When I returned through New York from New England, I was told by the
gentlemen who sent me the Check that a drunken vagabond in the club,
having learned something about the two hundred dollars, made the
exhibition out of which The Herald manufactured the article quoted by The
Press of your town.

My judgment is, and therefore my request is, that you give no denial and
no explanation.

Thanking you for your kind interest in the matter, I remain, Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO H. TAYLOR.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., April 21, 1860.

HAWKINS TAYLOR, Esq.

DEAR SIR:--Yours of the 15th is just received. It surprises me that you
have written twice, without receiving an answer. I have answered all I
ever received from you; and certainly one since my return from the East.

Opinions here, as to the prospect of Douglas being nominated, are quite
conflicting--some very confident he will, and others that he will not be.
I think his nomination possible, but that the chances are against him.

I am glad there is a prospect of your party passing this way to Chicago.
Wishing to make your visit here as pleasant as we can, we wish you to
notify us as soon as possible whether you come this way, how many, and
when you will arrive.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN




TELEGRAM TO A MEMBER OF THE ILLINOIS DELEGATION

AT THE CHICAGO CONVENTION. SPRINGFIELD, May 17? 1860.

I authorize no bargains and will be bound by none.

A. LINCOLN.




REPLY TO THE COMMITTEE SENT BY THE CHICAGO CONVENTION TO INFORM

LINCOLN OF HIS NOMINATION,

MAY 19, 1860.

Mr. CHAIRMAN AND GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE:--I tender to you, and
through you to the Republican National Convention, and all the people
represented in it, my profoundest thanks for the high honor done me,
which you now formally announce. Deeply and even painfully sensible of
the great responsibility which is inseparable from this high honor--a
responsibility which I could almost wish had fallen upon some one of the
far more eminent men and experienced statesmen whose distinguished names
were before the convention--I shall, by your leave, consider more fully
the resolutions of the convention, denominated their platform, and
without any unnecessary or unreasonable delay respond to you, Mr.
Chairman, in writing--not doubting that the platform will be found
satisfactory, and the nomination gratefully accepted.

And now I will not longer defer the pleasure of taking you, and each of
you, by the hand.




ACCEPTANCE OF NOMINATION AS REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE
FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

TO GEORGE ASHMUN AND OTHERS.

SPRINGFIELD ILLINOIS, May 23, 1860

HON. GEORGE ASHMUN, President of Republican National Convention.

SIR:--I accept the nomination tendered me by the convention over which
you presided, and of which I am formally apprised in the letter of
yourself and others, acting as a committee of the convention for that
purpose.

The declaration of principles and sentiments which accompanies your
letter meets my approval; and it shall be my care not to violate or
disregard it in any part.

Imploring the assistance of Divine Providence, and with due regard to the
views and feelings of all who were represented in the convention, to the
rights of all the States and Territories and people of the nation, to the
inviolability of the Constitution, and the perpetual union, harmony, and
prosperity of all--I am most happy to co-operate for the practical
success of the principles declared by the convention.

Your obliged friend and fellow-citizen,

A. LINCOLN.




To C. B. SMITH.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., May 26, 1860.

HON. C. B. SMITH.

MY DEAR SIR:-Yours of the 21st was duly received, but have found no time
until now to say a word in the way of answer. I am indeed much indebted
to Indiana; and, as my home friends tell me, much to you personally. Your
saying, you no longer consider Ia. a doubtful State is very gratifying.
The thing starts well everywhere--too well, I almost fear, to last. But
we are in, and stick or go through must be the word.

Let me hear from Indiana occasionally.

Your friend, as ever,

A. LINCOLN.




FORM OF REPLY PREPARED BY MR. LINCOLN, WITH WHICH HIS PRIVATE

SECRETARY WAS INSTRUCTED TO ANSWER A NUMEROUS CLASS OF LETTERS IN THE
CAMPAIGN OF 1860.

(Doctrine.)
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, _______, 1860

DEAR SIR:--Your letter to Mr. Lincoln of and by which you seek to obtain
his opinions on certain political points, has been received by him. He
has received others of a similar character, but he also has a greater
number of the exactly opposite character. The latter class beseech him to
write nothing whatever upon any point of political doctrine. They say his
positions were well known when he was nominated, and that he must not now
embarrass the canvass by undertaking to shift or modify them. He regrets
that he cannot oblige all, but you perceive it is impossible for him to
do so.

