the writings-2-第22章

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thirty…one　dollars　and　eighty　two　cents；　and　that；　as　affiant　is

informed　and　believes；　the　defendants　succeeded　in　the　trial　of

said　cause　by　proving　old　claims　against　your　petitioner；　in　set…

off　against　said　note；　which　claims　had　been　settled；　adjusted

and　paid　before　said　note　was　executed。　　Your　Petitioner　further

states　that　the　reasons　of　his　not　being　present　at　said　trial；

as　he　was　not；　and　of　its　not　being　in　his　power　to　take　an

appeal　in　the　ordinary　way；　as　it　was　not；　were　that　your

Petitioner　then　resided　in　Edgar　County　about　one　hundred　and

twenty　miles　from　where　defendants　resided；　that　a　very　short

time　before　the　suit　was　commenced　your　Petitioner　was　in

Sangamon　County　for　the　purpose　of　collecting　debts　due　him；　and

with　the　rest；　the　note　in　question；　which　note　had　then　been

given　more　than　a　year；　that　your　Petitioner　then　saw　the

defendant　J。　L。　Gerard　who　is　the　principal　in　said　note；　and

solicited　payment　of　the　same；　that　said　defendant　then　made　no

pretense　that　he　did　not　owe　the　same；　but　on　the　contrary

expressly　promised　that　he　would　come　into　Springfield；　in　a　very

few　days　and　either　pay　the　money；　or　give　a　new　note；　payable　by

the　then　next　Christmas；　that　your　Petitioner　accordingly　left

said　note　with　said　J。　C。　Spugg；　with　directions　to　give

defendant　full　time　to　pay　the　money　or　give　the　new　note　as

above；　and　if　he　did　neither　to　sue；　and　then　affiant　came　home

to　Edgar　County；　not　having　the　slightest　suspicion　that　if　suit

should　be　brought；　the　defendants　would　make　any　defense

whatever；　and　your　Petitioner　never　did　in　any　way　learn　that

said　suit　had　been　commenced　until　more　than　twenty　days　after　it

had　been　decided　against　him。　　He　therefore　prays　for　a　writ　of

Certiorari。



　　　　　　HIS

JOSHUA　x　GIPSON

　　　　　　MARK









TO　J。　D。　JOHNSTON。



SPRINGFIELD；　Aug。　　31；　1851



DEAR　BROTHER：

Inclosed　is　the　deed　for　the　land。　　We　are　all　well；　and　have

nothing　in　the　way　of　news。　　We　have　had　no　Cholera　here　for

about　two　weeks。



Give　my　love　to　all；　and　especially　to　Mother。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　J。　D。　JOHNSTON。



