the writings-5-第4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！



like　h…ll　yet。〃　Quit　thatyou　will　soon　feel　better。　　Another　〃blow

up〃　is　coming；　and　we　shall　have　fun　again。　　Douglas　managed　to　be

supported　both　as　the　best　instrument　to　down　and　to　uphold　the　slave

power；　but　no　ingenuity　can　long　keep　the　antagonism　in　harmony。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN









TO　H。　C。　WHITNEY。



SPRINGFIELD；　　November　30；　1858



H。　C。　WHITNEY；　ESQ。



MY　DEAR　SIR　：Being　desirous　of　preserving　in　some　permanent　form

the　late　joint　discussion　between　Douglas　and　myself；　ten　days　ago　I

wrote　to　Dr。　　Ray；　requesting　him　to　forward　to　me　by　express　two

sets　of　the　numbers　of　the　Tribune　which　contain　the　reports　of　those

discussions。　　Up　to　date　I　have　no　word　from　him　on　the　subject。

Will　you；　if　in　your　power；　procure　them　and　forward　them　to　me　by

express？　If　you　will；　I　will　pay　all　charges；　and　be　greatly　obliged；

to　boot。　　Hoping　to　visit　you　before　long；　I　remain



As　ever　your　friend；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　H。　D。　SHARPE。



SPRINGFIELD；　Dec。　　8；　1858。



H。　D。　SHARPE；　Esq。



DEAR　SIR：Your　very　kind　letter　of　Nov。　　9th　was　duly　received。　　I

do　not　know　that　you　expected　or　desired　an　answer；　but　glancing　over

the　contents　of　yours　again；　I　am　prompted　to　say　that；　while　I

desired　the　result　of　the　late　canvass　to　have　been　different；　I

still　regard　it　as　an　exceeding　small　matter。　　I　think　we　have　fairly

entered　upon　a　durable　struggle　as　to　whether　this　nation　is　to

ultimately　become　all　slave　or　all　free；　and　though　I　fall　early　in

the　contest；　it　is　nothing　if　I　shall　have　contributed；　in　the　least

degree；　to　the　final　rightful　result。



Respectfully　yours；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　A。　SYMPSON。



SPRINGFIELD；　Dec。12；　1858。



ALEXANDER　SYMPSON；　Esq。



MY　DEAR　SIR：I　expect　the　result　of　the　election　went　hard　with　you。

So　it　did　with　me；　too；　perhaps　not　quite　so　hard　as　you　may　have

supposed。　　I　have　an　abiding　faith　that　we　shall　beat　them　in　the

long　run。　　Step　by　step　the　objects　of　the　leaders　will　become　too

plain　for　the　people　to　stand　them。　　I　write　merely　to　let　you　know

that　I　am　neither　dead　nor　dying。　　Please　give　my　respects　to　your

good　family；　and　all　inquiring　friends。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









