the writings-2-第48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！



We　have　the　Legislature；　clearly　enough；　on　joint　ballot；　but　the

Senate　is　very　close；　and　Cullom　told　me　to…day　that　the　Nebraska

men　will　stave　off　the　election；　if　they　can。　　Even　if　we　get

into　joint　vote；　we　shall　have　difficulty　to　unite　our　forces。

Please　write　me；　and　let　this　be　confidential。



Your　friend；　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN









POLITICAL　REFERENCES



TO　JUSTICE　MCLEAN。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　December　6；　1854。



SIR：I　understand　it　is　in　contemplation　to　displace　the　present

clerk　and　appoint　a　new　one　for　the　Circuit　and　District　Courts

of　Illinois。　　I　am　very　friendly　to　the　present　incumbent；　and；

both　for　his　own　sake　and　that　of　his　family；　I　wish　him　to　be

retained　so　long　as　it　is　possible　for　the　court　to　do　so。



In　the　contingency　of　his　removal；　however；　I　have　recommended

William　Butler　as　his　successor；　and　I　do　not　wish　what　I　write

now　to　be　taken　as　any　abatement　of　that　recommendation。



William　J。　　Black　is　also　an　applicant　for　the　appointment；　and　I

write　this　at　the　solicitation　of　his　friends　to　say　that　he　is

every　way　worthy　of　the　office；　and　that　I　doubt　not　the

conferring　it　upon　him　will　give　great　satisfaction。



Your　ob't　servant；



A。　LINCOLN









TO　T。　J。　HENDERSON。



SPRINGFIELD；　　December　15。　　1854



HON。　T。　J。　HENDERSON。



DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　11th　was　received　last　night；　and　for

which　I　thank　you。　　Of　course　I　prefer　myself　to　all　others；　yet

it　is　neither　in　my　heart　nor　my　conscience　to　say　I　am　any

better　man　than　Mr。　Williams。　　We　shall　have　a　terrible　struggle

with　our　adversaries。　　They　are　desperate　and　bent　on　desperate

deeds。　　I　accidentally　learned　of　one　of　the　leaders　here　writing

to　a　member　south　of　here；　in　about　the　following　language：



We　are　beaten。　　They　have　a　clean　majority　of　at　least　nine；　on

joint　ballot。　　They　outnumber　us；　but　we　must　outmanage　them。

Douglas　must　be　sustained。　　We　must　elect　the　Speaker；　and　we

must　elect　a　Nebraska　United　States　Senator；　or　elect　none　at

all。〃　Similar　letters；　no　doubt；　are　written　to　every　Nebraska

member。　　Be　considering　how　we　can　best　meet；　and　foil；　and　beat

them。　　I　send　you；　by　mail；　a　copy　of　my　Peoria　speech。　　You　may

have　seen　it　before；　or　you　may　not　think　it　worth　seeing　now。



Do　not　speak　of　the　Nebraska　letter　mentioned　above；　I　do　not

wish　it　to　become　public；　that　I　received　such　information。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









