the writings-5-第28章

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yourself　or　any　other　patriotic　man。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









ABRAHAM　OR　〃ABRAM〃



TO　G。　ASHMUN。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。　　　June　4；　1860



HON。　GEORGE　ASHMUN。



MY　DEAR　SIR：It　seems　as　if　the　question　whether　my　first　name　is

〃Abraham〃　or　〃Abram〃　will　never　be　settled。　　It　is　〃Abraham；〃　and　if

the　letter　of　acceptance　is　not　yet　in　print；　you　may；　if　you　think

fit；　have　my　signature　thereto　printed　〃Abraham　Lincoln。〃　Exercise

your　judgment　about　this。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









UNAUTHORIZED　BIOGRAPHY



TO　S。　GALLOWAY。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　June　19；　1860



HON。　SAM'L　GALLOWAY。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Your　very　kind　letter　of　the　15th　is　received。　　Messrs。

Follett；　Foster；　&　Co。's　Life　of　me　is　not　by　my　authority；　and　I

have　scarcely　been　so　much　astounded　by　anything；　as　by　their　public

announcement　that　it　is　authorized　by　me。　　They　have　fallen　into　some

strange　misunderstanding。　　I　certainly　knew　they　contemplated

publishing　a　biography；　and　I　certainly　did　not　object　to　their　doing

so；　upon　their　own　responsibility。　　I　even　took　pains　to　facilitate

them。　　But；　at　the　same　time；　I　made　myself　tiresome；　if　not　hoarse；

with　repeating　to　Mr。　Howard；　their　only　agent　seen　by　me；　my　protest

that　I　authorized　nothingwould　be　responsible　for　nothing。　　　How

they　could　so　misunderstand　me；　passes　comprehension。　　　As　a　matter

wholly　my　own；　I　would　authorize　no　biography；　without　time　and

opportunity　＇sic＇　to　carefully　examine　and　consider　every　word　of　it

and；　in　this　case；　in　the　nature　of　things；　I　can　have　no　such　time

and　Opportunity　＇sic＇。　　But；　in　my　present　position；　when；　by　the

lessons　of　the　past；　and　the　united　voice　of　all　discreet　friends；　I

can　neither　write　nor　speak　a　word　for　the　public；　how　dare　I　to　send

forth；　by　my　authority；　a　volume　of　hundreds　of　pages；　for

adversaries　to　make　points　upon　without　end？　Were　I　to　do　so；　the

convention　would　have　a　right　to　re…assemble　and　substitute　another

name　for　mine。



For　these　reasons；　I　would　not　look　at　the　proof　sheetsI　am

determined　to　maintain　the　position　of　＇sic＇　truly　saying　I　never　saw

the　proof　sheets；　or　any　part　of　their　work；　before　its　publication。



Now；　do　not　mistake　meI　feel　great　kindness　for　Messrs。　　F。；　F。；　&

Co。do　not　think　they　have　intentionally　done　wrong。　　There　may　be

nothing　wrong　in　their　proposed　bookI　sincerely　hope　there　will

not。　　I　barely　suggest　that　you；　or　any　of　the　friends　there；　on　the

party　account；　look　it　over；　and　exclude　what　you　may　think　would

embarrass　the　party　bearing　in　mind；　at　all　times；　that　I　authorize

nothingwill　be　responsible　for　nothing。



Your　friend；　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。



＇The　custom　then；　and　it　may　be　a　good　one；　was　for　the　Presidential

candidate　to　do　no　personal　canvassing　or　speakingor　as　we　have　it

now　〃running　for　election。〃　　He　stayed　at　home　and　kept　his　mouth

shut。　　D。W。＇









TO　HANNIBAL　HAMLIN。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　July　18；　1860。