ON　BANKRUPTCY



NOTES　OF　AN　ARGUMENT。



December　＇？＇；　1858。



Legislation　and　adjudication　must　follow　and　conform　to　the　progress

of　society。



The　progress　of　society　now　begins　to　produce　cases　of　the　transfer

for　debts　of　the　entire　property　of　railroad　corporations；　and　to

enable　transferees　to　use　and　enjoy　the　transferred　property；

1egislation　and　adjudication　begin　to　be　necessary。



Shall　this　class　of　legislation　just　now　beginning　with　us　be　general

or　special？



Section　Ten　of　our　Constitution　requires　that　it　should　be　general；

if　possible。　　（Read　the　section。）



Special　legislation　always　trenches　upon　the　judicial　department；　and

in　so　far　violates　Section　Two　of　the　Constitution。　　（Read　it。）



Just　reasoningpolicyis　in　favor　of　general　legis1ationelse　the

Legislature　will　be　loaded　down　with　the　investigation　of　smaller

casesa　work　which　the　courts　ought　to　perform；　and　can　perform　much

more　perfectly。　　How　can　the　Legislature　rightly　decide　the　facts

between　P。　&　B。　and　S。C。



It　is　said　that　under　a　general　law；　whenever　a　R。　R。　Co。　　gets　tired

of　its　debts；　it　may　transfer　fraudulently　to　get　rid　of　them。　　So

they　mayso　may　individuals；　and　whichthe　Legislature　or　the

courtsis　best　suited　to　try　the　question　of　fraud　in　either　case？



It　is　said；　if　a　purchaser　have　acquired　legal　rights；　let　him　not　be

robbed　of　them；　but　if　he　needs　legislation　let　him　submit　to　just

terms　to　obtain　it。



Let　him；　say　we；　have　general　law　in　advance　（guarded　in　every

possible　way　against　fraud）；　so　that；　when　he　acquires　a　legal　right；

he　will　have　no　occasion　to　wait　for　additional　legislation；　and　if

he　has　practiced　fraud　let　the　courts　so　decide。









A　LEGAL　OPINION　BY　ABRAHAM　LINCOLN。



The　11th　Section　of　the　Act　of　Congress；　approved　Feb。　11；　1805；

prescribing　rules　for　the　subdivision　of　sections　of　land　within　the

United　States　system　of　surveys；　standing　unrepealed；　in　my　opinion；

is　binding　on　the　respective　purchasers　of　different　parts　of　the

same　section；　and　furnishes　the　true　rule　for　surveyors　in

establishing　lines　between　them。　　That　law；　being　in　force　at　the

time　each　became　a　purchaser；　becomes　a　condition　of　the　purchase。



And；　by　that　law；　I　think　the　true　rule　for　dividing　into　quarters

any　interior　section　or　sections；　which　is　not　fractional；　is　to　run

straight　lines　through　the　section　from　the　opposite　quarter　section

corners；　fixing　the　point　where　such　straight　lines　cross；　or

intersect　each　other；　as　the　middle　or　centre　of　the　section。



Nearly；　perhaps　quite；　all　the　original　surveys　are　to　some　extent

erroneous；　and　in　some　of　the　sections；　greatly　so。　In　each　of　the

latter；　it　is　obvious　that　a　more　equitable　mode　of　division　than　the

above　might　be　adopted；　but　as　error　is　infinitely　various　perhaps　no

better　single　rules　can　be　prescribed。



At　all　events　I　think　the　above　has　been　prescribed　by　the　competent

authority。



SPRINGFIELD；　Jany。　　6；　1859。



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　M。　W。　DELAHAY。



SPRINGFIELD；　March　4；　1859。



M。　W。　DELAHAY；　Esq。



MY　DEAR　SIR：　Your　second　letter　in　relation　to　my　being　with　you　at

your　Republican　convention　was　duly　received。　　It　is　not　at　hand　just

now；　but　I　have　the　impression　from　it　that　the　convention　was　to　be

at　Leavenworth；　but　day　before　yesterday　a　friend　handed　me　a　letter

from　Judge　M。　F。　Caraway；　in　which　he　also　expresses　a　wish　for　me　to

come；　and　he　fixes　the　place　at　Ossawatomie。　　This　I　believe　is　off

of　the　river；　and　will　require　more　time　and　labor　to　get　to　it。　　It

will　push　me　hard　to　get　there　without　injury　to　my　own　business；　but

I　shall　try　to　do　it；　though　I　am　not　yet　quite　certain　I　shall

succeed。



I　should　like　to　know　before　coming；　that　while　some　of　you　wish　me

to　come；　there　may　not　be　others　who　would　quite　as　lief　I　would　stay

away。　Write　me　again。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　W。　M。　MORRIS。



SPRINGFIELD；　March　28；　1859。



W。　M。　MORRIS；　Esq。



DEAR　SIR：Your　kind　note　inviting　me　to　deliver　a　lecture　at

Galesburg　is　received。　I　regret　to　say　I　cannot　do　so　now；　I　must

stick　to　the　courts　awhile。　I　read　a　sort　of　lecture　to　three

different　audiences　during　the　last　month　and　this；　but　I　did　so

under　circumstances　which　made　it　a　waste　of　no　time　whatever。



Yours　very　truly；









TO　H。　L。　PIERCE　AND　OTHERS。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　April　6；　1859。



