the writings-2-第3章

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shall　not　have　acted　upon　the　matter；　before　his　arrival　here。　　I

mention　this　condition　because；　I　learned　this　morning　from　the

Secretary　of　State；　that　he　is　forwarding　to　the　Governor；　at

Palestine；　all　papers　he　receives　in　the　case；　as　fast　as　he

receives　them。　　Among　the　papers　forwarded　will　be　your　letter　to

the　Governor　or　Secretary　of；　I　believe；　the　same　date　and　about

the　same　contents　of　your　last　letter　to　me；　so　that　the　Governor

will；　at　all　events　have　your　points　and　authorities。　　The　case

is　a　clear　one　on　our　side；　but　whether　the　Governor　will　view　it

so　is　another　thing。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　WILLIAM　H。　　HERNDON



WASHINGTON；　December　5；　1847。



DEAR　WILLIAM：You　may　remember　that　about　a　year　ago　a　man　by

the　name　of　Wilson　（James　Wilson；　I　think）　paid　us　twenty　dollars

as　an　advance　fee　to　attend　to　a　case　in　the　Supreme　Court　for

him；　against　a　Mr。　Campbell；　the　record　of　which　case　was　in　the

hands　of　Mr。　Dixon　of　St。　　Louis；　who　never　furnished　it　to　us。

When　I　was　at　Bloomington　last　fall　I　met　a　friend　of　Wilson；　who

mentioned　the　subject　to　me；　and　induced　me　to　write　to　Wilson；

telling　him　I　would　leave　the　ten　dollars　with　you　which　had　been

left　with　me　to　pay　for　making　abstracts　in　the　case；　so　that　the

case　may　go　on　this　winter；　but　I　came　away；　and　forgot　to　do　it。

What　I　want　now　is　to　send　you　the　money；　to　be　used　accordingly；

if　any　one　comes　on　to　start　the　case；　or　to　be　retained　by　you

if　no　one　does。



There　is　nothing　of　consequence　new　here。　　Congress　is　to

organize　to…morrow。　　Last　night　we　held　a　Whig　caucus　for　the

House；　and　nominated　Winthrop　of　Massachusetts　for　speaker；

Sargent　of　Pennsylvania　for　sergeant…at…arms；　Homer　of　New　Jersey

door…keeper；　and　McCormick　of　District　of　Columbia　postmaster。

The　Whig　majority　in　the　House　is　so　small　that；　together　with

some　little　dissatisfaction；　＇it＇　leaves　it　doubtful　whether　we

will　elect　them　all。



This　paper　is　too　thick　to　fold；　which　is　the　reason　I　send　only

a　half…sheet。



Yours　as　ever；

A。　LINCOLN。









TO　WILLIAM　H。　HERNDON。



WASHINGTON；　December　13；　1847



DEAR　WILLIAM：Your　letter；　advising　me　of　the　receipt　of　our　fee

in　the　bank　case；　is　just　received；　and　I　don't　expect　to　hear

another　as　good　a　piece　of　news　from　Springfield　while　I　am　away。

I　am　under　no　obligations　to　the　bank；　and　I　therefore　wish　you

to　buy　bank　certificates；　and　pay　my　debt　there；　so　as　to　pay　it

with　the　least　money　possible。　　I　would　as　soon　you　should　buy

them　of　Mr。　Ridgely；　or　any　other　person　at　the　bank；　as　of　any

one　else；　provided　you　can　get　them　as　cheaply。　　I　suppose；　after

the　bank　debt　shall　be　paid；　there　will　be　some　money　left；　out

of　which　I　would　like　to　have　you　pay　Lavely　and　Stout　twenty

dollars；　and　Priest　and　somebody　（oil…makers）　ten　dollars；　for

materials　got　for　house…painting。　　If　there　shall　still　be　any

left；　keep　it　till　you　see　or　hear　from　me。



I　shall　begin　sending　documents　so　soon　as　I　can　get　them。　　I

wrote　you　yesterday　about　a　〃Congressional　Globe。〃　As　you　are　all

so　anxious　for　me　to　distinguish　myself；　I　have　concluded　to　do

so　before　long。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









RESOLUTIONS　IN　THE　UNITED　STATES　HOUSE　OF

REPRESENTATIVES；　DECEMBER　22；　1847



Whereas；　The　President　of　the　United　States；　in　his　message　of

