the writings-2- 第50部分

whether　Democratic　and　Republican　party　lines　were　drawn　in　the

adoption　of　it；　and　which　were　for　and　which　were　against　it。

If；　by　possibility；　I　could　get　over　among　you　it　might　be　of

some　advantage　to　know　these　things　in　advance。



Yours　very　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









ARGUMENT　IN　THE　ROCK　ISLAND　BRIDGE　CASE。



（From　the　Daily　Press　of　Chicago；　Sept。　　24；　1857。）



Hurd　et　al。　vs　Railroad　Bridge　Co。



United　States　Circuit　Court；

Hon。　John　McLean；　Presiding　Judge。



13th　day；　Tuesday；　Sept。　　22；　1857。



Mr。　A。　Lincoln　addressed　the　jury。　　He　said　he　did　not　purpose　to

assail　anybody；　that　he　expected　to　grow　earnest　as　he　proceeded

but　not　ill…natured。　　〃There　is　some　conflict　of　testimony　in　the

case；〃　he　said；　〃but　one　quarter　of　such　a　number　of　witnesses

seldom　agree；　and　even　if　all　were　on　one　side　some　discrepancy

might　be　expected。　　We　are　to　try　and　reconcile　them；　and　to

believe　that　they　are　not　intentionally　erroneous　as　long　as　we

can。〃　　He　had　no　prejudice；　he　said；　against　steamboats　or

steamboat　men　nor　any　against　St。　Louis；　for　he　supposed　they

went　about　this　matter　as　other　people　would　do　in　their

situation。　　〃St。　Louis；〃　he　continued；　〃as　a　commercial　place　may

desire　that　this　bridge　should　not　stand；　as　it　is　adverse　to　her

commerce；　diverting　a　portion　of　it　from　the　river；　and　it　may　be

that　she　supposes　that　the　additional　cost　of　railroad

transportation　upon　the　productions　of　Iowa　will　force　them　to　go

to　St。　Louis　if　this　bridge　is　removed。　　The　meetings　in　St。

Louis　are　connected　with　this　case　only　as　some　witnesses　are　in

it；　and　thus　has　some　prejudice　added　color　to　their　testimony。〃

The　last　thing　that　would　be　pleasing　to　him；　Mr。　Lincoln　said；

would　be　to　have　one　of　these　great　channels；　extending　almost

from　where　it　never　freezes　to　where　it　never　thaws；　blocked　up；

but　there　is　a　travel　from　east　to　west　whose　demands　are　not

less　important　than　those　of　the　river。　　It　is　growing　larger　and

larger；　building　up　new　countries　with　a　rapidity　never　before

seen　in　the　history　of　the　world。　　He　alluded　to　the　astonishing

growth　of　Illinois；　having　grown　within　his　memory　to　a

population　of　a　million　and　a　half；　to　Iowa　and　the　other　young

rising　communities　of　the　Northwest。



〃This　current　of　travel；〃　said　he；　〃has　its　rights　as　well　as

that　of　north　and　south。　　If　the　river　had　not　the　advantage　in

priority　and　legislation　we　could　enter　into　free　competition

with　it　and　we　could　surpass　it。　　This　particular　railroad　line

has　a　great　importance　and　the　statement　of　its　business　during　a

little　less　than　a　year　shows　this　importance。　　It　is　in　evidence

that　from　September　8；　1856；　to　August　8；　1857；　12；586　freight

cars　and　74；179　passengers　passed　over　this　bridge。　　Navigation

was　closed　four　days　short　of　four　months　last　year；　and　during

this　time　while　the　river　was　of　no　use　this　road　and　bridge　were

valuable。　　There　is；　too；　a　considerable　portion　of　time　when

floating　or　thin　ice　makes　the　river　useless　while　the　bridge　is

as　useful　as　ever。　　This　shows　that　this　bridge　must　be　treated

with　respect　in　this　court　and　is　not　to　be　kicked　about　with

contempt。　　The　other　day　Judge　Wead　alluded　to　the　strike　of　the

