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will　of　the　majority　should　be　carried　out。　　On　this　ground　he

conceived　（and　the　audience　seemed　to　go　with　him）　that　Gen。

Taylor　held　correct；　sound　republican　principles。



Mr。　Lincoln　then　passed　to　the　subject　of　slavery　in　the　States；

saying　that　the　people　of　Illinois　agreed　entirely　with　the

people　of　Massachusetts　on　this　subject；　except　perhaps　that　they

did　not　keep　so　constantly　thinking　about　it。　　All　agreed　that

slavery　was　an　evil；　but　that　we　were　not　responsible　for　it　and

cannot　affect　it　in　States　of　this　Union　where　we　do　not　live。

But　the　question　of　the　extension　of　slavery　to　new　territories

of　this　country　is　a　part　of　our　responsibility　and　care；　and　is

under　our　control。　　In　opposition　to　this　Mr。　L。　　believed　that

the　self…named　〃Free　Soil〃　party　was　far　behind　the　Whigs。　　Both

parties　opposed　the　extension。　　As　he　understood　it　the　new　party

had　no　principle　except　this　opposition。　　If　their　platform　held

any　other；　it　was　in　such　a　general　way　that　it　was　like　the　pair

of　pantaloons　the　Yankee　pedlar　offered　for　sale；　〃large　enough

for　any　man；　small　enough　for　any　boy。〃　　They　therefore　had　taken

a　position　calculated　to　break　down　their　single　important

declared　object。　　They　were　working　for　the　election　of　either

Gen。　Cass　or　Gen。　Taylor。　　The　speaker　then　went　on　to　show；

clearly　and　eloquently；　the　danger　of　extension　of　slavery；

likely　to　result　from　the　election　of　Gen。　Cass。　　To　unite　with

those　who　annexed　the　new　territory　to　prevent　the　extension　of

slavery　in　that　territory　seemed　to　him　to　be　in　the　highest

degree　absurd　and　ridiculous。　　Suppose　these　gentlemen　succeed　in

electing　Mr。　Van　Buren；　they　had　no　specific　means　to　prevent　the

extension　of　slavery　to　New　Mexico　and　California；　and　Gen。

Taylor；　he　confidently　believed；　would　not　encourage　it；　and

would　not　prohibit　its　restriction。　　But　if　Gen。　Cass　was

elected；　he　felt　certain　that　the　plans　of　farther　extension　of

territory　would　be　encouraged；　and　those　of　the　extension　of

slavery　would　meet　no　check。　　The　〃Free　Soil〃　mart　in　claiming

that　name　indirectly　attempts　a　deception；　by　implying　that　Whigs

were　not　Free　Soil　men。　　Declaring　that　they　would　〃do　their　duty

and　leave　the　consequences　to　God　〃　merely　gave　an　excuse　for

taking　a　course　they　were　not　able　to　maintain　by　a　fair　and　full

argument。　　To　make　this　declaration　did　not　show　what　their　duty

was。　　If　it　did　we　should　have　no　use　for　judgment；　we　might　as

well　be　made　without　intellect；　and　when　divine　or　human　law　does

not　clearly　point　out　what　is　our　duty；　we　have　no　means　of

finding　out　what　it　is　but　by　using　our　most　intelligent　judgment

of　the　consequences。　　If　there　were　divine　law　or　human　law　for

voting　for　Martin　Van　Buren；　or　if　a；　fair　examination　of　the

consequences　and　just　reasoning　would　show　that　voting　for　him

would　bring　about　the　ends　they　pretended　to　wishthen　he　would

give　up　the　argument。　　But　since　there　was　no　fixed　law　on　the

subject；　and　since　the　whole　probable　result　of　their　action

would　be　an　assistance　in　electing　Gen。　Cass；　he　must　say　that

they　were　behind　the　Whigs　in　their　advocacy　of　the　freedom　of

the　soil。



Mr。　Lincoln　proceeded　to　rally　the　Buffalo　convention　for

forbearing　to　say　anythingafter　all　the　previous　declarations

of　those　members　who　were　formerly　Whigson　the　subject　of　the

Mexican　War；　because　the　Van　Burens　had　been　known　to　have

supported　it。　　He　declared　that　of　all　the　parties　asking　the

confidence　of　the　country；　this　new　one　had　less　of　principle

than　any　other。



He　wondered　whether　it　was　still　the　opinion　of　these　Free　Soil

gentlemen；　as　declared　in　the　〃whereas〃　at　Buffalo；　that　the　Whig

and　Democratic　parties　were　both　entirely　dissolved　and　absorbed

into　their　own　body。　　Had　the　Vermont　election　given　them　any

light？　　They　had　calculated　on　making　as　great　an　impression　in

that　State　as　in　any　part　of　the　Union；　and　there　their　attempts

had　been　wholly　ineffectual。　　Their　failure　was　a　greater　success

than　they　would　find　in　any　other　part　of　the　Union。



Mr。　Lincoln　went　on　to　say　that　he　honestly　believed　that　all

those　who　wished　to　keep　up　the　character　of　the　Union；　who　did

not　believe　in　enlarging　our　field；　but　in　keeping　our　fences

where　they　are　and　cultivating　our　present　possessions；　making　it

a　garden；　improving　the　morals　and　education　of　the　people；