HON。　HANNIBAL　HAMLIN。

MY　DEAR　SIR：It　appears　to　me　that　you　and　I　ought　to　be　acquainted；

and　accordingly　I　write　this　as　a　sort　of　introduction　of　myself　to

you。　　You　first　entered　the　Senate　during　the　single　term　I　was　a

member　of　the　House　of　Representatives；　but　I　have　no　recollection

that　we　were　introduced。　　I　shall　be　pleased　to　receive　a　line　from

you。



The　prospect　of　Republican　success　now　appears　very　flattering；　so

far　as　I　can　perceive。　　Do　you　see　anything　to　the　contrary？



Yours　truly；　　　　A。　LINCOLN。









TO　A。　JONAS。



（Confidential。）



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　JULY　21；　1860。



HON。　A。　JONAS。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　20th　is　received。　I　suppose　as　good　or

even　better　men　than　I　may　have　been　in　American　or　Know…Nothing

lodges；　but　in　point　of　fact；　I　never　was　in　one　at　Quincy　or

elsewhere。　　I　was　never　in　Quincy　but　one　day　and　two　nights　while

Know…Nothing　lodges　were　in　existence；　and　you　were　with　me　that　day

and　both　those　nights。　　I　had　never　been　there　before　in　my　life；　and

never　afterward；　till　the　joint　debate　with　Douglas　in　1858。　　It　was

in　1854　when　I　spoke　in　some　hall　there；　and　after　the　speaking；　you；

with　others；　took　me　to　an　oyster…saloon；　passed　an　hour　there；　and

you　walked　with　me　to；　and　parted　with　me　at；　the　Quincy　House；　quite

late　at　night。　　I　left　by　stage　for　Naples　before　daylight　in　the

morning；　having　come　in　by　the　same　route　after　dark　the　evening；

previous　to　the　speaking；　when　I　found　you　waiting　at　the　Quincy

House　to　meet　me。　　A　few　days　after　I　was　there；　Richardson；　as　I

understood；　started　this　same　story　about　my　having　been　in　a

Know…Nothing　lodge。　　When　I　heard　of　the　charge；　as　I　did　soon　after；

I　taxed　my　recollection　for　some　incident　which　could　have　suggested

it；　and　I　remembered　that　on　parting　with　you　the　last　night　I　went

to　the　office　of　the　hotel　to　take　my　stage…passage　for　the　morning；

was　told　that　no　stage…office　for　that　line　was　kept　there；　and　that

I　must　see　the　driver　before　retiring；　to　insure　his　calling　for　me

in　the　morning；　and　a　servant　was　sent　with　me　to　find　the　driver；

who；　after　taking　me　a　square　or　two；　stopped　me；　and　stepped　perhaps

a　dozen　steps　farther；　and　in　my　hearing　called　to　some　one；　who

answered　him；　apparently　from　the　upper　part　of　a　building；　and

promised　to　call　with　the　stage　for　me　at　the　Quincy　House。

I　returned；　and　went　to　bed；　and　before　day　the　stage　called　and　took

me。　This　is　all。



That　I　never　was　in　a　Know…Nothing　lodge　in　Quincy；　I　should　expect

could　be　easily　proved　by　respectable　men　who　were　always　in　the

lodges　and　never　saw　me　there。　　An　affidavit　of　one　or　two　such　would

put　the　matter　at　rest。



And　now　a　word　of　caution。　Our　adversaries　think　they　can　gain　a

point　if　they　could　force　me　to　openly　deny　the　charge；　by　which　some

degree　of　offence　would　be　given　to　the　Americans。　　For　this　reason

it　must　not　publicly　appear　that　I　am　paying　any　attention　to　the

charge。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　JOHN　B。　FRY。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　August　15；　1860。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　9th；　inclosing　the　letter　of　HON。　John

Minor　Botts；　was　duly　received。　　The　latter　is　herewith　returned

according　to　your　request。　　It　contains　one　of　the　many　assurances　I

receive　from　the　South；　that　in　no　probable　event　will　there　be　any

very　formidable　effort　to　break　up　the　Union。　　The　people　of　the

South　have　too　much　of　good　sense　and　good　temper　to　attempt　the　ruin

of　the　government　rather　than　see　it　administered　as　it　was

administered　by　the　men　who　made　it。　　At　least　so　I　hope　and　believe。

I　thank　you　both　for　your　own　letter　and　a　sight　of　that　of　Mr。

Botts。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　THURLOW　WEED



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。　August　17　1860。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　13th　was　received　this　morning。　　Douglas

