the writings-5-第18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　be　able　to　answer　it。　　It　is　not　my　intention　to　take　part　in　any

of　the　rivalries　for　the　gubernatorial　nomination；　but　the　fear　of

being　misunderstood　upon　that　subject　ought　not　to　deter　me　from

doing　justice　to　Mr。　Judd；　and　preventing　a　wrong　being　done　to　him

by　the　use　of　nay　name　in　connection　with　alleged　wrongs　to　me。



In　answer　to　your　first　question；　as　to　whether　Mr。　Judd　was　guilty

of　any　unfairness　to　me　at　the　time　of　Senator　Trumbull's　election；　I

answer　unhesitatingly　in　the　negative；　Mr。　Judd　owed　no　political

allegiance　to　any　party　whose　candidate　I　was。　　He　was　in　the　Senate；

holding　over；　having　been　elected　by　a　Democratic　Constituency。　　He

never　was　in　any　caucus　of　the　friends　who　sought　to　make　me　U。　S。

Senator；　never　gave　me　any　promises　or　pledges　to　support　me；　and

subsequent　events　have　greatly　tended　to　prove　the　wisdom；

politically；　of　Mr。　Judd's　course。　　The　election　of　Judge　Trumbull

strongly　tended　to　sustain　and　preserve　the　position　of　that　lion　of

the　Democrats　who　condemned　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise；

and　left　them　in　a　position　of　joining　with　us　in　forming　the

Republican　party；　as　was　done　at　the　Bloomington　convention　in　1856。



During　the　canvass　of　1858　for　the　senatorship　my　belief　was；　and

still　is；　that　I　had　no　more　sincere　and　faithful　friend　than　Mr。

Juddcertainly　none　whom　I　trusted　more。　　His　position　as　chairman

of　the　State　Central　Committee　led　to　my　greater　intercourse　with

him；　and　to　my　giving　him　a　larger　share　of　my　confidence；　than　with

or　to　almost　any　other　friend；　and　I　have　never　suspected　that　that

confidence　was；　to　any　degree；　misplaced。



My　relations　with　Mr。　Judo　since　the　organization　of　the　Republican

party；　in；　our　State；　in　1856；　and　especially　since　the　adjournment

of　the　Legislature　in　Feb。；　1857；　have　been　so　very　intimate　that　I

deem　it　an　impossibility　that　he　could　have　been　dealing

treacherously　with　me。　He　has　also；　at　all　times；　appeared　equally

true　and　faithful　to　the　party。　In　his　position　as　chairman　of　the

committee；　I　believe　he　did　all　that　any　man　could　have　done。　The

best　of　us　are　liable　to　commit　errors；　which　become　apparent　by

subsequent　developments；　but　I　do　not　know　of　a　single　error；　even；

committed　by　Mr。　Judd；　since　he　and　I　have　acted　together

politically。



I；　had　occasionally　heard　these　insinuations　against　Mr。　Judd；　before

the　receipt　of　your　letter；　and　in　no　instance　have　I　hesitated　to

pronounce　them　wholly　unjust；　to　the　full　extent　of　my　knowledge　and

belief。　I　have　been；　and　still　am；　very　anxious　to　take　no　part

between　the　many　friends；　all　good　and　true；　who　are　mentioned　as

candidates　for　a　Republican　gubernatorial　nomination；　but　I　can　not

feel　that　my　own　honor　is　quite　clear　if　I　remain　silent　when　I　hear

any　one　of　them　assailed　about　matters　of　which　I　believe　I　know　more

than　his　assailants。



I　take　pleasure　in　adding　that；　of　all　the　avowed　friends　I　had　in

the　canvass　of　last　year；　I　do　not　suspect　any　of　having　acted

treacherously　to　me；　or　to　our　cause；　and　that　there　is　not　one　of

them　in　whose　honesty；　honor；　and　integrity　I；　today；　have　greater

confidence　than　I　have　in　those　of　Mr。　Judd。



I　dislike　to　appear　before　the　public　in　this　matter；　but　you　are　at

liberty　to　make　such　use　of　this　letter　as　you　may　think　justice

requires。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　G。　M。　PARSONS　AND　OTHERS。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　December　19；　1859。



