the writings-2-第9章

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Texas　shall　be　immediately　released；　the　remainder　of　the　Mexican

prisoners　that　continue　in　the　possession　of　the　Government　of

Texas　to　be　treated　with　due　humanity；any　extraordinary

comforts　that　may　be　furnished　them　to　be　at　the　charge　of　the

Government　of　Mexico。

　　　　　〃Article　X。　General　Antonio　Lopez　de　Santa　Anna　will　be　sent

to　Vera　Cruz　as　soon　as　it　shall　be　deemed　proper。



〃The　contracting　parties　sign　this　instrument　for　the

abovementioned　purposes；　in　duplicate；　at　the　port　of　Velasco；

this　fourteenth　day　of　May；　1836。



〃DAVID　G。　BURNET；　President；

〃JAS。　COLLINGSWORTH；　Secretary　of　State；

〃ANTONIO　LOPEZ　DE　SANTA　ANNA；

〃B。　HARDIMAN；　Secretary　o　f　the　Treasury；

〃P。　W。　GRAYSON；　Attorney…General。〃









REPORT　IN　THE　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES；

JANUARY　19；　1848。



Mr。　Lincoln；　from　the　Committee　on　the　Post…office　and　Post

Roads；　made　the　following　report：



The　Committee　on　the　Post…office　and　Post　Roads；　to　whom　was

referred　the　petition　of　Messrs。　　Saltmarsh　and　Fuller；　report：

That；　as　proved　to　their　satisfaction；　the　mail　routes　from

Milledgeville　to　Athens；　and　from　Warrenton　to　Decatur；　in　the

State　of　Georgia　（numbered　2366　and　2380）；　were　let　to　Reeside

and　Avery　at　1300　per　annum　for　the　former　and　1500　for　the

latter；　for　the　term　of　four　years；　to　commence　on　the　first　day

of　January；　1835；　that；　previous　to　the　time　for　commencing　the

service；　Reeside　sold　his　interest　therein　to　Avery；　that　on　the

a　a　th　of　May；　1835；　Avery　sold　the　whole　to　these　petitioners；

Saltmarsh　and　Fuller；　to　take　effect　from　the　beginning；　January

a　1835　；　that　at　this　time；　the　Assistant　Postmaster…General；

being　called　on　for　that　purpose；　consented　to　the　transfer　of

the　contracts　from　Reeside　and　Avery　to　these　petitioners；　and

promised　to　have　proper　entries　of　the　transfer　made　on　the　books

of　the　department；　which；　however；　was　neglected　to　be　done；　that

the　petitioners；　supposing　all　was　right；　in　good　faith　commenced

the　transportation　of　the　mail　on　these　routes；　and　after

difficulty　arose；　still　trusting　that　all　would　be　made　right；

continued　the　service　till　December　a　1‘837；　that　they　performed

the　service　to　the　entire　satisfaction　of　the　department；　and

have　never　been　paid　anything　for　it　except　_____　；　that　the

difficulty　occurred　as　follows：



Mr。　Barry　was　Postmaster…General　at　the　times　of　making　the

contracts　and　the　attempted　transfer　of　them；　Mr。　Kendall

succeeded　Mr。　Barry；　and　finding　Reeside　apparently　in　debt　to

the　department；　and　these　contracts　still　standing　in　the　names

of　Reeside　and　Avery；　refused　to　pay　for　the　services　under　them；

otherwise　than　by　credits　to　Reeside　；　afterward；　however；　he

divided　the　compensation；　still　crediting　one　half　to　Reeside；

and　directing　the　other　to　be　paid　to　the　order　of　Avery；　who

disclaimed　all　right　to　it。　　After　discontinuing　the　service；

these　petitioners；　supposing　they　might　have　legal　redress

against　Avery；　brought　suit　against　him　in　New　Orleans；　in　which

suit　they　failed；　on　the　ground　that　Avery　had　complied　with　his

contract；　having　done　so　much　toward　the　transfer　as　they　had

accepted　and　been　satisfied　with。　　Still　later　the　department

sued　Reeside　on　his　supposed　indebtedness；　and　by　a　verdict　of

the　jury　it　was　determined　that　the　department　was　indebted　to

him　in　a　sum　much　beyond　all　the　credits　given　him　on　the　account

above　stated。　　Under　these　circumstances；　the　committee　consider

the　petitioners　clearly　entitled　to　relief；　and　they　report　a

bill　accordingly；　lest；　however；　there　should　be　some　mistake　as

to　the　amount　which　they　have　already　received；　we　so　frame　it　as

that；　by　adjustment　at　the　department；　they　may　be　paid　so　much

as　remains　unpaid　for　services　actually　performed　by　them　not

charging　them　with　the　credits　given　to　Reeside。　　The　committee

think　it　not　improbable　that　the　petitioners　purchased　the　right

