the writings-2-第62章

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Republican　parties　incidentally；　bear　on　the　question　of　forming

a　willa　public　sentimentfor　colonization；　is　easy　to　see。

The　Republicans　inculcate；　with　whatever　of　ability　they　can；

that　the　negro　is　a　man；　that　his　bondage　is　cruelly　wrong；　and

that　the　field　of　his　oppression　ought　not　to　be　enlarged。　　The

Democrats　deny　his　manhood；　deny；　or　dwarf　to　insignificance；　the

wrong　of　his　bondage；　so　far　as　possible　crush　all　sympathy　for

him；　and　cultivate　and　excite　hatred　and　disgust　against　him；

compliment　themselves　as　Union…savers　for　doing　so；　and　call　the

indefinite　outspreading　of　his　bondage　〃a　sacred　right　of　self…

government。〃



The　plainest　print　cannot　be　read　through　a　gold　eagle；　and　it

will　be　ever　hard　to　find　many　men　who　will　send　a　slave　to

Liberia；　and　pay　his　passage；　while　they　can　send　him　to　a　new

countryKansas；　for　instanceand　sell　him　for　fifteen　hundred

dollars；　and　the　rise。









TO　WILLIAM　GRIMES。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　August；　1857



DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　14th　is　received；　and　I　am　much　obliged

for　the　legal　information　you　give。



You　can　scarcely　be　more　anxious　than　I　that　the　next　election　in

Iowa　should　result　in　favor　of　the　Republicans。　　I　lost　nearly

all　the　working　part　of　last　year；　giving　my　time　to　the　canvass；

and　I　am　altogether　too　poor　to　lose　two　years　together。　　I　am

engaged　in　a　suit　in　the　United　States　Court　at　Chicago；　in　which

the　Rock　Island　Bridge　Company　is　a　party。　　The　trial　is　to

commence　on　the　8th　of　September；　and　probably　will　last　two　or

three　weeks。　　During　the　trial　it　is　not　improbable　that　all

hands　may　come　over　and　take　a　look　at　the　bridge；　and；　if　it

were　possible　to　make　it　hit　right；　I　could　then　speak　at

Davenport。　　My　courts　go　right　on　without　cessation　till　late　in

November。　　Write　me　again；　pointing　out　the　more　striking　points

of　difference　between　your　old　and　new　constitutions；　and　also

whether　Democratic　and　Republican　party　lines　were　drawn　in　the

adoption　of　it；　and　which　were　for　and　which　were　against　it。

If；　by　possibility；　I　could　get　over　among　you　it　might　be　of

some　advantage　to　know　these　things　in　advance。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









