。　David　Mack；　and　the　paper　with

the　long　list　of　names。　　There　is　no　mistake　about　King's　being　a

good　man。　　After　the　unjust　assault　upon　him；　and　considering　the

just　claims　of　Tazewell　County；　as　indicated　in　the　letters　I

inclose　you；　it　would　in　my　opinion　be　injustice；　and　withal　a

blunder；　not　to　appoint　him；　at　least　as　soon　as　any　one　is

appointed　to　either　of　the　offices　here。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　J。　　GILLESPIE。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　May　19；　1849。



DEAR　GILLESPIE：



Butterfield　will　be　commissioner　of　the　Gen'l　Land　Office；　unless

prevented　by　strong　and　speedy　efforts。　　Ewing　is　for　him；　and　he

is　only　not　appointed　yet　because　Old　Zach。　　hangs　fire。



I　have　reliable　information　of　this。　　Now；　if　you　agree　with　me

that　this　appointment　would　dissatisfy　rather　than　gratify　the

Whigs　of　this　State；　that　it　would　slacken　their　energies　in

future　contests；　that　his　appointment　in　'41　is　an　old　sore　with

them　which　they　will　not　patiently　have　reopened；in