1855





LOSS　OF　PRIMARY　FOR　SENATOR



TO　E。　B。　WASHBURNE。



SPRINGFIELD；　February　9；　1855



MY　DEAR　SIR：



I　began　with　44　votes；　Shields　41；　and　Trumbull　5；yet　Trumbull

was　elected。　　In　fact　47　different　members　voted　for　me；getting

three　new　ones　on　the　second　ballot；　and　losing　four　old　ones。

How　came　my　47　to　yield　to　Trumbull's　5？　　It　was　Governor

Matteson's　work。　　He　has　been　secretly　a　candidate　ever　since

（before；　even）　the　fall　election。



All　the　members　round　about　the　canal　were　Anti…Nebraska；　but

were　nevertheless　nearly　all　Democrats　and　old　personal　friends

of　his。　　His　plan　was　to　privately　impress　them　with　the　belief

that　he　was　as　good　Anti…Nebraska　as　any　one　elseat　least　could

be　secured　to　be　so　by　instructions；　which　could　be　easily

passed。



The　Nebraska　men；　of　course；　were　not　for　Matteson；　but　when　they

found　they　could　elect　no　avowed　Nebraska　man；　they　tardily

determined　to　let　him　get　whomever　of　our　men　he　could；　by

whatever　means　he　could；　and　ask　him　no　questions。



The　Nebraska　men　were　very　confident　of　the　election　of　Matteson；

though　denying　that　he　was　a　candidate；　and　we　very　much

believing　also　that　they　would　elect　him。　　But　they　wanted　first

to　make　a　show　of　good　faith　to　Shields　by　voting　for　him　a　few

times；　and　our　secret　Matteson　men　also　wanted　to　make　a　show　of

good　faith　by　voting　with　us　a　few　times。　　So　we　led　off。　　On　the

seventh　ballot；　I　think；　the　signal　was　given　to　the　Nebraska　men

to　turn　to　Matteson；　which　they　acted　on　to　a　man；　with　one

exception。　　。　　。　　　Next　ballot　the　remaining　Nebraska　man　and　one

pretended　Anti　went　over　to　him；　giving　him　46。　　The　next　still

another；　giving　him　47；　wanting　only　three　of　an　election。　　In

the　meantime　our　friends；　with　a　view　of　detaining　our　expected

bolters；　had　been　turning　from　me　to　Trumbull　till　he　had　risen

to　35　and　I　had　been　reduced　to　15。　　These　would　never　desert　me

except　by　my　direction；　but　I　became　satisfied　that　if　we　could

prevent　Matteson's　election　one　or　two　ballots　more；　we　could　not

possibly　do　so　a　single　ballot　after　my　friends　should　begin　to

return　to　me　from　Trumbull。　　So　I　determined　to　strike　at　once；

and　accordingly　advised　my　remaining　friends　to　go　for　him；　which

they　did　and　elected　him　on　the　tenth　ballot。



Such　is　the　way　the　thing　was　done。　　I　think　you　would　have　done

the　same　under　the　circumstances。



I　could　have　headed　off　every　combination　and　been　elected；　had

it　not　been　for　Matteson's　double　gameand　his　defeat　now　gives

me　more　pleasure　than　my　own　gives　me　pain。　　On　the　whole；　it　is

perhaps　as　well　for　our　general　cause　that　Trumbull　is　elected。

The　Nebraska　men　confess　that　they　hate　it　worse　than　anything

that　could　have　happened。　　It　is　a　great　consolation　to　see　them

worse　whipped　than　I　am。



Yours　forever；



A。　LINCOLN。









RETURN　TO　LAW　PROFESSION



TO　SANFORD；　PORTER；　AND　STRIKER；　NEW　YORK。



SPRINGFIELD；　MARCH　10；　1855



GENTLEMEN：Yours　of　the　5th　is　received；　as　also　was　that　of

15th　Dec；　last；　inclosing　bond　of　Clift　to　Pray。　　When　I　received

the　bond　I　was　dabbling　in　politics；　and　of　course　neglecting

business。　　Having　since　been　beaten　out　I　have　gone　to　work

again。



As　I　do　not　practice　in　Rushville；　I　to…day　open　a　correspondence

with　Henry　E。　　Dummer；　Esq。；　of　Beardstown；　Ill。；　with　the　view

of　getting　the　job　into　his　hands。　　He　is　a　good　man　if　he　will

undertake　it。



Write　me　whether　I　shall　do　this　or　return　the　bond　to　you。



Yours　respectfully；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　O。　　H。　　BROWNING。



SPRINGFIELD；　March　23；　1855。



HON。　　O。　　H。　　BROWNING。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Your　letter　to　Judge　Logan　has　been　shown　to　us　by

him；　and；　with　his　consent；　we　answer　it。　　When　it　became

probable　that　there　would　be　a　vacancy　on　the　Supreme　Bench；

public　opinion；　on　this　side　of　the　river；　seemed　to　be

universally　directed　to　Logan　as　the　proper　man　to　fill　it。　　I

mean　public　opinion　on　our　side　in　politics；　with　very　small

manifestation　in　any　different　direction　by　the　other　side。　　The

result　is；　that　he　has　been　a　good　deal　pressed　to　allow　his　name

to　be　used；　and　he　has　consented　to　it；　provided　it　can　be　done

with　perfect　cordiality　and　good　feeling　on　the　part　of　all　our

own　friends。　　We；　the　undersigned；　are　very　anxious　for　it；　and

the　more　so　now　that　he　has　been　urged；　until　his　mind　is　turned

upon　the　matter。　　We；　therefore　are　very　glad　of　your　letter；

with　the　information　it　brings　us；　mixed　only　with　a　regret　that

we　can　not　elect　Logan　and　Walker　both。　　We　shall　be　glad；　if　you

will　hoist　Logan's　name；　in　your　Quincy　papers。



Very　truly　your　friends；



A。　LINCOLN；

B。　S。　EWARDS；

JOHN　T。　STUART。









TO　H。　C。　WHITNEY。



SPRINGFIELD；　June　7；　1855。



H。　C。　WHITNEY；　ESQ。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Your　note　containing　election　news　is　received；　and

for　which　I　thank　you。　　It　is　all　of　no　use；　however。　　Logan　is

worse　beaten　than　any　other　man　ever　was　since　elections　were

inventedbeaten　more　than　twelve　hundred　in　this　county。　　It　is

conceded　on　all　hands　that　the　Prohibitory　law　is　also　beaten。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。











RESPONSE　TO　A　PRO…SLAVERY　FRIEND



TO　JOSHUA。　F。　SPEED。



SPRINGFIELD；　August　24；　1855



DEAR　SPEED：You　know　what　a　poor　correspondent　I　am。　　Ever　since

I　received　your　very　agreeable　letter　of　the