ARGUMENT　IN　THE　ROCK　ISLAND　BRIDGE　CASE。



（From　the　Daily　Press　of　Chicago；　Sept。　　24；　1857。）



Hurd　et　al。　vs　Railroad　Bridge　Co。



United　States　Circuit　Court；

Hon。　John　McLean；　Presiding　Judge。



13th　day；　Tuesday；　Sept。　　22；　1857。



Mr。　A。　Lincoln　addressed　the　jury。　　He　said　he　did　not　purpose　to

assail　anybody；　that　he　expected　to　grow　earnest　as　he　proceeded

but　not　ill…natured。　　〃There　is　some　conflict　of　testimony　in　the

case；〃　he　said；　〃but　one　quarter　of　such　a　number　of　witnesses

seldom　agree；　and　even　if　all　were　on　one　side　some　discrepancy

might　be　expected。　　We　are　to　try　and　reconcile　them；　and　to

believe　that　they　are　not　intentionally　erroneous　as　long　as　we

can。〃　　He　had　no　prejudice；　he　said；　against　steamboats　or

steamboat　men　nor　any　against　St。　Louis；　for　he　supposed　they

went　about　this　matter　as　other　people　would　do　in　their

situation。　　〃St。　Louis；〃　he　continued；　〃as　a　commercial　place　may

desire　that　this　bridge　should　not　stand；　as　it　is　adverse　to　her

commerce；　diverting　a　portion　of　it　from　the　river；　and　it　may　be

that　she　supposes　that　the　additional　cost　of　railroad

transportation　upon　the　productions　of　Iowa　will　force　them　to　go

to　St。　Louis　if　this　bridge　is　removed。　　The　meetings　in　St。

Louis　are　connected　with　this　case　only　as　some　witnesses　are　in

it；　and　thus　has　some　prejudice　added　color　to　their　testimony。〃

The　last　thing　that　would　be　pleasing　to　him；　Mr。　Lincoln　said；

would　be　to　have　one　of　these　great　channels；　extending　almost

from　where　it　never　freezes　to　where　it　never　thaws；　blocked　up；

but　there　is　a　travel　from　east　to　west　whose　demands　are　not

less　important　than　those　of　the　river。　　It　is　growing　larger　and

larger；　building　up　new　countries　with　a　rapidity　never　before

seen　in　the　history　of　the　world。　　He　alluded　to　the　astonishing

growth　of　Illinois；　having　grown　within　his　memory　to　a

population　of　a　million　and　a　half；　to　Iowa　and　the　other　young

rising　communities　of　the　Northwest。



〃This　current　of　travel；〃　said　he；　〃has　its　rights　as　well　as

that　of　north　and　south。　　If　the　river　had　not　the　advantage　in

priority　and　legislation　we　could　enter　into　free　competition

with　it　and　we　could　surpass　it。　　This　particular　railroad　line

has　a　great　importance　and　the　statement　of　its　business　during　a

little　less　than　a　year　shows　this　importance。　　It　is　in　evidence

that　from　September　8；　1856；　to　August　8；　1857；　12；586　freight

cars　and　74；179　passengers　passed　over　this　bridge。　　Navigation

was　closed　four　days　short　of　four　months　last　year；　and　during

this　time　while　the　river　was　of　no　use　this　road　and　bridge　were

valuable。　　There　is；　too；　a　considerable　portion　of　time　when

floating　or　thin　ice　makes　the　river　useless　while　the　bridge　is

as　useful　as　ever。　　This　shows　that　this　bridge　must　be　treated

with　respect　in　this　court　and　is　not　to　be　kicked　about　with

contempt。　　The　other　day　Judge　Wead　alluded　to　the　strike　of　the

contending　interest　and　even　a　dissolution　of　the　Union。　　The

proper　mode　for　all　parties　in　this　affair　is　to　'live　and　let

live；'　and　then　we　will　find　a　cessation　of　this　trouble　about

the　bridge。　　What　mood　were　the　steamboat　men　in　when　this　bridge

was　burned？　　Why；　there　was　a　shouting　and　ringing　of　bells　and

whistling　on　all　the　boats　as　it　fell。　　It　was　a　jubilee；　a

greater　celebration　than　follows　an　excited　election。　　The　first

thing　I　will　proceed　to　is　the　record　of　Mr。　Gurney　and　the

complaint　of　Judge　Wead　that　the　record　did　not　extend　back　over

all　the　time　from　the　completion　of　the　bridge。　　The　principal

part　of　the　navigation　after　the　bridge　was　burned　passed　through

the　span。　　When　the　bridge　was　repaired　and　the　boats　were　a

second　time　confined　to　the　draw　it　was　provided　that　this　record

should　be　kept。　　That　is　the　simple　history　of　that　book。



〃From　April　19th；　1856；　to　May　6thseventeen　daysthere　were

twenty　accidents　and　all　the　time　since　then　there　have　been　but

twenty　hits；　including　seven　accidents；　so　that　the　dangers　of

this　place　are　tapering　off　and　as　the　boatmen　get　cool　the

accidents　get　less。　　We　may　soon　expect　if　this　ratio　is　kept　up

that　there　will　be　no　accidents　at　all。



〃Judge　Wead　said；　while　admitting　that　the　floats　went　straight

through；　there　was　a　difference　between　a　float　and　a　boat；　but　I

do　not　remember　that　he　indulged　us　with　an　argument　in　support

of　this　statement。　　Is　it　because　there　is　a　difference　in　size？

Will　not　a　small　body　and　a　large　one　float　the　same　way　under

the　same　influence？　　True　a　flatboat　will　float　faster　than　an

egg　shell　and　the　egg　shell　might　be　blown　away　by　the　wind；　but

if　under　the　same　influence　they　would　go　the　same　way。　　Logs；

floats；　boards；　various　things　the　witnesses　say　all　show　the

same　current。　　Then　is　not　this　test　reliable？　　At　all　depths　too

the　direction　of　the　current　is　the　same。　　A　series　of　these

floats　would　make　a　line　as　long　as　a　boat　and　would　show　any

influence　upon　any　part　and　all　parts　of　the　boat。



〃I　will　now　speak　of　the　angular　position　of　the　piers。　　What　is

the　amount　of　the　angle？　　The　course　of　the　river　is　a　curve　and

the　pier　is　straight。　　If　a　line　is　produced　from　the　upper　end

of　the　long　pier　straight　with　the　pier　to　a　distance　of　350

feet；　and　a　line　is　drawn　from　a　point　in　the　channel　opposite

this　point　to　the　head　of　the　pier；　Colonel　Nason　says　they　will

form　an　angle　of　twenty　degrees。　　But　the　angle　if　measured　at

the　pier　is　seven　degrees；　that　is；　we　would　have　to　move　the

pier　seven　degrees　to　make　it　exactly　straight　with　the　current。

Would　that　make　the　navigation　better　or　worse？　　The　witnesses　of

the　plaintiff　seem　to　think　it