of　Avery　to　be　paid　for　the　service　from　the　1st　of　January；　till

their　purchase　on　May　11；　1835；　but；　the　evidence　on　this　point

being　very　vague；　they　forbear　to　report　in　favor　of　allowing　it。









TO　WILLIAM　H。　HERNDONLEGAL　WORK



WASHINGTON；　January　19；　1848。



DEAR　WILLIAM：Inclosed　you　find　a　letter　of　Louis　W。　Chandler。

What　is　wanted　is　that　you　shall　ascertain　whether　the　claim　upon

the　note　described　has　received　any　dividend　in　the　Probate　Court

of　Christian　County；　where　the　estate　of　Mr。　Overbon　Williams　has

been　administered　on。　　If　nothing　is　paid　on　it；　withdraw　the

note　and　send　it　to　me；　so　that　Chandler　can　see　the　indorser　of

it。　　At　all　events　write　me　all　about　it；　till　I　can　somehow　get

it　off　my　hands。　　I　have　already　been　bored　more　than　enough

about　it；　not　the　least　of　which　annoyance　is　his　cursed；

unreadable；　and　ungodly　handwriting。



I　have　made　a　speech；　a　copy　of　which　I　will　send　you　by　next

mail。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









REGARDING　SPEECH　ON　MEXICAN　WAR



TO　WILLIAM　H。　HERNDON。



WASHINGTON；　February　1；　1848。



DEAR　WILLIAM：Your　letter　of　the　19th　ultimo　was　received　last

night；　and　for　which　I　am　much　obliged。　　The　only　thing　in　it

that　I　wish　to　talk　to　you　at　once　about　is　that　because　of　my

vote　for　Ashmun's　amendment　you　fear　that　you　and　I　disagree

about　the　war。　　I　regret　this；　not　because　of　any　fear　we　shall

remain　disagreed　after　you　have　read　this　letter；　but　because　if

you　misunderstand　I　fear　other　good　friends　may　also。　　That　vote

affirms　that　the　war　was　unnecessarily　and　unconstitutionally

commenced　by　the　President；　and　I　will　stake　my　life　that　if　you

had　been　in　my　place　you　would　have　voted　just　as　I　did。　　Would

you　have　voted　what　you　felt　and　knew　to　be　a　lie？　　I　know　you

would　not。　　Would　you　have　gone　out　of　the　Houseskulked　the

vote？　　I　expect　not。　　If　you　had　skulked　one　vote；　you　would　have

had　to　skulk　many　more　before　the　end　of　the　session。

Richardson's　resolutions；　introduced　before　I　made　any　move　or

gave　any　vote　upon　the　subject；　make　the　direct　question　of　the

justice　of　the　war；　so　that　no　man　can　be　silent　if　he　would。

You　are　compelled　to　speak；　and　your　only　alternative　is　to　tell

the　truth　or　a　lie。　　I　cannot　doubt　which　you　would　do。



This　vote　has　nothing　to　do　in　determining　my　votes　on　the

questions　of　supplies。　　I　have　always　intended；　and　still　intend；

to　vote　supplies；　perhaps　not　in　the　precise　form　recommended　by

the　President；　but　in　a　better　form　for　all　purposes；　except

Locofoco　party　purposes。　　It　is　in　this　particular　you　seem

mistaken。　　The　Locos　are　untiring　in　their　efforts　to　make　the

impression　that　all　who　vote　supplies　or　take　part　in　the　war　do

of　necessity　approve　the　President's　conduct　in　the　beginning　of

it；　but　the　Whigs　have　from　the　beginning　made　and　kept　the

distinction　between　the　two。　　In　the　very　first　act　nearly　all

the　Whigs　voted　against　the　preamble　declaring　that　war　existed

by　the　act　of　Mexico；　and　yet　nearly　all　of　them　voted　for　the

supplies。　　As　to　the　Whig　men　who　have　participated　in　the　war；

so　far　as　they　have　spoken　in　my　hearing　they　do　not　hesitate　to

denounce　as　unjust　the　President's　conduct　in　the　beginning　of

the　war。　　They　do　not　suppose　that　such　denunciation　is　directed

by　undying　hatred　to　him；　as　The　Register　　would　have　it

believed。　　There　are　two　such　Whigs　on　this　floor　（Colonel

Haskell　and　Major　James）　The　former　fought　as　a　colonel　by　the

side　of　Colonel　Baker　at　Cerro　Gordo；　and　stands　side　by　side

with　me　in　the　vote　that　you　seem　dissatisfied　with。　　The　latter；

the　history　of　whose　capture　with　Cassius　Clay　you　well　know；　had

not　arrived　here　when　that　vote　was　given；　but；　as　I　understand；

he　stands　ready　to　give　just　such　a　vote　whenever　an　occasion

shall　present。　　Baker；　too；　who　is　now　here；　says　the　truth　is

undoubtedly　that　way；　and　whenever　he　shall　speak　out；　he　will

say　so。　　Colonel　Doniphan；　too；　the　favorite　W