May　11；　1846；　has　declared　that　〃the　Mexican　Government　not　only

refused　to　receive　him　＇the　envoy　of　the　United　States＇；　or　to

listen　to　his　propositions；　but；　after　a　long…continued　series　of

menaces；　has　at　last　invaded　our　territory　and　shed　the　blood　of

our　fellow…citizens　on　our　own　soil〃；



And　again；　in　his　message　of　December　8；　1846；　that　〃we　had　ample

cause　of　war　against　Mexico　long　before　the　breaking　out　of

hostilities；　but　even　then　we　forbore　to　take　redress　into　our

own　hands　until　Mexico　herself　became　the　aggressor；　by　invading

our　soil　in　hostile　array；　and　shedding　the　blood　of　our

citizens〃；



And　yet　again；　in　his　message　of　December　7；　1847；　that　〃the

Mexican　Government　refused　even　to　hear　the　terms　of　adjustment

which　he　＇our　minister　of　peace＇　was　authorized　to　propose；　and

finally；　under　wholly　unjustifiable　pretexts；　involved　the　two

countries　in　war；　by　invading　the　territory　of　the　State　of

Texas；　striking　the　first　blow；　and　shedding　the　blood　of　our

citizens　on　our　own　soil〃；



And　whereas；　This　House　is　desirous　to　obtain　a　full　knowledge　of

all　the　facts　which　go　to　establish　whether　the　particular　spot

on　which　the　blood　of　our　citizens　was　so　shed　was　or　was　not　at

that　time　our　own　soil：　therefore；



Resolved；　By　the　House　of　Representatives；　that　the　President　of

the　United　States　be　respectfully　requested　to　inform　this　House：



First。　　Whether　the　spot　on　which　the　blood　of　our　citizens　was

shed；　as　in　his　message　declared；　was　or　was　not　within　the

territory　of　Spain；　at　least　after　the　treaty　of　1819；　until　the

Mexican　revolution。



Second。　　Whether　that　spot　is　or　is　not　within　the　territory

which　was　wrested　from　Spain　by　the　revolutionary　government　of

Mexico。



Third。　　Whether　that　spot　is　or　is　not　within　a　settlement　of

people；　which　settlement　has　existed　ever　since　long　before　the

Texas　revolution；　and　until　its　inhabitants　fled　before　the

approach　of　the　United　States　army。



Fourth。　　Whether　that　settlement　is　or　is　not　isolated　from　any

and　all　other　settlements　by　the　Gulf　and　the　Rio　Grande　on　the

south　and　west；　and　by　wide　uninhabited　regions　on　the　north　and

east。



Fifth。　　Whether　the　people　of　that　settlement；　or　a　majority　of

them；　or　any　of　them；　have　ever　submitted　themselves　to　the

government　or　laws　of　Texas　or　of　the　United　States；　by　consent

or　by　compulsion；　either　by　accepting　office；　or　voting　at

elections；　or　paying　tax；　or　serving　on　juries；　or　having　process

served　upon　them；　or　in　any　other　way。



Sixth。　　Whether　the　people　of　that　settlement　did　or　did　not　flee

from　the　approach　of　the　United　States　army；　leaving　unprotected

their　homes　and　their　growing　crops；　before　the　blood　was　shed；

as　in　the　message　stated；　and　whether　the　first　blood；　so　shed；

was　or　was　not　shed　within　the　inclosure　of　one　of　the　people　who

had　thus　fled　from　it。



Seventh。　　Whether　our　citizens；　whose　blood　was　shed；　as　in　his

message　declared；　were　or　were　not；　at　that　time；　armed　officers

and　soldiers；　sent　into　that　settlement　by　the　military　order　of

the　President；　through　the　Secretary　of　War。



Eighth。　　Whether　the　military　force　of　the　United　States　was　or

was　not　so　sent　into　that　settlement　after　General　Taylor　had

more　than　once　intimated　to　the　War　Department　that；　in　his

opinion；　no　such　movement　was　necessary　to　the　defence　or

protection　of　Texas。









REMARKS　IN　THE　UNITED　STATES　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES；