Yours, etc.,

JNO. J. NICOLAY.




TO E. B. WASHBURNE.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, MAY 26, 1860
HON. E. B. WASHBURNE.

MY DEAR SIR:--I have several letters from you written since the
nomination, but till now have found no moment to say a word by way of
answer. Of course I am glad that the nomination is well received by our
friends, and I sincerely thank you for so informing me. So far as I can
learn, the nominations start well everywhere; and, if they get no
back-set, it would seem as if they are going through. I hope you will
write often; and as you write more rapidly than I do, don't make your
letters so short as mine.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO S. HAYCRAFT.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., June 4, 1860.

HON. SAMUEL HAYCRAFT.

MY DEAR SIR:--Like yourself I belonged to the old Whig party from its
origin to its close. I never belonged to the American party organization,
nor ever to a party called a Union party; though I hope I neither am or
ever have been less devoted to the Union than yourself or any other
patriotic man.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




ABRAHAM OR "ABRAM"

TO G. ASHMUN.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL.  June 4, 1860
HON. GEORGE ASHMUN.

MY DEAR SIR:--It seems as if the question whether my first name is
"Abraham" or "Abram" will never be settled. It is "Abraham," and if the
letter of acceptance is not yet in print, you may, if you think fit, have
my signature thereto printed "Abraham Lincoln." Exercise your judgment
about this.

Yours as ever,

A. LINCOLN.




UNAUTHORIZED BIOGRAPHY

TO S. GALLOWAY.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., June 19, 1860

HON. SAM'L GALLOWAY.

MY DEAR SIR:--Your very kind letter of the 15th is received. Messrs.
Follett, Foster, & Co.'s Life of me is not by my authority; and I have
scarcely been so much astounded by anything, as by their public
announcement that it is authorized by me. They have fallen into some
strange misunderstanding. I certainly knew they contemplated publishing a
biography, and I certainly did not object to their doing so, upon their
own responsibility. I even took pains to facilitate them. But, at the
same time, I made myself tiresome, if not hoarse, with repeating to Mr.
Howard, their only agent seen by me, my protest that I authorized
nothing--would be responsible for nothing.  How they could so
misunderstand me, passes comprehension.  As a matter wholly my own, I
would authorize no biography, without time and opportunity [sic] to
carefully examine and consider every word of it and, in this case, in the
nature of things, I can have no such time and Opportunity [sic]. But, in
my present position, when, by the lessons of the past, and the united
voice of all discreet friends, I can neither write nor speak a word for
the public, how dare I to send forth, by my authority, a volume of
hundreds of pages, for adversaries to make points upon without end? Were
I to do so, the convention would have a right to re-assemble and
substitute another name for mine.

For these reasons, I would not look at the proof sheets--I am determined
to maintain the position of [sic] truly saying I never saw the proof
sheets, or any part of their work, before its publication.

Now, do not mistake me--I feel great kindness for Messrs. F., F., &
Co.--do not think they have intentionally done wrong. There may be
nothing wrong in their proposed book--I sincerely hope there will not. I
barely suggest that you, or any of the friends there, on the party
account, look it over, and exclude what you may think would embarrass the
party bearing in mind, at all times, that I authorize nothing--will be
responsible for nothing.

Your friend, as ever,

A. LINCOLN.


[The custom then, and it may have been a good one, was for the
Presidential candidate to do no personal canvassing or speaking--or as we
have it now "running for election." He stayed at home and kept his mouth
shut. Ed.]




TO HANNIBAL HAMLIN.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, July 18, 1860.

HON. HANNIBAL HAMLIN. MY DEAR SIR:--It appears to me that you and I ought
to be acquainted, and accordingly I write this as a sort of introduction
of myself to you. You first entered the Senate during the single term I
was a member of the House of Representatives, but I have no recollection
that we were introduced. I shall be pleased to receive a line from you.

The prospect of Republican success now appears very flattering, so far as
I can perceive. Do you see anything to the contrary?

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO A. JONAS.

(Confidential.)
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, JULY 21, 1860.

HON. A. JONAS.

