CONTENTS Letter to Col. Robert Allen, June 21, 1836 From his Address before the Young Men's Lyceum of Spring- Letter to Mrs. O. H. Browning, Springfield, April 1, 1838 From a Political Debate, Springfield, Dec. 1839 Letter to W. G. Anderson, Lawrenceville, Ill., Oct. 31, 1840 Extract from a Letter to John T. Stuart, Springfield, Ill., From a Circular of the Whig Committee, March 4, 1843 From a Letter to Martin M. Morris, Springfield, Ill., March From a Letter to Joshua F. Speed, Springfield, Ill., Oct. 22, From a Letter to Wm. H. Herndon, Washington, June 22, From a Letter to Wm. H. Herndon, Washington, July 10, Letter to John D. Johnston, Jan. 2, 1851 From his Reply to Senator Douglas, Peoria, Oct. 16, 1854 From a Letter to the Hon. Geo. Robertson, Lexington, Ky.; Springfield, Ill., Aug. 15, 1855 From a Letter to Joshua F. Speed, Aug. 24, 1855 PAGE The "Divided House" Speech, Springfield, Ill., June 17, 1858 69 From his Speech at Chicago in Reply to the Speech of Judge From a Speech at Springfield, Ill., July 17, 1858. From Lincoln's Reply to Douglas in the First Joint Debate, From Lincoln's Rejoinder to Judge Douglas at Freeport, Ill., From Lincoln's Reply to Douglas at Charleston, Ill., Sept. 18, Notes for Speeches-Written about Oct. 1, 1858 From Lincoln's Reply to Douglas in the Seventh and Last From Speech at Columbus, Ohio, Sept. 16, 1859 From Speech at Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 17, 1859. From a Letter to J. W. Fell, Dec. 20, 1859. From the Address at Cooper Institute, N.Y., Feb. 27, 1860 Lincoln's Farewell to the Citizens of Springfield, Ill., Feb. 11, Letter to Miss Grace Bedell, Springfield, Ill., Oct. 19, 1860. From his Address to the Legislature at Indianapolis, Feb. 12, From his Remarks at Pittsburgh, Pa., Feb. 15, 1861 From his Address at Trenton, N.J., Feb. 21, 1861 Address in Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Feb. 22, 1861. 163 His Reply to the Mayor of Washington, D.C., Feb. 27, 1861 164 Proclamation Revoking Gen. Hunter's Order Setting the From Letter to Cuthbert Bullitt, July 28, 1862 Letter to August Belmont, July 31, 1862 Letter to Horace Greeley, Aug. 22, 1862 Moulton, Washington, July 31, 1863 Letter to Mrs. Lincoln, Washington, Aug. 8, 1863 Letter to James H. Hackett, Washington, Aug. 17, 1863 His Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving, Oct. 3, 1863 Remarks at the Dedication of the National Cemetery at From his Annual Message to Congress, Dec. 8, 1863 Letter to Secretary Stanton, Washington, March 1, 1864 Letter to General Grant, Washington, Jan. 19, 1865 Second Inaugural Address, March 4, 1865 Letter to Thurlow Weed, March 15, 1865 PUBLISHERS' NOTE FOR permission to use extracts from "The Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln," edited by John G. Nicolay and John Hay, the Publishers wish to thank The Century Company. They also wish to thank Mr. William H. Lambert, the owner of the copyright, and Mrs. Sarah A. Whitney for their courtesy in allowing them to publish "Lincoln's Lost Speech." xxii LINCOLN'S SPEECHES AND LETTERS Lincoln's First Public Speech. From an Address to the People of Sangamon County. March 9, 1832 UPON the subject of education, not presuming to dictate any plan or system respecting it, I can only say that I view it as the most important subject which we, as a people, can be engaged in. That every man may receive at least a moderate education, and thereby be enabled to read the histories of his own and other countries, by which he may duly appreciate the value of our free institutions, appears to be an object of vital importance, even on this account alone, to say nothing of the advantages and satisfaction to be derived from all being able to read the Scriptures and other works, both of a religious and moral nature, for themselves. For my part, I desire to see the time when education -and by its means morality, sobriety, enterprise, and industry-shall become much more general than at present; and should be gratified to have it in my power to contribute something to the advancement of any measure which might have a tendency to accelerate that happy period. With regard to existing laws, some alterations are thought to be necessary. Many respectable men have suggested that our estray laws-the law respecting the issuing of executions, the road law, and some others-are deficient in their present form, and require alterations. But considering the great probability that the framers of those laws were wiser than myself, I should prefer not meddling with them, unless they were first attacked by others, in which case I should feel it both a privilege B |