contending　interest　and　even　a　dissolution　of　the　Union。　　The

proper　mode　for　all　parties　in　this　affair　is　to　'live　and　let

live；'　and　then　we　will　find　a　cessation　of　this　trouble　about

the　bridge。　　What　mood　were　the　steamboat　men　in　when　this　bridge

was　burned？　　Why；　there　was　a　shouting　and　ringing　of　bells　and

whistling　on　all　the　boats　as　it　fell。　　It　was　a　jubilee；　a

greater　celebration　than　follows　an　excited　election。　　The　first

thing　I　will　proceed　to　is　the　record　of　Mr。　Gurney　and　the

complaint　of　Judge　Wead　that　the　record　did　not　extend　back　over

all　the　time　from　the　completion　of　the　bridge。　　The　principal

part　of　the　navigation　after　the　bridge　was　burned　passed　through

the　span。　　When　the　bridge　was　repaired　and　the　boats　were　a

second　time　confined　to　the　draw　it　was　provided　that　this　record

should　be　kept。　　That　is　the　simple　history　of　that　book。



〃From　April　19th；　1856；　to　May　6thseventeen　daysthere　were

twenty　accidents　and　all　the　time　since　then　there　have　been　but

twenty　hits；　including　seven　accidents；　so　that　the　dangers　of

this　place　are　tapering　off　and　as　the　boatmen　get　cool　the

accidents　get　less。　　We　may　soon　expect　if　this　ratio　is　kept　up

that　there　will　be　no　accidents　at　all。



〃Judge　Wead　said；　while　admitting　that　the　floats　went　straight

through；　there　was　a　difference　between　a　float　and　a　boat；　but　I

do　not　remember　that　he　indulged　us　with　an　argument　in　support

of　this　statement。　　Is　it　because　there　is　a　difference　in　size？

Will　not　a　small　body　and　a　large　one　float　the　same　way　under

the　same　influence？　　True　a　flatboat　will　float　faster　than　an

egg　shell　and　the　egg　shell　might　be　blown　away　by　the　wind；　but

if　under　the　same　influence　they　would　go　the　same　way。　　Logs；

floats；　boards；　various　things　the　witnesses　say　all　show　the

same　current。　　Then　is　not　this　test　reliable？　　At　all　depths　too

the　direction　of　the　current　is　the　same。　　A　series　of　these

floats　would　make　a　line　as　long　as　a　boat　and　would　show　any

influence　upon　any　part　and　all　parts　of　the　boat。



〃I　will　now　speak　of　the　angular　position　of　the　piers。　　What　is

the　amount　of　the　angle？　　The　course　of　the　river　is　a　curve　and

the　pier　is　straight。　　If　a　line　is　produced　from　the　upper　end

of　the　long　pier　straight　with　the　pier　to　a　distance　of　350

feet；　and　a　line　is　drawn　from　a　point　in　the　channel　opposite

this　point　to　the　head　of　the　pier；　Colonel　Nason　says　they　will

form　an　angle　of　twenty　degrees。　　But　the　angle　if　measured　at

the　pier　is　seven　degrees；　that　is；　we　would　have　to　move　the

pier　seven　degrees　to　make　it　exactly　straight　with　the　current。

Would　that　make　the　navigation　better　or　worse？　　The　witnesses　of

the　plaintiff　seem　to　think　it　was　only　necessary　to　say　that　the

pier　formed　an　angle　with　the　current　and　that　settled　the

matter。　　Our　more　careful　and　accurate　witnesses　say　that；　though

they　had　been　accustomed　to　seeing　the　piers　placed　straight　with

the　current；　yet　they　could　see　that　here　the　current　had　been

made　straight　by　us　in　having　made　this　slight　angle；　that　the

water　now　runs　just　right；　that　it　is　straight　and　cannot　be

improved。　　They　think　that　if　the　pier　was　changed　the　eddy　would

be　divided　and　the　navigation　improved。



〃I　am　not　now　going　to　discuss　the　question　what　is　a　material