MESSRS。　G。　M。　PARSONS　AND　OTHERS；　CENTRAL　EXECUTIVE　COMMITTEE；　ETC。



GENTLEMEN：Your　letter　of　the　7th　instant；　accompanied　by　a　similar

one　from　the　governor…elect；　the　Republican　State　officers；　and　the

Republican　members　of　the　State　Board　of　Equalization　of　Ohio；　both

requesting　of　me；　for　publication　in　permanent　form；　copies　of　the

political　debates　between　Senator　Douglas　and　myself　last　year；　has

been　received。　　With　my　grateful　acknowledgments　to　both　you　and　them

for　the　very　flattering　terms　in　which　the　request　is　communicated；　I

transmit　you　the　copies。　　The　copies　I　send　you　are　as　reported　and

printed　by　the　respective　friends　of　Senator　Douglas　and　myself；　at

the　timethat　is；　his　by　his　friends；　and　mine　by　mine。　　It　would　be

an　unwarrantable　liberty　for　us　to　change　a　word　or　a　letter　in　his；

and　the　changes　I　have　made　in　mine；　you　perceive；　are　verbal　only；

and　very　few　in　number。　　I　wish　the　reprint　to　be　precisely　as　the

copies　I　send；　without　any　comment　whatever。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL　SKETCH



TO　J。　W。　FELL；



SPRINGFIELD；　December　20；　1859。



J。　W。　FELL；　Esq。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Herewith　is　a　little　sketch；　as　you　requested。　　There