SHELBYVILLE；　Nov。　4；　1851



DEAR　BROTHER：



When　I　came　into　Charleston　day　before　yesterday　I　learned　that

you　are　anxious　to　sell　the　land　where　you　live；　and　move　to

Missouri。　　I　have　been　thinking　of　this　ever　since；　and　cannot

but　think　such　a　notion　is　utterly　foolish。　　What　can　you　do　in

Missouri　better　than　here？　　Is　the　land　richer？　　Can　you　there；

any　more　than　here；　raise　corn　and　wheat　and　oats　without　work？

Will　anybody　there；　any　more　than　here；　do　your　work　for　you？　　If

you　intend　to　go　to　work；　there　is　no　better　place　than　right

where　you　are；　if　you　do　not　intend　to　go　to　work　you　cannot　get

along　anywhere。　　Squirming　and　crawling　about　from　place　to　place

can　do　no　good。　　You　have　raised　no　crop　this　year；　and　what　you

really　want　is　to　sell　the　land；　get　the　money　and　spend　it。

Part　with　the　land　you　have；　and；　my　life　upon　it；　you　will　never

after　own　a　spot　big　enough　to　bury　you　in。　　Half　you　will　get

for　the　land　you　spend　in　moving　to　Missouri；　and　the　other　half

you　will　eat　and　drink　and　wear　out；　and　no　foot　of　land　will　be

bought。　　Now　I　feel　it　is　my　duty　to　have　no　hand　in　such　a　piece

of　foolery。　　I　feel　that　it　is　so　even　on　your　own　account；　and

particularly　on　Mother's　account。　　The　eastern　forty　acres　I

intend　to　keep　for　Mother　while　she　lives；　if　you　will　not

cultivate　it；　it　will　rent　for　enough　to　support　her；　at　least　it

will　rent　for　something。　　Her　dower　in　the　other　two　forties　she

can　let　you　have；　and　no　thanks　to　me。



Now　do　not　misunderstand　this　letter。　　I　do　not　write　it　in　any

unkindness。　　I　write　it　in　order；　if　possible；　to　get　you　to　face

the　truth；　which　truth　is；　you　are　destitute　because　you　have

idled　away　all　your　time。　　Your　thousand　pretenses　for　not

getting　along　better　are　all　nonsense；　they　deceive　nobody　but

yourself。　　Go　to　work　is　the　only　cure　for　your　case。



A　word　for　Mother：　Chapman　tells　me　he　wants　you　to　go　and　live

with　him。　　If　I　were　you　I　would　try　it　awhile。　　If　you　get　tired

of　it　（as　I　think　you　will　not）　you　can　return　to　your　own　home。

Chapman　feels　very　kindly　to　you；　and　I　have　no　doubt　he　will

make　your　situation　very　pleasant。



Sincerely　yours；



A。　LINCOLN。









Nov。　　4；　1851



DEAR　MOTHER：



Chapman　tells　me　he　wants　you　to　go　and　live　with　him。　　If　I　were

you　I　would　try　it　awhile。　　If　you　get　tired　of　it　（as　I　think

you　will　not）　you　can　return　to　your　own　home。　　Chapman　feels

very　kindly　to　you；　and　I　have　no　doubt　he　will　make　your

situation　very　pleasant。



Sincerely　your　son；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　JOHN　D。　　JOHNSTON。



SHELBYVILLE；　November　9；　1851



DEAR　BROTHER　：…When　I　wrote　you　before；　I　had　not　received　your

letter。　　I　still　think　as　I　did；　but　if　the　land　can　be　sold　so

that　I　get　three　hundred　dollars　to　put　to　interest　for　Mother；　I

will　not　object；　if　she　does　not。　　But　before　I　will　make　a　deed；

the　money　must　be　had；　or　secured　beyond　all　doubt；　at　ten　per

cent。



As　to　Abram；　I　do　not　want　him；　on　my　own　account；　but　I

understand　he　wants　to　live　with　me；　so　that　he　can　go　to　school

and　get　a　fair　start　in　the　world；　which　I　very　much　wish　him　to

have。　　When　I　reach　home；　if　I　can　make　it　convenient　to　take；　I

will　take　him；　provided　there　is　no　mistake　between　us　as　to　the

object　and　terms　of　my　taking　him。　　In　haste；　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　JOHN　D。　JOHNSTON。





