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The Writings of Abraham Lincoln
by Abraham Lincoln
VOLUME 5。
TO SYDNEY SPRING； GRAYVILLE； ILL。
SPRINGFIELD； June 19； 1858。
SYDNEY SPRING； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Your letter introducing Mr。 Faree was duly received。
There was no opening to nominate him for Superintendent of Public
Instruction； but through him Egypt made a most valuable contribution
to the convention。 I think it may be fairly said that he came off the
lion of the dayor rather of the night。 Can you not elect him to the
Legislature？ It seems to me he would be hard to beat。 What
objection could be made to him？ What is your Senator Martin saying
and doing？ What is Webb about？
Please write me。
Yours truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO H。 C。 WHITNEY。
SPRINGFIELD； June 24； 1858
H。 C。 WHITNEY； ESQ。
DEAR SIR：Your letter enclosing the attack of the Times upon me was
received this morning。 Give yourself no concern about my voting
against the supplies。 Unless you are without faith that a lie can be
successfully contradicted； there is not a word of truth in the
charge； and I am just considering a little as to the best shape to
put a contradiction in。 Show this to whomever you please； but do not
publish it in the paper。
Your friend as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO J。 W。 SOMERS。
SPRINGFIELD； June 25； 1858。
JAMES W。 SOMERS； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Yours of the 22nd； inclosing a draft of two hundred
dollars； was duly received。 I have paid it on the judgment； and
herewith you have the receipt。 I do not wish to say anything as to
who shall be the Republican candidate for the Legislature in your
district； further than that I have full confidence in Dr。 Hull。 Have
you ever got in the way of consulting with McKinley in political
matters？ He is true as steel； and his judgment is very good。 The
last I heard from him； he rather thought Weldon； of De Witt； was our
best timber for representative； all things considered。 But you there
must settle it among yourselves。 It may well puzzle older heads than
yours to understand how； as the Dred Scott decision holds； Congress
can authorize a Territorial Legislature to do everything else； and
cannot authorize them to prohibit slavery。 That is one of the things
the court can decide； but can never give an intelligible reason for。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO A。 CAMPBELL。
SPRINGFIELD； June 28； 1858。
A。 CAMPBELL； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：In 1856 you gave me authority to draw on you for any
sum not exceeding five hundred dollars。 I see clearly that such a
privilege would be more available now than it was then。 I am aware
that times are tighter now than they were then。 Please write me at
all events； and whether you can now do anything or not I shall
continue grateful for the past。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO J。 GILLESPIE。
SPRINGFIELD； July 16； 1858。
HON。 JOSEPH GILLESPIE。
MY DEAR SIR：I write this to say that from the specimens of Douglas
Democracy we occasionally see here from Madison； we learn that they
are making very confident calculation of beating you and your friends
for the lower house； in that county。 They offer to bet upon it。
Billings and Job； respectively； have been up here； and were each as I
learn； talking largely about it。 If they do so； it can only be done
by carrying the Fillmore men of 1856 very differently from what they
seem to ＇be＇ going in the other party。 Below is the vote of 1856； in
your district：
Counties。
Counties。 Buchanan。 Fremont。 Fillmore。
Bond 。。。。。。。。。。。。 607 153 659
Madison 。。。。。。。。。 1451 1111 1658
Montgomery 。。。。。。 992 162 686
3050 1426 3003
By this you will see； if you go through the calculation； that if they
get one quarter of the Fillmore votes； and you three quarters； they
will beat you 125 votes。 If they get one fifth； and you four fifths；
you beat them 179。 In Madison； alone； if our friends get 1000 of the
Fillmore votes； and their opponents the remainder； 658； we win by
just two votes。
This shows the whole field； on the basis of the election of 1856。
Whether； since then； any Buchanan； or Fremonters； have shifted
ground； and how the majority of new votes will go； you can judge
better than I。
Of course you； on the ground； can better determine your line of
tactics than any one off the ground； but it behooves you to be wide
awake and actively working。
Don't neglect it； and write me at your first leisure。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO JOHN MATHERS； JACKSONVILLE； ILL。
SPRINGFIELD； JULY 20； 1858。
JNO。 MATHERS； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Your kind and interesting letter of the 19th was duly
received。 Your suggestions as to placing one's self on the offensive
rather than the defensive are certainly correct。 That is a point
which I shall not disregard。 I spoke here on Saturday night。 The
speech； not very well reported； appears in the State journal of this
morning。 You doubtless will see it； and I hope that you will
perceive in it that I am already improving。 I would mail you a copy
now； but have not one ＇at＇ hand。 I thank you for your letter and
shall be pleased to hear from you again。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO JOSEPH GILLESPIE。
SPRINGFIELD； JULY 25； 1858。
HON。 J。 GILLESPIE。
MY DEAR SIR：Your doleful letter of the 8th was received on my
return from Chicago last night。 I do hope you are worse scared than
hurt； though you ought to know best。 We must not lose the district。
We must make a job of it； and save it。 Lay hold of the proper
agencies； and secure all the Americans you can； at once。 I do hope；
on closer inspection； you will find they are not half gone。 Make a
little test。 Run down one of the poll…books of the Edwardsville
precinct； and take the first hundred known American names。 Then
quietly ascertain how many of them are actually going for Douglas。 I
think you will find less than fifty。 But even if you find fifty；
make sure of the other fifty； that is； make sure of all you can； at
all events。 We will set other agencies to work which shall
compensate for the loss of a good many Americans。 Don't fail to
check the stampede at once。 Trumbull； I think； will be with you
before long。
There is much he cannot do； and some he can。 I have reason to hope
there will be other help of an appropriate kind。 Write me again。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO B。 C。 COOK。
SPRINGFIELD； Aug。 2； 1858。
Hon。 B。 C。 COOK。
MY DEAR SIR：I have a letter from a very true and intelligent man
insisting that there is a plan on foot in La Salle and Bureau to run
Douglas Republicans for Congress and for the Legislature in those
counties； if they can only get the encouragement of our folks
nominating pretty extreme abolitionists。
It is thought they will do nothing if our folks nominate men who are
not very obnoxious to the charge of abolitionism。 Please have your
eye upon this。 Signs are looking pretty fair。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO HON。 J。 M。 PALMER。
SPRINGFIELD； Aug。 5； 1858。
HON。 J。 M。 PALMER。
DEAR SIR：Since we parted last evening no new thought has occurred
to ＇me＇ on the subject of which we talked most yesterday。
I have concluded； however； to speak at your town on Tuesday； August
31st； and have promised to have it so appear in the papers of
to…morrow。 Judge Trumbull has not yet reached here。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO ALEXANDER SYMPSON。
SPRINGFIELD； Aug。 11； 1858。
ALEXANDER SYMPSON； Esq。
DEAR SIR：Yours of the 6th received。 If life and health continue I
shall pretty likely be at Augusta on the 25th。
Things look reasonably well。 Will tell you more fully when I see
you。
Yours truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO J。 O。 CUNNINGHAM。
OTTAWA； August 22； 1858。
J。 O。 CUNNINGHAM； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Yours of the 18th； signed as secretary of the
Republican club； is received。 In the matter of making speeches I am
a good deal pressed by invitations from almost all quarters； and
while I hope to be at Urbana some time during the canvass； I cannot
yet say when。 Can you not see me at Monticello on the 6th of
September？
Douglas and I； for the first time this canvass； crossed swords here
yesterday； the fire flew some； and I am glad to know I am yet alive。
There was a vast concourse of peoplemore than could get near enough
to hear。
Yours as ever；
A。 LINCOLN。
ON SLAVERY IN A DEMOCRACY。
August ？？； 1858
As I would