devoting　the　administrations　to　this　purpose；　all　real　Whigs；

friends　of　good　honest　governmentthe　race　was　ours。　　He　had

opportunities　of　hearing　from　almost　every　part　of　the　Union　from

reliable　sources　and　had　not　heard　of　a　county　in　which　we　had

not　received　accessions　from　other　parties。　　If　the　true　Whigs

come　forward　and　join　these　new　friends；　they　need　not　have　a

doubt。　　We　had　a　candidate　whose　personal　character　and

principles　he　had　already　described；　whom　he　could　not　eulogize

if　he　would。　　Gen。　Taylor　had　been　constantly；　perseveringly；

quietly　standing　up；　doing　his　duty　and　asking　no　praise　or

reward　for　it。　　He　was　and　must　be　just　the　man　to　whom　the

interests；　principles；　and　prosperity　of　the　country　might　be

safely　intrusted。　　He　had　never　failed　in　anything　he　had

undertaken；　although　many　of　his　duties　had　been　considered

almost　impossible。



Mr。　Lincoln　then　went　into　a　terse　though　rapid　review　of　the

origin　of　the　Mexican　War　and　the　connection　of　the

administration　and　General　Taylor　with　it；　from　which　he　deduced

a　strong　appeal　to　the　Whigs　present　to　do　their　duty　in　the

support　of　General　Taylor；　and　closed　with　the　warmest

aspirations　for　and　confidence　in　a　deserved　success。



At　the　close　of　his　truly　masterly　and　convincing　speech；　the

audience　gave　three　enthusiastic　cheers　for　Illinois；　and　three

more　for　the　eloquent　Whig　member　from　the　State。









HIS　FATHER'S　REQUEST　FOR　MONEY



TO　THOMAS　LINCOLN



WASHINGTON；　　Dec。　　24；　1848。



MY　DEAR　FATHER：Your　letter　of　the　7th　was　received　night　before

last。　　I　very　cheerfully　send　you　the　twenty　dollars；　which　sum

you　say　is　necessary　to　save　your　land　from　sale。　　It　is　singular

that　you　should　have　forgotten　a　judgment　against　you；　and　it　is

more　singular　that　the　plaintiff　should　have　let　you　forget　it　so

long；　particularly　as　I　suppose　you　always　had　property　enough　to

satisfy　a　judgment　of　that　amount。　　Before　you　pay　it；　it　would

be　well　to　be　sure　you　have　not　paid；　or　at　least；　that　you

cannot　prove　you　have　paid　it。



Give　my　love　to　mother　and　all　the　connections。　　Affectionately

your　son；



A。　LINCOLN。









1849





BILL　TO　ABOLISH　SLAVERY　IN　THE

DISTRICT　OF　COLUMBIA



Resolved；　That　the　Committee　on　the　District　of　Columbia　be

instructed　to　report　a　bill　in　substance　as　follows：



Sec。1。　　　　Be　it　enacted　by　the　Senate　and　House　of

Representatives　of　the　United　States；　in　Congress　assembled；　That

no　person　not　now　within　the　District　of　Columbia；　nor　now　owned

by　any　person　or　persons　now　resident　within　it；　nor　hereafter

born　within　it；　shall　ever　be　held　in　slavery　within　said

District。



Sec。　　2。　　　　That　no　person　now　within　said　District；　or　now　owned

by　any　person　or　persons　now　resident　within　the　same；　or

hereafter　born　within　it；　shall　ever　be　held　in　slavery　without

the　limits　of　said　District：Provided；　That　officers　of　the

Government　of　the　United　States；　being　citizens　of　the

slaveholding　States；　coming　into　said　District　on　public

business；　and　remaining　only　so　long　as　may　be　reasonably

necessary　for　that　object；　may　be　attended　into　and　out　of　said

District；　and　while　there；　by　the　necessary　servants　of

themselves　and　their　families；　without　their　right　to　hold　such

servants　in　service　being　thereby　impaired。



Sec。　　3。　　That　all　children　born　of　slave　mothers　within　said

District；　on　or　after　the　first　day　of　January；　in　the　year　of

our　Lord　eighteen　hundred　and　fifty；　shall　be　free；　but　shall　be

reasonably　supported　and　educated　by　the　respective　owners　of

their　mothers；　or　by　their　heirs　or　representatives；　and　shall

owe　reasonable　service　as　apprentices　to　such　owners；　heirs；　or

representatives；　until　they　respectively　arrive　at　the　age　of　　__

years；　when　they　shall　be　entirely　free；　and　the　municipal

authorities　of　Washington　and　Georgetown；　within　their　respective

jurisdictional　limits；　are　hereby　empowered　and　required　to　make

all　suitable　and　necessary　provision　for　enforcing　obedience　to

this　section；　on　the　part　of　both　masters　and　apprentices。



Sec。　　4。　　That　all　persons　now　within　this　District；　lawfully

held　as　slaves；　or　now　owned　by　any　person　or　persons　now

resident　within　said　District；　shall　remain　such　at　the　will　of

their　respective　owners；　their　heirs；　and　legal　representatives：

Provided；　That　such　owner；　or　his　legal　representative；　may　at

any　time　receive　from　the　Treasury　of　the　United　States　the　full

value　of　his　or　her