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particularly　to　the　letters　of　Mr。　David　Mack；　and　the　paper　with

the　long　list　of　names。　　There　is　no　mistake　about　King's　being　a

good　man。　　After　the　unjust　assault　upon　him；　and　considering　the

just　claims　of　Tazewell　County；　as　indicated　in　the　letters　I

inclose　you；　it　would　in　my　opinion　be　injustice；　and　withal　a

blunder；　not　to　appoint　him；　at　least　as　soon　as　any　one　is

appointed　to　either　of　the　offices　here。



Your　obedient　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　J。　　GILLESPIE。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　May　19；　1849。



DEAR　GILLESPIE：



Butterfield　will　be　commissioner　of　the　Gen'l　Land　Office；　unless

prevented　by　strong　and　speedy　efforts。　　Ewing　is　for　him；　and　he

is　only　not　appointed　yet　because　Old　Zach。　　hangs　fire。



I　have　reliable　information　of　this。　　Now；　if　you　agree　with　me

that　this　appointment　would　dissatisfy　rather　than　gratify　the

Whigs　of　this　State；　that　it　would　slacken　their　energies　in

future　contests；　that　his　appointment　in　'41　is　an　old　sore　with

them　which　they　will　not　patiently　have　reopened；in　a　word　that

his　appointment　now　would　be　a　fatal　blunder　to　the

administration　and　our　political　men　here　in　Illinois；　write

Crittenden　to　that　effect。　　He　can　control　the　matter。　　Were　you

to　write　Ewing　I　fear　the　President　would　never　hear　of　your

letter。　　This　may　be　mere　suspicion。　　You　might　write　directly　to

Old　Zach。　　You　will　be　the　best　judge　of　the　propriety　of　that。

Not　a　moment's　time　is　to　be　lost。



Let　this　be　confidential　except　with　Mr。　Edwards　and　a　few　others

whom　you　know　I　would　trust　just　as　I　do　you。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









REQUEST　FOR　GENERAL　LAND…OFICE　APPPOINTMENT



TO　E。　　EMBREE。



＇Confidential＇



SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；　May　25；　1849。



HON。　　E。　　EMBREE



DEAR　SIR：I　am　about　to　ask　a　favor　of　you；　one　which　I　hope

will　not　cost　you　much。　　I　understand　the　General　Land…Office　is

about　to　be　given　to　Illinois；　and　that　Mr。　Ewing　desires　Justin

Butterfield；　of　Chicago；　to　be　the　man。　　I　give　you　my　word；　the

appointment　of　Mr。　Butterfield　will　be　an　egregious　political

blunder。　　It　will　give　offence　to　the　whole　Whig　party　here；　and

be　worse　than　a　dead　loss　to　the　administration　of　so　much　of　its

patronage。　　Now；　if　you　can　conscientiously　do　so；　I　wish　you　to

write　General　Taylor　at　once；　saying　that　either　I　or　the　man　I

recommend　should　in　your　opinion　be　appointed　to　that　office；　if

any　one　from　Illinois　shall　be。　　I　restrict　my　request　to

Illinois　because　you　may　have　a　man　from　your　own　State；　and　I　do

not　ask　to　interfere　with　that。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









REQUEST　FOR　A　PATENT



IMPROVED　METHOD　OF　LIFTING　VESSELS　OVER　SHOALS。



Application　for　Patent：



What　I　claim　as　my　invention；　and　desire　to　secure　by　letters

patent；　is　the　combination　of　expansible　buoyant　chambers　placed

at　the　sides　of　a　vessel　with　the　main　shaft　or　shafts　by　means

of　the　sliding　spars；　which　pass　down　through　the　buoyant

chambers　and　are　made　fast　to　their　bottoms　and　the　series　of

ropes　and　pulleys　or　their　equivalents　in　such　a　manner　that　by

turning　the　main　shaft　or　shafts　in　one　direction　the　buoyant

chambers　will　be　forced　downward　into　the　water；　and　at　the　same

time　expanded　and　filled　with　air　for　buoying　up　the　vessel　by

the　displacement　of　water；　and　by　turning　the　shafts　in　an

opposite　direction　the　buoyant　chambers　will　be　contracted　into　a

small　space　and　secured　against　injury。



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　THE　SECRETARY　OF　INTERIOR。



SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　June　3；　1849



HON。　　SECRETARY　OF　INTERIOR。



DEAR　SIR：Vandalia；　the　receiver's　office　at　which　place　is　the

subject　of　the　within；　is　not　in　my　district；　and　I　have　been

much　perplexed　to　express　any　preference　between　Dr。　Stapp　and

Mr。　Remann。　　If　any　one　man　is　better　qualified　for　such　an

office　than　all　others；　Dr。　Stapp　is　that　man；　still；　I　believe　a

large　majority　of　the　Whigs　of　the　district　prefer　Mr。　Remann；

who　also　is　a　good　man。　　Perhaps　the　papers　on　file　will　enable

you　to　judge　better　than　I　can。　　The　writers　of　the　within　are

good　men；　residing　within　the　land　district。



Your　obt。　　servant；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　W。　　H。　　HERNDON。



