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slow　to　acknowledge　that　your　harbor　or　your　river　is　more

important　than　mine；　and　vice　versa。　　To　clear　this　difficulty；

let　us　have　that　same　statistical　information　which　the　gentleman

from　Ohio　＇Mr。　Vinton＇　suggested　at　the　beginning　of　this

session。　　In　that　information　we　shall　have　a　stern；　unbending

basis　of　factsa　basis　in　no　wise　subject　to　whim；　caprice；　or

local　interest。　　The　prelimited　amount　of　means　will　save　us　from

doing　too　much；　and　the　statistics　will　save　us　from　doing　what

we　do　in　wrong　places。　　Adopt　and　adhere　to　this　course；　and；　it

seems　to　me；　the　difficulty　is　cleared。



One　of　the　gentlemen　from　South　Carolina　＇Mr。　Rhett＇　very　much

deprecates　these　statistics。　　He　particularly　objects；　as　I

understand　him；　to　counting　all　the　pigs　and　chickens　in　the

land。　　I　do　not　perceive　much　force　in　the　objection。　　It　is　true

that　if　everything　be　enumerated；　a　portion　of　such　statistics

may　not　be　very　useful　to　this　object。　　Such　products　of　the

country　as　are　to　be　consumed　where　they　are　produced　need　no

roads　or　rivers；　no　means　of　transportation；　and　have　no　very

proper　connection　with　this　subject。　　The　surplusthat　which　is

produced　in　one　place　to　be　consumed　in　another；　the　capacity　of

each　locality　for　producing　a　greater　surplus；　the　natural　means

of　transportation；　and　their　susceptibility　of　improvement；　the

hindrances；　delays；　and　losses　of　life　and　property　during

transportation；　and　the　causes　of　each；　would　be　among　the　most

valuable　statistics　in　this　connection。　　From　these　it　would

readily　appear　where　a　given　amount　of　expenditure　would　do　the

most　good。　　These　statistics　might　be　equally　accessible；　as　they

would　be　equally　useful；　to　both　the　nation　and　the　States。　　In

this　way；　and　by　these　means；　let　the　nation　take　hold　of　the

larger　works；　and　the　States　the　smaller　ones；　and　thus；　working

in　a　meeting　direction；　discreetly；　but　steadily　and　firmly；　what

is　made　unequal　in　one　place　may　be　equalized　in　another；

extravagance　avoided；　and　the　whole　country　put　on　that　career　of

prosperity　which　shall　correspond　with　its　extent　of　territory；

its　natural　resources；　and　the　intelligence　and　enterprise　of　its

people。









OPPORTUNITIES　FOR　YOUNG　POLITICIANS



TO　WILLIAM　H。　HERNDON。



WASHINGTON；　June　22；　1848。



DEAR　WILLIAM：Last　night　I　was　attending　a　sort　of　caucus　of　the

Whig　members；　held　in　relation　to　the　coming　Presidential

election。　　The　whole　field　of　the　nation　was　scanned；　and　all　is

high　hope　and　confidence。　　Illinois　is　expected　to　better　her

condition　in　this　race。　　Under　these　circumstances；　judge　how

heartrending　it　was　to　come　to　my　room　and　find　and　read　your

discouraging　letter　of　the　15th。　　We　have　made　no　gains；　but　have

lost　〃H。　　R。　　Robinson；　Turner；　Campbell；　and　four　or　five　more。〃

Tell　Arney　to　reconsider；　if　he　would　be　saved。　　Baker　and　I　used

to　do　something；　but　I　think　you　attach　more　importance　to　our

absence　than　is　just。　　There　is　another　cause。　　In　1840；　for

instance；　we　had　two　senators　and　five　representatives　in

Sangamon；　now　we　have　part　of　one　senator　and　two

representatives。　　With　quite　one　third　more　people　than　we　had

then；　we　have　only　half　the　sort　of　offices　which　are　sought　by

men　of　the　speaking　sort　of　talent。　　This；　I　think；　is　the　chief

cause。　　Now；　as　to　the　young　men。　　You　must　not　wait　to　be

brought　forward　by　the　older　men。　　For　instance；　do　you　suppose

that　I　should　ever　have　got　into　notice　if　I　had　waited　to　be

hunted　up　and　pushed　forward　by　older　men？　　You　young　men　get

together　and　form　a　〃Rough　and　Ready　Club；〃　and　have　regular

meetings　and　speeches。　　Take　in　everybody　you　can　get。　　Harrison

Grimsley；　L。　　A。　　Enos；　Lee　Kimball；　and　C。　　W。　　Matheny　will　do

to　begin　the　thing；　but　as　you　go　along　gather　up　all　the　shrewd；

wild　boys　about　town；　whether　just　of　age；　or　a　little　under　age；

Chris。　　Logan；　Reddick　Ridgely；　Lewis　Zwizler；　and　hundreds　such。

Let　every　one　play　the　part　he　can　play　best；some　speak；　some

sing；　and　all　〃holler。〃　Your　meetings　will　be　of　evenings；　the

older　men；　and　the　women；　will　go　to　hear　you；　so　that　it　will

not　only　contribute　to　the　election　of　〃Old　Zach；〃　but　will　be　an

interesting　pastime；　and　improving　to　the　intellectual　faculties

of　all　engaged。　　Don't　fail　to　do　this。



You　ask　me　to　send　you　all　the　speeches　made　about　〃Old　Zach；〃

the　war；　etc。　　Now　this　makes　me　a　little　impatient。　　I　have