is　not　much　of　it；　for　the　reason；　I　suppose；　that　there　is　not　much

of　me。　　If　anything　be　made　out　of　it；　I　wish　it　to　be　modest；　and

not　to　go　beyond　the　material。　　If　it　were　thought　necessary　to

incorporate　anything　from　any　of　my　speeches　I　suppose　there　would　be

no　objection。　　Of　course　it　must　not　appear　to　have　been　written　by

myself。



Yours　very　truly；

A。　LINCOLN



…



I　was　born　February　12；　1809；　in　Hardin　County；　Kentucky。　　My　parents

were　both　born　in　Virginia；　of　undistinguished　familiessecond

families；　perhaps　I　should　say。　　My　mother；　who　died　in　my　tenth

year；　was　of　a　family　of　the　name　of　Hanks；　some　of　whom　now　reside

in　Adams；　and　others　in　Macon　County；　Illinois。　　My　paternal

grandfather；　Abraham　Lincoln；　emigrated　from　Rockingham　County；

Virginia；　to　Kentucky　about　1781　or　1782；　where　a　year　or　two　later

he　was　killed　by　the　Indians；　not　in　battle；　but　by　stealth；　when　he

was　laboring　to　open　a　farm　in　the　forest。　　His　ancestors；　who　were

Quakers；　went　to　Virginia　from　Berks　County；　Pennsylvania。　　An　effort

to　identify　them　with　the　New　England　family　of　the　same　name　ended

in　nothing　more　definite　than　a　similarity　of　Christian　names　in　both

families；　such　as　Enoch；　Levi；　Mordecai；　Solomon；　Abraham；　and　the

like。



My　father；　at　the　death　of　his　father；　was　but　six　years　of　age；　and

he　grew　up　literally　without　education。　　He　removed　from　Kentucky　to

what　is　now　Spencer　County；　Indiana；　in　my　eighth　year。　　We　reached

our　new　home　about　the　time　that　State　came　into　the　Union。　　It　was　a

wild　region；　with　many　bears　and　other　wild　animals　still　in　the

woods。　　There　I　grew　up。　　There　were　some　schools；　so　called；　but　no

qualification　was　ever　required　of　a　teacher　beyond　〃readin'；

writin'；　and　cipherin〃'　to　the　Rule　of　Three。　　If　a　straggler

supposed　to　understand　Latin　happened　to　sojourn　in　the　neighborhood

he　was　looked　upon　as　a　wizard。　　There　was　absolutely　nothing　to

excite　ambition　for　education。　　Of　course；　when　I　came　of　age　I　did

not　know　much。　　Still；　somehow；　I　could　read；　write；　and　cipher　to

the　Rule　of　Three；　but　that　was　all。　　I　have　not　been　to　school

since。　　The　little　advance　I　now　have　upon　this　store　of　education　I

have　picked　up　from　time　to　time　under　the　pressure　of　necessity。



I　was　raised　to　farm　work；　which　I　continued　till　I　was　twenty…two。

At　twenty…one　I　came　to　Illinois；　Macon　County。　　Then　I　got　to　New

Salem；　at　that　time　in　Sangamon；　now　in　Menard　County；　where　I

remained　a　year　as　a　sort　of　clerk　in　a　store。　　Then　came　the　Black

Hawk　war；　and　I　was　elected　a　captain　of　volunteers；　a　success　which

gave　me　more　pleasure　than　any　I　have　had　since。　　I　went　the

campaign；　was　elected；　ran　for　the　Legislature　the　same　year　（1832）；

and　was　beatenthe　only　time　I　ever　have　been　beaten　by　the　people。

The　next　and　three　succeeding　biennial　elections　I　was　elected　to　the

Legislature。　　I　was　not　a　candidate　afterward。　　During　this

legislative　period　I　had　studied　law；　and　removed　to　Springfield　to

practice　it。　　In　1846　I　was　once　elected　to　the　lower　House　of

Congress。　　Was　not　a　candidate　for　re…election。　　From　1849　to　1854；

both　inclusive；　practiced　law　more　assiduously　than　ever　before。

Always　a　Whig　in　politics；　and　generally　on　the　Whig　electoral

tickets；　making　active　canvasses。　　I　was　losing　interest　in　politics

when　the　repeal　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　aroused　me　again。　　What　I

have　done　since　then　is　pretty　well　known。



If　any　personal　description　of　me　is　thought　desirable；　it　may　be

said　I　am；　in　height；　six　feet　four　inches；　nearly；　lean　in　flesh；

weighing　on　an　average　one　hundred　and　eighty　pounds；　dark

complexion；　with　coarse　black　hair　and　gray　eyes。　　No　other　marks　or

brands　recollected。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









ON　NOMINATION　TO　THE　NATIONAL　TICKET



To　N。　B。　JUDD。



SPRINGFIELD；　FEBRUARY　9；　1859



HON。　N。　B。　JUDD。



DEAR　Sir：I　am　not　in　a　position　where　it　would　hurt　much　for　me　to

not　be　nominated　on　the　national　ticket；　but　I　am　where　it　would　hurt

some　for　me　to　not　get　the　Illinois　delegates。　　What　I　expected　when

I　wrote　the　letter　to　Messrs。　　Dole　and　others　is　now　happening。

Your　discomfited　assailants　are　most　bitter　against　me；　and　they

will；　for　revenge　upon　me；　lay　to　the　Bates　egg　in　the　South；　and　to

the　Seward　egg　in　the　North；　and　go　far　toward　squeezing　me　out　in

the　middle　with　nothing。　　　Can　you　help　me　a　little　in　this　matter　in

your　end　of　the　vineyard。　　　I　mean　this　to　be　private。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN











1860





SPEECH　AT　THE　COOPER　INSTITUTE；　NEW　YORK

FEBRUARY　27；　1860





MR。　PRESIDENT　AND　FELLOW…CITIZENS　OF　NEW　YORK：The　facts　with　which

I　shall　deal　this　evening　are　mainly　old　and　familiar；　nor　is　there

anything　new　in　the　general　use　I　shall　make　of　them。　If　there　shall

be　any　novelty；　it　will　be　in　the　mode　of　presenting　the　facts；　and

the　inferences　and　observations　following　that　presentation。



In　his　speech　last　autumn　at　Columbus；　Ohio；　as　reported　in　the　New

York　Times；　Senator　Douglas　said：



〃Our　fathers；　when　they　framed　the　Government　under　which　we　live；

understood　this　question　just　as　well；　and　even　better　than　we　do

now。〃



I　fully　indorse　this；　and　I　adopt　it　as　a　text　for　this　discourse。

I　so　adopt　it　because　it　furnishes　a　precise　and　an　agreed　starting…

point　for　a　discussion　between　Republicans　and　that　wing　of　the

Democracy　headed　by　Senator　Douglas。　　It　simply　leaves　the　inquiry：

What　was　the　understanding　those　fathers　had　of　the　question

mentioned？



What　is　the　frame　of　Government　under　which　we　live？



The　answer　must　bethe　Constitution　of　the　United　States。　　That

Constitution　consists　of　the　original；　framed　in　1787　（and　under

which　the　present　Government　first　went　into　operation）；　and　twelve

subsequently　framed　amendments；　the　first　ten　of　which　were　framed　in

1789。



Who　were　our　fathers　that　framed　the　Constitution？　　I　suppose　the

〃thirty…nine〃　who　signed　the　original　instrument　may　be　fairly　called

our　fathers　who　framed　that　part　of　the　present　Government。　　It　is

almost