SPRINGFIELD；　November　25；　1851。



DEAR　BROTHER：Your　letter　of　the　22d　is　just　received。　　Your

proposal　about　selling　the　east　forty　acres　of　land　is　all　that　I

want　or　could　claim　for　myself；　but　I　am　not　satisfied　with　it　on

Mother's　accountI　want　her　to　have　her　living；　and　I　feel　that

it　is　my　duty；　to　some　extent；　to　see　that　she　is　not　wronged。

She　had　a　right　of　dower　（that　is；　the　use　of　one…third　for　life）

in　the　other　two　forties；　but；　it　seems；　she　has　already　let　you

take　that；　hook　and　line。　　She　now　has　the　use　of　the　whole　of

the　east　forty；　as　long　as　she　lives；　and　if　it　be　sold；　of

course　she　is　entitled　to　the　interest　on　all　the　money　it

brings；　as　long　as　she　lives；　but　you　propose　to　sell　it　for

three　hundred　dollars；　take　one　hundred　away　with　you；　and　leave

her　two　hundred　at　8　per　cent。；　making　her　the　enormous　sum　of　16

dollars　a　year。　　Now；　if　you　are　satisfied　with　treating　her　in

that　way；　I　am　not。　　It　is　true　that　you　are　to　have　that　forty

for　two　hundred　dollars；　at　Mother's　death；　but　you　are　not　to

have　it　before。　　I　am　confident　that　land　can　be　made　to　produce

for　Mother　at　least　30　a　year；　and　I　can　not；　to　oblige　any

living　person；　consent　that　she　shall　be　put　on　an　allowance　of

sixteen　dollars　a　year。



Yours；　etc。；



A。　LINCOLN。









1852





EULOGY　ON　HENRY　CLAY；　DELIVERED　IN　THE　STATE

HOUSE　AT　SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　JULY　16；　1852。



On　the　fourth　day　of　July；　1776；　the　people　of　a　few　feeble　and

oppressed　colonies　of　Great　Britain；　inhabiting　a　portion　of　the

Atlantic　coast　of　North　America；　publicly　declared　their　national

independence；　and　made　their　appeal　to　the　justice　of　their　cause

and　to　the　God　of　battles　for　the　maintenance　of　that

declaration。　　That　people　were　few　in　number　and　without

resources；　save　only　their　wise　heads　and　stout　hearts。　　Within

the　first　year　of　that　declared　independence；　and　while　its

maintenance　was　yet　problematical；　while　the　bloody　struggle

between　those　resolute　rebels　and　their　haughty　would…be　masters

was　still　waging；of　undistinguished　parents　and　in　an　obscure

district　of　one　of　those　colonies　Henry　Clay　was　born。　　The

infant　nation　and　the　infant　child　began　the　race　of　life

together。　　For　three　quarters　of　a　century　they　have　travelled

hand　in　hand。　　They　have　been　companions　ever。　　The　nation　has

passed　its　perils；　and　it　is　free；　prosperous；　and　powerful。　　The

child　has　reached　his　manhood；　his　middle　age；　his　old　age；　and

is　dead。　　In　all　that　has　concerned　the　nation　the　man　ever

sympathized；　and　now　the　nation　mourns　the　man。



The　day　after　his　death　one　of　the　public　journals；　opposed　to

him　politically；　held　the　following　pathetic　and　beautiful

language；　which　I　adopt　partly　because　such　high　and　exclusive

eulogy；　originating　with　a　political　friend；　might　offend　good

taste；　but　chiefly　because　I　could　not　in　any　language　of　my　own

so　well　express　my　thoughts：



〃Alas；　who　can　realize　that　Henry　Clay　is　dead！　　Who　can　realize

that　never　again　that　majestic　form　shall　rise　in　the　council…

chambers　of　his　country　to　beat　back　the　storms　of　anarchy　which

may　threaten；　or　pour　the　oil　of　peace　upon　the　troubled　billows

as　they　rage　and　menace　around！　　Who　can　realize　that　the

workings　of　that　mighty　mind　have　ceased；　that　the　throbbings　of

that　gallant　heart　are　stilled；　that　the　mighty　sweep　of　that

graceful　arm　will　be　felt　no　more；　and　the　magic　of　that　eloquent

tongue；　which　spake　as　spake　no　other　tongue　besides；　is　hushed

hushed　for　ever！　　Who　can　realize　that　freedom's　champion；　the

champion　of　a　civilized　world　and　of　all　tongues　and　kindreds　of

people；　has　indeed　fallen！　　Alas；　in　those　dark　hours　of　peril

and　dread　which　our　land　has　experienced；　and　which　she　may　be

called　to　experience　again；　to　whom　now　may　her　people　look　up

for　that　counsel　and　advice　which　only　wisdom　and　experience　and

patriotism　can　give；　and　which　only　the　undoubting　confidence　of

a　nation　will　receive？　　Perchance　in　the　whole　circle　of　the

great　and　gifted　of　our　land　there　remains　but　one　on　whose

shoulders　the　mighty　mantle　of　the　departed　statesman　may　fall；

one　who　while　we　now　write　is　doubtless　pouring　his　tears　over

the　bier　of　his　brother　and　friend　brother；　friend；　ever；　yet　in

political　sentiment　as　far　apart　as　party　could　make　them。　　Ah；

it　is　at　times　like　these　that　the　petty　distinctions　of　mere

party　disappear。　　We　see　only　the　great；　the　grand；　the　noble

features　of　the　departed　statesman；　and　we　do　not　even　beg

permission　to　bow　at　his　feet　and　mingle　our　tears　with　those　who

have　ever　been　his　political　adherentswe　do　＇not＇　beg　this

permission；　we　claim　it　as　a　right；　though　we　feel　it　as　a

privilege。　　Henry　Clay　belonged　to　his　countryto　the　world；

mere　party　cannot　claim　men　like　him。　　His　career　has　been

national；　his　fame　has　filled　the　earth；　his　memory　will　endure

to　the　last　syllable　of　recorded　time。



〃Henry　Clay　is　dead！　　He　breathed　his　last　on　yesterday；　at

twenty　minutes　after　eleven；　in　his　chamber　at　Washington。　　To

those　who　followed　his　lead　in　public　affairs；　it　more

appropriately　belongs　to　pronounce　his　eulogy　and　pay　specific

honors　to　the　memory　of　the　illustrious　dead。　　But　all　America