regularly　sent　you　the　Congressional　Globe　and　Appendix；　and　you

cannot　have　examined　them；　or　you　would　have　discovered　that　they

contain　every　speech　made　by　every　man　in　both　houses　of

Congress；　on　every　subject；　during　the　session。　　Can　I　send　any

more？　　Can　I　send　speeches　that　nobody　has　made？　　Thinking　it

would　be　most　natural　that　the　newspapers　would　feel　interested

to　give　at　least　some　of　the　speeches　to　their　readers；　I　at　the

beginning　of　the　session　made　arrangements　to　have　one　copy　of

the　Globe　and　Appendix　regularly　sent　to　each　Whig　paper　of　the

district。　　And　yet；　with　the　exception　of　my　own　little　speech；

which　was　published　in　two　only　of　the　then　five；　now　four；　Whig

papers；　I　do　not　remember　having　seen　a　single　speech；　or　even

extract　from　one；　in　any　single　one　of　those　papers。　　With　equal

and　full　means　on　both　sides；　I　will　venture　that　the　State

Register　has　thrown　before　its　readers　more　of　Locofoco　speeches

in　a　month　than　all　the　Whig　papers　of　the　district　have　done　of

Whig　speeches　during　the　session。



If　you　wish　a　full　understanding　of　the　war；　I　repeat　what　I

believe　I　said　to　you　in　a　letter　once　before；　that　the　whole；　or

nearly　so；　is　to　be　found　in　the　speech　of　Dixon　of　Connecticut。

This　I　sent　you　in　pamphlet　as　well　as　in　the　Globe。　　Examine　and

study　every　sentence　of　that　speech　thoroughly；　and　you　will

understand　the　whole　subject。　　You　ask　how　Congress　came　to

declare　that　war　had　existed　by　the　act　of　Mexico。　　Is　it

possible　you　don't　understand　that　yet？　　You　have　at　least　twenty

speeches　in　your　possession　that　fully　explain　it。　　I　will；

however；　try　it　once　more。　　The　news　reached　Washington　of　the

commencement　of　hostilities　on　the　Rio　Grande；　and　of　the　great

peril　of　General　Taylor's　army。　　Everybody；　Whigs　and　Democrats；

was　for　sending　them　aid；　in　men　and　money。　　It　was　necessary　to

pass　a　bill　for　this。　　The　Locos　had　a　majority　in　both　houses；

and　they　brought　in　a　bill　with　a　preamble　saying：　Whereas；　War

exists　by　the　act　of　Mexico；　therefore　we　send　General　Taylor

money。　　The　Whigs　moved　to　strike　out　the　preamble；　so　that　they

could　vote　to　send　the　men　and　money；　without　saying　anything

about　how　the　war　commenced；　but　being　in　the　minority；　they　were

voted　down；　and　the　preamble　was　retained。　　Then；　on　the　passage

of　the　bill；　the　question　came　upon　them；　Shall　we　vote　for

preamble　and　bill　together；　or　against　both　together？　　They　did

not　want　to　vote　against　sending　help　to　General　Taylor；　and

therefore　they　voted　for　both　together。　　Is　there　any　difficulty

in　understanding　this？　　Even　my　little　speech　shows　how　this　was；

and　if　you　will　go　to　the　library；　you　may　get　the　Journal　of

1845…46；　in　which　you　will　find　the　whole　for　yourself。



We　have　nothing　published　yet　with　special　reference　to　the

Taylor　race；　but　we　soon　will　have；　and　then　I　will　send　them　to

everybody。　　I　made　an　internal…improvement　speech　day　before

yesterday；　which　I　shall　send　home　as　soon　as　I　can　get　it

written　out　and　printed；and　which　I　suppose　nobody　will　read。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









SALARY　OF　JUDGE　IN　WESTERN　VIRGINIA



REMARKS　IN　THE　HOUSE　OF　REPRESENTATIVES；

JUNE　28；　1848。





Discussion　as　to　salary　of　judge　of　western　Virginia：Wishing　to

increase　it　from　1800　to　2500。



Mr。　Lincoln　said　he　felt　unwilling　to　be　either　unjust　or

ungenerous；　and　he　wanted　to　understand　the　real　case　of　this

judicial　officer。　　The　gentleman　from　Virginia　had　stated　that　he

had　to　hold　eleven　courts。　　Now　everybody　knew　that　it　was　not

the　habit　of　the　district　judges　of　the　United　States　in　other

States　to　hold　anything　like　that　number　of　courts；　and　he

therefore　took　it　for　granted　that　this　must　happen　under　a

peculiar　law　which　required　that　large　number　of　courts　to　be

holden　every　year；　and　these　laws；　he　further　supposed；　were

passed　at　the　request　of　the　people　of　that　judicial　district。

It　came；　then；　to　this：　that　the　people　in　the　western　district

of　Virginia　had　got　eleven　courts　to　be　held　among　them　in　one

year；　for　their　own　accommodation；　and　being　thus　better

accommodated　than　neighbors　elsewhere；　they　wanted　their　judge　to

be　a　little　better　paid。　　In　Illinois　there　had　been　until　the

present　season　but　one　district　court　held　in　the　year。　　There

were　now　to　be　two。　　Could　it　be　that　the　western　district　of

Virginia　furnished　more　business　for　a　judge　than　the　whole