till I was twenty-two. At twenty-one I came to Sangamon, now in remained a year as a sort of clerk in a store. Then came the Black Hawk war; and I was elected a captain of volunteers, a success which gave me more pleasure than any I have had since. I went the campaign, was elated, ran for the legislature the same year (1832), and was beaten-the only time I ever have been beaten by the people. The next and three succeeding biennial elections I was elected to the legislature. I was not a candidate afterward. During this legislative period I had studied law, and removed to Springfield to practise it. In 1846 I was once elected to the lower House of Congress. Was not a candidate for reëlection. From 1849 to 1854, both inclusive, practised law more assiduously than ever before. Always a Whig in politics; and generally on the Whig electoral tickets, making active canvasses. I was losing interest in politics when the repeal of the Missouri compromise aroused me again. What I have done since then is pretty well known. If any personal description of me is thought desirable, it may be said I am, in height, six feet four inches, nearly; lean in flesh, weighing on an average one hundred and eighty pounds; dark complexion, with coarse black hair and gray eyes. No other marks or brands recolYours truly, lected. A. LINCOLN. LETTER TO J. W. SHEAHAN SPRINGFIELD, January 24, 1860. Dear Sir: Yours of the 21st, requesting copies of my speeches now in progress of publication in Ohio, is received. I have no such copies now at my control, having sent the only set I ever had to Ohio. Mr. George M. Parsons has taken an active part among those who have the matter in charge in Ohio; and I understand Messrs. Follett, Foster & Co. are to be the publishers. I make no objection to any satisfactory arrangement you may make with Mr. Parsons and the publishers; and if it will facilitate you, you are at liberty to show them this note. You labor under a mistake somewhat injurious to me, if you suppose I have revised the speeches in any just sense of the word. I only made some small verbal corrections, mostly such as an intelligent reader would make for himself, not feeling justified to do more when publishing the speeches along with those of Senator Douglas, his and mine being mutually answers and replies to one another. Yours truly, A. LINCOLN. LETTER TO N. B. JUDD SPRINGFIELD, February 5, 1860. My dear Sir: Your two letters were duly received. Whether Mr. Storrs shall come to Illinois and assist in our approaching campaign, is a question of dollars and cents. Can we pay him? If we can, that is the sole question. I consider his services very valuable. A day or so before you wrote about Mr. Herndon, Dubois told me that he (Herndon) had been talking to William Jayne in the way you indicate. At first sight afterward, I mentioned it to him; he rather denied the charge, and I did not press him about the past, but got his solemn pledge to say nothing of the sort in the future. I had done this before I received your letter. I impressed upon him as well as I could, first, that such [sic] was untrue and unjust to you; and, second, that I would be held responsible for what he said. Let this be private. Some folks are pretty bitter toward me about the Dole, Hubbard, and Brown letter. Yours as ever, A. LINCOLN. LETTER TO N. B. JUDD SPRINGFIELD, February 9, 1860. Dear Sir: I am not in a position where it would hurt much for me to not be nominated on the national ticket; but I am where it would hurt some for me to not get the Illinois delegates. What I expected when I wrote the letter to Messrs. Dole and others is now happening. Your discomfited assailants are most bitter against me; and they will, for revenge upon me, lay to the Bates egg in the South, and to the Seward egg in the North, and go far toward squeezing me out in the middle with nothing. Can you not help me a little in this matter in your end of the vineyard? I mean this to be private. Yours as ever, A. LINCOLN. LETTER TO J. M. LUCAS. SPRINGFIELD, February 9, 1860. My dear Sir: Your late letter, suggesting, among other things, that I might aid your election as postmaster, by writing to Mr. Burlingame, was duly received the day the Speaker was elected; so that I had no hope a letter of mine could reach Mr. B. before your case would be decided, as it turned out in fact it could not. We are all much gratified here to see you are elected. We consider you our peculiar friend at court. I shall be glad to receive a letter from you at any time you can find leisure to write one. Yours very truly, A. LINCOLN. *LETTER TO MR. WHITE SPRINGFIELD, February 13, 1860. Friend White: Your kind note, inclosing the letter of Mr. Billinghurst is just received. It so happens that I am engaged to be at Brooklyn, on the evening of the 27th, so that, of course, I cannot be in Wisconsin on the 28th, and I have so written Mr. B. Thank you for your anticipations of the future for me, as well as for your many past kindYour friend as ever, nesses. A. LINCOLN. |