the writings-2- 第52部分

confidentially　that　they　were　unanimous　in　the　opinion　that　even

if　the　Gov'r　had　signed　the　bill　purposely；　he　had　the　right　to

scratch　his　name　off　so　long　as　the　bill　remained　in　his　custody

and　control。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　H。　C。　WHITNEY。



SPRINGFIELD；　December　18；　1857。



HENRY　C。　WHITNEY；　ESQ。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Coming　home　from　Bloomington　last　night　I　found

your　letter　of　the　15th。



I　know　of　no　express　statute　or　decisions　as　to　what　a　J。　　P。

upon　the　expiration　of　his　term　shall　do　with　his　docket　books；

papers；　unfinished　business；　etc。；　but　so　far　as　I　know；　the

practice　has　been　to　hand　over　to　the　successor；　and　to　cease　to

do　anything　further　whatever；　in　perfect　analogo　to　Sections　110

and　112；　and　I　have　supposed　and　do　suppose　this　is　the　law。　　I

think　the　successor　may　forthwith　do　whatever　the　retiring　J。　　P。

might　have　done。　　As　to　the　proviso　to　Section　114　I　think　it　was

put　in　to　cover　possible　cases；　by　way　of　caution；　and　not　to

authorize　the　J。　　P。　　to　go　forward　and　finish　up　whatever　might

have　been　begun　by　him。



The　view　I　take；　I　believe；　is　the　Common　law　principle；　as　to

retiring　officers　and　their　successors；　to　which　I　remember　but

one　exception；　which　is　the　case　of　Sheriff　and　ministerial

officers　of　that　class。



I　have　not　had　time　to　examine　this　subject　fully；　but　I　have

great　confidence　I　am　right。　　You　must　not　think　of　offering　me

pay　for　this。



Mr。　John　O。　Johnson　is　my　friend；　I　gave　your　name　to　him。　　He　is

doing　the　work　of　trying　to　get　up　a　Republican　organization。　　I

do　not　suppose　〃Long　John〃　ever　saw　or　heard　of　him。　　Let　me　say

to　you　confidentially；　that　I　do　not　entirely　appreciate　what　the

Republican　papers　of　Chicago　are　so　constantly　saying　against

〃Long　John。〃　I　consider　those　papers　truly　devoted　to　the

Republican　cause；　and　not　unfriendly　to　me；　but　I　do　think　that

more　of　what　they　say　against　〃Long　John〃　is　dictated　by　personal

malice　than　themselves　are　conscious　of。　　We　can　not　afford　to

lose　the　services　of　〃Long　John〃　and　I　do　believe　the　unrelenting

warfare　made　upon　him　is　injuring　our　cause。　　I　mean　this　to　be

confidential。



If　you　quietly　co…operate　with　Mr。　J。　　O。　　Johnson　on　getting　up

an　organization；　I　think　it　will　be　right。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









1858







ANOTHER　POLITICAL　PATRONAGE　REFERENCE



TO　EDWARD　G。　MINER。



SPRINGFIELD；　Feb。19；　1858。



MY　DEAR　SIR：



Mr；　G。　A。　Sutton　is　an　applicant　for　superintendent　of　the

addition　of　the　Insane　Asylum；　and　I　understand　it　partly　depends

on　you　whether　he　gets　it。



Sutton　is　my　fellow…townsman　and　friend；　and　I　therefore　wish　to

say　for　him　that　he　is　a　man　of　sterling　integrity　and　as　a

master　mechanic　and　builder　not　surpassed　by　any　in　our　city；　or

any　I　have　known　anywhere；　as　far　as　I　can　judge。　　I　hope　you

will　consider　me　as　being　really　interested　for　Mr。　Sutton　and

not　as　writing　merely　to　relieve　myself　of　importunity。　　Please

show　this　to　Col。　William　Ross　and　let　him　consider　it　as　much

intended　for　him　as　for　yourself。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









POLITICAL　COMMUNICATION



TO　W。　H。　LAMON；　ESQ。



SPRINGFIELD；　JUNE　11；　1858



DEAR　SIR：Yours　of　the　9th　written　at　Joliet　is　just　received。

Two　or　three　days　ago　I　learned　that　McLean　had　appointed

delegates　in　favor　of　Lovejoy；　and　thenceforward　I　have

considered　his　renomination　a　fixed　fact。　　My　opinionif　my

opinion　is　of　any　consequence　in　this　case；　in　which　it　is　no

business　of　mine　to　interfereremains　unchanged；　that　running　an

independent　candidate　against　Lovejoy　will　not　do；　that　it　will

result　in　nothing　but　disaster　all　round。　　In　the　first　place；

whosoever　so　runs　will　be　beaten　and　will　be　spotted　for　life；　in

the　second　place；　while　the　race　is　in　progress；　he　will　be　under

the　strongest　temptation　to　trade　with　the　Democrats；　and　to

favor　the　election　of　certain　of　their　friends　to　the

Legislature；　thirdly；　I　shall　be　held　responsible　for　it；　and

Republican　members　of　the　Legislature　who　are　partial　to　Lovejoy

will　for　that　purpose　oppose　　us；　and　lastly；　it　will　in　the　end

lose　us　the　district　altogether。　　There　is　no　safe　way　but　a

convention；　and　if　in　that　convention；　upon　a　common　platform

which　all　are　willing　to　stand　upon；　one　who　has　been　known　as　an

abolitionist；　but　who　is　now　occupying　none　but　common　ground；

can　get　the　majority　of　the　votes　to　which　all　look　for　an

election；　there　is　no　safe　way　but　to　submit。



As　to　the　inclination　of　some　Republicans　to　favor　Douglas；　that

is　one　of　the　chances　I　have　to　run；　and　which　I　intend　to　run

with　patience。



I　write　in　the　court　room。　　Court　has　opened；　and　I　must　close。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









BRIEF　AUTOBIOGRAPHY；



JUNE　15；　1858。





The　compiler　of　the　Dictionary　of　Congress　states　that　while

preparing　that　work　for　publication；　in　1858；　he　sent　to　Mr。

Lincoln　the　usual　request　for　a　sketch　of　his　life；　and　received

the　following　reply：



Born　February　12；　1809；　in　Hardin　County；　Kentucky。

Education；　defective。

Profession；　a　lawyer。

Have　been　a　captain　of　volunteers　in　Black　Hawk　war。

Postmaster　at　a　very　small　office。

Four　times　a　member　of　the　Illinois　Legislature　and　was　a　member

of　the　lower　house　of　Congress。



Yours；　etc。；



A。　LINCOLN。











End　of　Volume　2