JANUARY　5；　1848。



Mr。　Lincoln　said　he　had　made　an　effort；　some　few　days　since；　to

obtain　the　floor　in　relation　to　this　measure　＇resolution　to

direct　Postmaster…General　to　make　arrangements　with　railroad　for

carrying　the　mailsin　Committee　of　the　Whole＇；　but　had　failed。

One　of　the　objects　he　had　then　had　in　view　was　now　in　a　great

measure　superseded　by　what　had　fallen　from　the　gentleman　from

Virginia　who　had　just　taken　his　seat。　　He　begged　to　assure　his

friends　on　the　other　side　of　the　House　that　no　assault　whatever

was　meant　upon　the　Postmaster…General；　and　he　was　glad　that　what

the　gentleman　had　now　said　modified　to　a　great　extent　the

impression　which　might　have　been　created　by　the　language　he　had

used　on　a　previous　occasion。　　He　wanted　to　state　to　gentlemen　who

might　have　entertained　such　impressions；　that　the　Committee　on

the　Post…office　was　composed　of　five　Whigs　and　four　Democrats；

and　their　report　was　understood　as　sustaining；　not　impugning；　the

position　taken　by　the　Postmaster…General。　　That　report　had　met

with　the　approbation　of　all　the　Whigs；　and　of　all　the　Democrats

also；　with　the　exception　of　one；　and　he　wanted　to　go　even　further

than　this。　　＇Intimation　was　informally　given　Mr。　Lincoln　that　it

was　not　in　order　to　mention　on　the　floor　what　had　taken　place　in

committee。＇　　He　then　observed　that　if　he　had　been　out　of　order　in

what　he　had　said　he　took　it　all　back　so　far　as　he　could。　　He　had

no　desire；　he　could　assure　gentlemen；　ever　to　be　out　of　order

though　he　never　could　keep　long　in　order。



Mr。　Lincoln　went　on　to　observe　that　he　differed　in　opinion；　in

the　present　case；　from　his　honorable　friend　from　Richmond　＇Mr。

Botts＇。　　That　gentleman；　had　begun　his　remarks　by　saying　that　if

all　prepossessions　in　this　matter　could　be　removed　out　of　the

way；　but　little　difficulty　would　be　experienced　in　coming　to　an

agreement。　　Now；　he　could　assure　that　gentleman　that　he　had

himself　begun　the　examination　of　the　subject　with　prepossessions

all　in　his　favor。　　He　had　long　and　often　heard　of　him；　and；　from

what　he　had　heard；　was　prepossessed　in　his　favor。　　Of　the

Postmaster…General　he　had　also　heard；　but　had　no　prepossessions

in　his　favor；　though　certainly　none　of　an　opposite　kind。　　He

differed；　however；　with　that　gentleman　in　politics；　while　in　this

respect　he　agreed　with　the　gentleman　from　Virginia　＇Mr。　Botts＇；

whom　he　wished　to　oblige　whenever　it　was　in　his　power。　　That

gentleman　had　referred　to　the　report　made　to　the　House　by　the

Postmaster…General；　and　had　intimated　an　apprehension　that

gentlemen　would　be　disposed　to　rely；　on　that　report　alone；　and

derive　their　views　of　the　case　from　that　document　alone。　　Now　it

so　happened　that　a　pamphlet　had　been　slipped　into　his　＇Mr。

Lincoln's＇　hand　before　he　read　the　report　of　the　Postmaster…

General；　so　that；　even　in　this；　he　had　begun　with　prepossessions

in　favor　of　the　gentleman　from　Virginia。



As　to　the　report；　he　had　but　one　remark　to　make：　he　had　carefully

examined　it；　and　he　did　not　understand　that　there　was　any　dispute

as　to　the　facts　therein　stated　the　dispute；　if　he　understood　it；

was　confined　altogether　to　the　inferences　to　be　drawn　from　those

facts。　　It　was　a　difference　not　about　facts；　but　about

conclusions。　　The　facts　were　not　disputed。　　If　he　was　right　in

this；　he　supposed　the　House　might　assume　the　facts　to　be　as　they

were　stated；　and　thence　proceed　to　draw　their　own　conclusions。



The　gentleman　had　said　that　the　Postmaster…General　had　got　into　a

personal　squabble　with　the　railroad　company。　　Of　this　Mr。　Lincoln

knew　nothing；　nor　did　he　need　or　desire　to　know　anything；　because

it　had　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　a　just　conclusion　from　the

premises。　　But　the　gentleman　had　gone　on　to　ask　whether　so　great

a　grievance　as　the　present　detention　of　the　Southern　mail　ought

not　to　be　remedied。　　Mr。　Lincoln　would　assure　the　gentleman　that

if　there　was　a　proper　way　of　doing　it；　no　man　was　more　anxious

than　he　that　it　should　be　done。　　The　repo