obstruction。　　We　do　not　greatly　differ　about　the　law。　　The　cases

produced　here　are；　I　suppose；　proper　to　be　taken　into

consideration　by　the　court　in　instructing　a　jury。　　Some　of　them　I

think　are　not　exactly　in　point；　but　I　am　still　willing　to　trust

his　honor；　Judge　McLean；　and　take　his　instructions　as　law。　　What

is　reasonable　skill　and　care？　　This　is　a　thing　of　which　the　jury

are　to　judge。　　I　differ　from　the　other　side　when　it　says　that

they　are　bound　to　exercise　no　more　care　than　was　taken　before　the

building　of　the　bridge。　　If　we　are　allowed　by　the　Legislature　to

build　the　bridge　which　will　require　them　to　do　more　than　before；

when　a　pilot　comes　along；　it　is　unreasonable　for　him　to　dash　on

heedless　of　this　structure　which　has　been　legally　put　there。　　The

Afton　came　there　on　the　5th　and　lay　at　Rock　Island　until　next

morning。　　When　a　boat　lies　up　the　pilot　has　a　holiday；　and　would

not　any　of　these　jurors　have　then　gone　around　to　the　bridge　and

gotten　acquainted　with　the　place？　　Pilot　Parker　has　shown　here

that　he　does　not　understand　the　draw。　　I　heard　him　say　that　the

fall　from　the　head　to　the　foot　of　the　pier　was　four　feet；　he

needs　information。　　He　could　have　gone　there　that　day　and　seen

there　was　no　such　fall。　　He　should　have　discarded　passion　and　the

chances　are　that　he　would　have　had　no　disaster　at　all。　　He　was

bound　to　make　himself　acquainted　with　the　place。



〃McCammon　says　that　the　current　and　the　swell　coming　from　the

long　pier　drove　her　against　the　long　pier。　　In　other　words　drove

her　toward　the　very　pier　from　which　the　current　came！　　It　is　an

absurdity；　an　impossibility。　　The　only　recollection　I　can　find

for　this　contradiction　is　in　a　current　which　White　says　strikes

out　from　the　long　pier　and　then　like　a　ram's　horn　turns　back；　and

this　might　have　acted　somehow　in　this　manner。



〃It　is　agreed　by　all　that　the　plaintiff's　boat　was　destroyed　and

that　it　was　destroyed　upon　the　head　of　the　short　pier；　that　she

moved　from　the　channel　where　she　was　with　her　bow　above　the　head

of　the　long　pier；　till　she　struck　the　short　one；　swung　around

under　the　bridge　and　there　was　crowded　and　destroyed。



〃I　shall　try　to　prove　that　the　average　velocity　of　the　current

through　the　draw　with　the　boat　in　it　should　be　five　and　a　half

miles　an　hour；　that　it　is　slowest　at　the　head　of　the　pier　and

swiftest　at　the　foot　of　the　pier。　　Their　lowest　estimate　in

evidence　is　six　miles　an　hour；　their　highest　twelve　miles。　　This

was　the　testimony　of　men　who　had　made　no　experiment；　only

conjecture。　　We　have　adopted　the　most　exact　means。　　The　water

runs　swiftest　in　high　water　and　we　have　taken　the　point　of　nine

feet　above　low　water。　　The　water　when　the　Afton　was　lost　was

seven　feet　above　low　water；　or　at　least　a　foot　lower　than　our

time。　　Brayton　and　his　assistants　timed　the　instruments；　the　best

instruments　known　in　measuring　currents。　　They　timed　them　under

various　circumstances　and　they　found　the　current　five　miles　an

hour　and　no　more。　　They　found　that　the　water　at　the　upper　end　ran

slower　than　five　miles；　that　below　it　was　swifter　than　five

miles；　but　that　the　average　was　five　miles。　　Shall　men　who　have

taken　no　care；　who　conjecture；　some　of　whom　speak　of　twenty　miles

an　hour；　be　believed　against　those　who　have　had　such　a　favorable。

and　well　improved　opport