MY DEAR SIR:--Yours of the 20th is received. I suppose as good or even
better men than I may have been in American or Know-Nothing lodges; but
in point of fact, I never was in one at Quincy or elsewhere. I was never
in Quincy but one day and two nights while Know-Nothing lodges were in
existence, and you were with me that day and both those nights. I had
never been there before in my life, and never afterward, till the joint
debate with Douglas in 1858. It was in 1854 when I spoke in some hall
there, and after the speaking, you, with others, took me to an
oyster-saloon, passed an hour there, and you walked with me to, and
parted with me at, the Quincy House, quite late at night. I left by stage
for Naples before daylight in the morning, having come in by the same
route after dark the evening, previous to the speaking, when I found you
waiting at the Quincy House to meet me. A few days after I was there,
Richardson, as I understood, started this same story about my having been
in a Know-Nothing lodge. When I heard of the charge, as I did soon after;
I taxed my recollection for some incident which could have suggested it;
and I remembered that on parting with you the last night I went to the
office of the hotel to take my stage-passage for the morning, was told
that no stage-office for that line was kept there, and that I must see
the driver before retiring, to insure his calling for me in the morning;
and a servant was sent with me to find the driver, who, after taking me a
square or two, stopped me, and stepped perhaps a dozen steps farther, and
in my hearing called to some one, who answered him, apparently from the
upper part of a building, and promised to call with the stage for me at
the Quincy House. I returned, and went to bed, and before day the stage
called and took me. This is all.

That I never was in a Know-Nothing lodge in Quincy, I should expect could
be easily proved by respectable men who were always in the lodges and
never saw me there. An affidavit of one or two such would put the matter
at rest.

And now a word of caution. Our adversaries think they can gain a point if
they could force me to openly deny the charge, by which some degree of
offence would be given to the Americans. For this reason it must not
publicly appear that I am paying any attention to the charge.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO JOHN B. FRY.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, August 15, 1860.

MY DEAR SIR:--Yours of the 9th, inclosing the letter of HON. John Minor
Botts, was duly received. The latter is herewith returned according to
your request. It contains one of the many assurances I receive from the
South, that in no probable event will there be any very formidable effort
to break up the Union. The people of the South have too much of good
sense and good temper to attempt the ruin of the government rather than
see it administered as it was administered by the men who made it. At
least so I hope and believe. I thank you both for your own letter and a
sight of that of Mr. Botts.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO THURLOW WEED

SPRINGFIELD, ILL. August 17 1860.

MY DEAR SIR:--Yours of the 13th was received this morning. Douglas is
managing the Bell element with great adroitness. He had his men in
Kentucky to vote for the Bell candidate, producing a result which has
badly alarmed and damaged Breckenridge, and at the same time has induced
the Bell men to suppose that Bell will certainly be President, if they
can keep a few of the Northern States away from us by throwing them to
Douglas. But you, better than I, understand all this.

I think there will be the most extraordinary effort ever made to carry
New York for Douglas. You and all others who write me from your State
think the effort cannot succeed, and I hope you are right. Still, it will
require close watching and great efforts on the other side.

Herewith I send you a copy of a letter written at New York, which
sufficiently explains itself, and which may or may not give you a
valuable hint. You have seen that Bell tickets have been put on the track
both here and in Indiana. In both cases the object has been, I think, the
same as the Hunt movement in New York--to throw States to Douglas. In our
State, we know the thing is engineered by Douglas men, and we do not
believe they can make a great deal out of it.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




SLOW TO LISTEN TO CRIMINATIONS

TO HON. JOHN ______________

(Private.)

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., Aug. 31, 1860

MY DEAR SIR:--Yours of the 27th is duly received. It consists almost
exclusively of a historical detail of some local troubles, among some of
our friends in Pennsylvania; and I suppose its object is to guard me
against forming a prejudice against Mr. McC___________, I have not heard
near so much upon that subject as you probably suppose; and I am slow to
listen to criminations among friends, and never expose their quarrels on
either side. My sincere wish is that both sides will allow bygones to be
bygones, and look to the present and future only.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO HANNIBAL HAMLIN

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, September 4, 1860

HON. HANNIBAL HAMLIN.