is　managing　the　Bell　element　with　great　adroitness。　　He　had　his　men

in　Kentucky　to　vote　for　the　Bell　candidate；　producing　a　result　which

has　badly　alarmed　and　damaged　Breckenridge；　and　at　the　same　time　has

induced　the　Bell　men　to　suppose　that　Bell　will　certainly　be

President；　if　they　can　keep　a　few　of　the　Northern　States　away　from　us

by　throwing　them　to　Douglas。　　But　you；　better　than　I；　understand　all

this。



I　think　there　will　be　the　most　extraordinary　effort　ever　made　to

carry　New　York　for　Douglas。　　You　and　all　others　who　write　me　from

your　State　think　the　effort　cannot　succeed；　and　I　hope　you　are　right。

Still；　it　will　require　close　watching　and　great　efforts　on　the　other

side。



Herewith　I　send　you　a　copy　of　a　letter　written　at　New　York；　which

sufficiently　explains　itself；　and　which　may　or　may　not　give　you　a

valuable　hint。　　You　have　seen　that　Bell　tickets　have　been　put　on　the

track　both　here　and　in　Indiana。　　In　both　cases　the　object　has　been；　I

think；　the　same　as　the　Hunt　movement　in　New　Yorkto　throw　States　to

Douglas。　　In　our　State；　we　know　the　thing　is　engineered　by　Douglas

men；　and　we　do　not　believe　they　can　make　a　great　deal　out　of　it。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









SLOW　TO　LISTEN　TO　CRIMINATIONS



TO　HON。　JOHN　______________



（Private。）



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　Aug。　　31；　1860



MY　DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　27th　is　duly　received。　　It　consists　almost

exclusively　of　a　historical　detail　of　some　local　troubles；　among　some

of　our　friends　in　Pennsylvania；　and　I　suppose　its　object　is　to　guard

me　against　forming　a　prejudice　against　Mr。　McC___________；　I　have　not

heard　near　so　much　upon　that　subject　as　you　probably　suppose；　and　I

am　slow　to　listen　to　criminations　among　friends；　and　never　expose

their　quarrels　on　either　side。　　My　sincere　wish　is　that　both　sides

will　allow　bygones　to　be　bygones；　and　look　to　the　present　and　future

only。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　HANNIBAL　HAMLIN



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　September　4；　1860



HON。　HANNIBAL　HAMLIN。



MY　DEAR　SIR：I　am　annoyed　some　by　a　letter　from　a　friend　in　Chicago；

in　which　the　following　passage　occurs：　〃Hamlin　has　written　Colfax

that　two　members　of　Congress　will；　he　fears；　be　lost　in　Maine；　the

first　and　sixth　districts；　and　that　Washburne's　majority　for　governor

will　not　exceed　six　thousand。〃



I　had　heard　something　like　this　six　weeks　ago；　but　had　been　assured

since　that　it　was　not　so。　　Your　secretary　of　state；Mr。　Smith；　I

think；whom　you　introduced　to　me　by　letter；　gave　this　assurance；

more　recently；　Mr。　Fessenden；　our　candidate　for　Congress　in　one　of

those　districts；　wrote　a　relative　here　that　his　election　was　sure　by

at　least　five　thousand；　and　that　Washburne's　majority　would　be　from

14；000　to　17；000；　and　still　later；　Mr。　Fogg；　of　New　Hampshire；　now　at

New　York　serving　on　a　national　committee；　wrote　me　that　we　were

having　a　desperate　fight　in　Maine；　which　would　end　in　a　splendid

victory　for　us。



Such　a　result　as　you　seem　to　have　predicted　in　Maine；　in　your　letter

to　Colfax；　would；　I　fear；　put　us　on　the　down…hill　track；　lose　us　the

State　elections　in　Pennsylvania　and　Indiana；　and　probably　ruin　us　on

the　main　turn　in　November。



You　must　not　allow　it。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　E。　B。　WASHBURNE。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；

September　9；　1860



HON。　E。　B。　WASHBURNE。



MY　DEAR　SIR：　Yours　of　the　5th　was　received　last　evening。　　I　was　right

glad　to　see　it。　　It　contains　the　freshest　〃posting〃　which　I　now　have。

It　relieved　me　some　from　a　little　anxiety　I　had　about　Maine。　　Jo

Medill；　on　August　3oth；　wrote　me　that　Colfax　had　a　letter　from　Mr。

Hamlin　saying　we　were　in　great　danger　of　losing　two　members　of

Congress　in　Maine；　and　that　your　brother　would　not　have　exceeding　six

thousand　majority　for　Governor。　　I　addressed　you　at　once；　at　Galena；

asking　for　your　latest　information。　　As　you　are