GENTLEMEN：Your　kind　note　inviting　me　to　attend　a　festival　in

Boston；　on　the　28th　instant；　in　honor　of　the　birthday　of　Thomas

Jefferson；　was　duly　received。　My　engagements　are　such　that　I　cannot

attend。



Bearing　in　mind　that　about　seventy　years　ago　two　great　political

parties　were　first　formed　in　this　country；　that　Thomas　Jefferson　was

the　head　of　one　of　them　and　Boston　the　headquarters　of　the　other；　it

is　both　curious　and　interesting　that　those　supposed　to　descend

politically　from　the　party　opposed　to　Jefferson　should　now　be

celebrating　his　birthday　in　their　own　original　seat　of　empire；　while

those　claiming　political　descent　from　him　have　nearly　ceased　to

breathe　his　name　everywhere。



Remembering；　too；　that　the　Jefferson　party　was　formed　upon　its

supposed　superior　devotion　to　the　personal　rights　of　men；　holding　the

rights　of　property　to　be　secondary　only；　and　greatly　inferior；　and

assuming　that　the　so…called　Democracy　of　to…day　are　the　Jefferson；

and　their　opponents　the　anti…Jefferson；　party；　it　will　be　equally

interesting　to　note　how　completely　the　two　have　changed　hands　as　to

the　principle　upon　which　they　were　originally　supposed　to　be　divided。

The　Democracy　of　to…day　hold　the　liberty　of　one　man　to　be　absolutely

nothing；　when　in　conflict　with　another　man's　right　of　property；

Republicans；　on　the　contrary；　are　for　both　the　man　and　the　dollar；

but　in　case　of　conflict　the　man　before　the　dollar。



I　remember　being　once　much　amused　at　seeing　two　partially　intoxicated

men　engaged　in　a　fight　with　their　great…coats　on；　which　fight；　after

a　long　and　rather　harmless　contest；　ended　in　each　having　fought

himself　out　of　his　own　coat　and　into　that　of　the　other。　　If　the　two

leading　parties　of　this　day　are　really　identical　with　the　two　in　the

days　of　Jefferson　and　Adams；　they　have　performed　the　same　feat　as　the

two　drunken　men。



But　soberly；　it　is　now　no　child's　play　to　save　the　principles　of

Jefferson　from　total　overthrow　in　this　nation。　One　would　state　with

great　confidence　that　he　could　convince　any　sane　child　that　the

simpler　propositions　of　Euclid　are　true；　but　nevertheless　he　would

fail；　utterly；　with　one　who　should　deny　the　definitions　and　axioms。

The　principles　of　Jefferson　are　the　definitions　and　axioms　of　free

society。　　And　yet　they　are　denied　and　evaded；　with　no　small　show　of

success。　　One　dashingly　calls　them　〃glittering　generalities。〃

Another　bluntly　calls　them　〃self…evident　lies。〃　　And　others

insidiously　argue　that　they　apply　to　〃superior　races。〃　　These

expressions；　differing　in　form；　are　identical　in　object　and　effect

the　supplanting　the　principles　of　free　government；　and　restoring

those　of　classification；　caste；　and　legitimacy。　　They　would　delight　a

convocation　of　crowned　heads　plotting　against　the　people。　　They　are

the　vanguard；　the　miners　and　sappers；　of　returning　despotism。　　We

must　repulse　them；　or　they　will　subjugate　us。　　This　is　a　world　of

compensation；　and　he　who　would　be　no　slave　must　consent　to　have　no

slave。　　Those　who　deny　freedom　to　others　deserve　it　not　for

themselves；　and；　under　a　just　God；　cannot　long　retain　it。　　All　honor

to　Jefferson　to　the　man　who；　in　the　concrete　pressure　of　a　struggle

for　national　independence　by　a　single　people；　had　the　coolness；

forecast；　and　capacity　to　introduce　into　a　mere　revolutionary

document　an　abstract　truth；　applicable　to　all　men　and　all　times；　and

so　to　embalm　it　there　that　to…day　and　in　all　coming　days　it　shall　be

a　rebuke　and　a　stumbling…block　to　the　very　harbingers　of　reappearing

tyranny　and　oppression。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　T。　CANISIUS。



SPRINGFIELD；　May　17；　1859。



DR。　THEODORE　CANISIUS。



DEAR　SIR：Your　note　asking；　in　behalf　of　yourself　and　other　German

citizens；　whether　I　am　for　or　against　the　constitutional　provision　in

regard　to　naturalized　citizens；　lately　adopted　by　Massachusetts；　and

whether　I　am　for　or　against　a　fusion　of　the　Republicans　and　other

opposition　elements　for　the　canvass　of　1860；　is　received。



Massachusetts　is　a　sovereign　and　independent　State；　and　it　is　no

privilege　o