MY DEAR SIR:--I am annoyed some by a letter from a friend in Chicago, in
which the following passage occurs: "Hamlin has written Colfax that two
members of Congress will, he fears, be lost in Maine, the first and sixth
districts; and that Washburne's majority for governor will not exceed six
thousand."

I had heard something like this six weeks ago, but had been assured since
that it was not so. Your secretary of state,--Mr. Smith, I think,--whom
you introduced to me by letter, gave this assurance; more recently, Mr.
Fessenden, our candidate for Congress in one of those districts, wrote a
relative here that his election was sure by at least five thousand, and
that Washburne's majority would be from 14,000 to 17,000; and still
later, Mr. Fogg, of New Hampshire, now at New York serving on a national
committee, wrote me that we were having a desperate fight in Maine, which
would end in a splendid victory for us.

Such a result as you seem to have predicted in Maine, in your letter to
Colfax, would, I fear, put us on the down-hill track, lose us the State
elections in Pennsylvania and Indiana, and probably ruin us on the main
turn in November.

You must not allow it.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO E. B. WASHBURNE.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, September 9, 1860

HON. E. B. WASHBURNE.

MY DEAR SIR: Yours of the 5th was received last evening. I was right glad
to see it. It contains the freshest "posting" which I now have. It
relieved me some from a little anxiety I had about Maine. Jo Medill, on
August 30th, wrote me that Colfax had a letter from Mr. Hamlin saying we
were in great danger of losing two members of Congress in Maine, and that
your brother would not have exceeding six thousand majority for Governor.
I addressed you at once, at Galena, asking for your latest information.
As you are at Washington, that letter you will receive some time after
the Maine election.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO W. H. HERNDON.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., OCTOBER 10, 1860

DEAR WILLIAM:--I cannot give you details, but it is entirely certain that
Pennsylvania and Indiana have gone Republican very largely. Pennsylvania
25,000, and Indiana 5000 to 10,000. Ohio of course is safe.

Yours as ever,

A. LINCOLN.




TO L. M. BOND.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., October 15, 1860

L. MONTGOMERY BOND, Esq.

MY DEAR SIR:   I certainly am in no temper and have no purpose to
embitter the feelings of the South, but whether I am inclined to such a
course as would in fact embitter their feelings you can better judge by
my published speeches than by anything I would say in a short letter if I
were inclined now, as I am not, to define my position anew.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.




LETTER SUGGESTING A BEARD

TO MISS GRACE BEDELL, RIPLEY N.Y.

SPRINGFIELD, ILL., October 19, 1860

MISS GRACE BEDELL.

MY DEAR LITTLE MISS:--Your very agreeable letter of the 15th is received.
I regret the necessity of saying I have no daughter. I have three
sons--one seventeen, one nine, and one seven. They with their mother
constitute my whole family. As to the whiskers, as I have never worn any,
do you not think that people would call it a piece of silly affectation
were I to begin wearing them now?

I am your true friend and sincere well-wisher,

A. LINCOLN.




EARLY INFORMATION ON ARMY DEFECTION IN SOUTH

TO D. HUNTER.

(Private and Confidential.)
SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, October 26, 1860

MAJOR DAVID HUNTER

MY DEAR SIR:--Your very kind letter of the 20th was duly received, for
which please accept my thanks. I have another letter, from a writer
unknown to me, saying the officers of the army at Fort Kearny have
determined in case of Republican success at the approaching Presidential
election, to take themselves, and the arms at that point, south, for the
purpose of resistance to the government. While I think there are many
chances to one that this is a humbug, it occurs to me that any real
movement of this sort in the Army would leak out and become known to you.
In such case, if it would not be unprofessional or dishonorable (of which
you are to be judge), I shall be much obliged if you will apprise me of
it.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO HANNIBAL HAMLIN

(Confidential.)
SPRINGFIELD. ILLINOIS, November 8, 1860

HON. HANNIBAL HAMLIN.

MY DEAR SIR:--I am anxious for a personal interview with you at as early
a day as possible. Can you, without much inconvenience, meet me at
Chicago? If you can, please name as early a day as you conveniently can,
and telegraph me, unless there be sufficient time before the day named to
communicate by mail.

Yours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.




TO SAMUEL HAYCRAFT.