SPRINGFIELD；　June　5；　1849。



DEAR　WILLIAM：Your　two　letters　were　received　last　night。　　I　have

a　great　many　letters　to　write；　and　so　cannot　write　very　long

ones。　　There　must　be　some　mistake　about　Walter　Davis　saying　I

promised　him　the　post…office。　　I　did　not　so　promise　him。　　I　did

tell　him　that　if　the　distribution　of　the　offices　should　fall　into

my　hands；　he　should　have　something；　and　if　I　shall　be　convinced

he　has　said　any　more　than　this；　I　shall　be　disappointed。　　I　said

this　much　to　him　because；　as　I　understand；　he　is　of　good

character；　is　one　of　the　young　men；　is　of　the　mechanics；　and

always　faithful　and　never　troublesome；　a　Whig；　and　is　poor；　with

the　support　of　a　widow　mother　thrown　almost　exclusively　on　him　by

the　death　of　his　brother。　　If　these　are　wrong　reasons；　then　I

have　been　wrong；　but　I　have　certainly　not　been　selfish　in　it；

because　in　my　greatest　need　of　friends　he　was　against　me；　and　for

Baker。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。



P。　　S。　　Let　the　above　be　confidential。









TO　J。　　GILLESPIE。



DEAR　GILLESPIE：



Mr。　Edwards　is　unquestionably　offended　with　me　in　connection　with

the　matter　of　the　General　Land…Office。　　He　wrote　a　letter　against

me　which　was　filed　at　the　department。



The　better　part　of　one's　life　consists　of　his　friendships；　and；

of　them；　mine　with　Mr。　Edwards　was　one　of　the　most　cherished。　　I

have　not　been　false　to　it。　　At　a　word　I　could　have　had　the　office

any　time　before　the　department　was　committed　to　Mr。　Butterfield；

at　least　Mr。　Ewing　and　the　President　say　as　much。　　That　word　I

forbore　to　speak；　partly　for　other　reasons；　but　chiefly　for　Mr。

Edwards'　sake；　losing　the　office　（that　he　might　gain　it）　I　was

always　for；　but　to　lose　his　friendship；　by　the　effort　for　him；

would　oppress　me　very　much；　were　I　not　sustained　by　the　utmost

consciousness　of　rectitude。　　I　first　determined　to　be　an

applicant；　unconditionally；　on　the　2nd　of　June；　and　I　did　so　then

upon　being　informed　by　a　telegraphic　despatch　that　the　question

was　narrowed　down　to　Mr。　B　and　myself；　and　that　the　Cabinet　had

postponed　the　appointment　three　weeks；　for　my　benefit。　　Not

doubting　that　Mr。　Edwards　was　wholly　out　of　the　question　I；

nevertheless；　would　not　then　have　become　an　applicant　had　I

supposed　he　would　thereby　be　brought　to　suspect　me　of　treachery

to　him。　　Two　or　three　days　afterwards　a　conversation　with　Levi

Davis　convinced　me　Mr。　Edwards　was　dissatisfied；　but　I　was　then

too　far　in　to　get　out。　　His　own　letter；　written　on　the　25th　of

April；　after　I　had　fully　informed　him　of　all　that　had　passed；　up

to　within　a　few　days　of　that　time；　gave　assurance　I　had　that

entire　confidence　from　him　which　I　felt　my　uniform　and　strong

friendship　for　him　entitled　me　to。　　Among　other　things　it　says；

〃Whatever　course　your　judgment　may　dictate　as　proper　to　be

pursued；　shall　never　be　excepted　to　by　me。〃　　I　also　had　had　a

letter　from　Washington；　saying　Chambers；　of　the　Republic；　had

brought　a　rumor　then；　that　Mr。　E　had　declined　in　my　favor；　which

rumor　I　judged　came　from　Mr。　E　himself；　as　I　had　not　then

breathed　of　his　letter　to　any　living　creature。　　In　saying　I　had

never；　before　the　2nd　of　June；　determined　to　be　an　applicant；

unconditionally；　I　mean　to　admit　that；　before　then；　I　had　said

substantially　I　would　take　the　office　rather　than　it　should　be

lost　to　the　State；　or　given　to　one　in　the　State　whom　the　Whigs

did　not　want；　but　I　aver　that　in　every　instance　in　which　I　spoke

of　myself；　I　intended　to　keep；　and　now　believe　I　did　keep；　Mr。　E

above　myself。　　Mr。　Edwards'　first　suspicion　was　that　I　had

allowed　Baker　to　overreach　me；　as　his　friend；　in　behalf　of　Don

Morrison。　　I　knew　this　was　a　mistake；　and　the　result　has　proved

it。　　I　understand　his　view　now　is；　that　if　I　had　gone　to　open　war

with　Baker　I　could　have　ridden　him　down；　and　had　the　thing　all　my

own　way。　　I　believe　no　such　thing。　　With　Baker　and　some　strong

man　from　the　Military　tract　&　elsewhere　for　Morrison；　and　we　and

some　strong　man　from　the　Wabash　&　elsewhere　for　Mr。　E；　it　was　not

possible　for　either　to　succeed。　　I　believed　this　in　March；　and　I

know　it　now。　　The　only　thing　which　gave　either　any　chance　was　the

very　thing　Baker　&　I　proposed；an　adjustment　with　themselves。



You　may　wish　to　know　how　Butterfield　finally　beat　me。　　I　can　not

tell　you　particulars　now；　but　will　when　I　see　you。　　In　the

meantime　let　it　be　understood　I　am　not　greatly　dissatisfied；I

wish　the　offer　had　been　so　bestowed　as　to　encourage　our　friends

in　future　contests；　and　I　regret　exceedingly　Mr。　Edwards'

feelings　towards　me。　　These　two　things　away；　I　should　have　no

regrets；at　least