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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　Americans

may　show　the　grief　which　his　death　inspires；　for　his　character

and　fame　are　national　property。　　As　on　a　question　of　liberty　he

knew　no　North；　no　South；　no　East；　no　West；　but　only　the　Union

which　held　them　all　in　its　sacred　circle；　so　now　his　countrymen

will　know　no　grief　that　is　not　as　wide…spread　as　the　bounds　of

the　confederacy。　　The　career　of　Henry　Clay　was　a　public　career。

》From　his　youth　he　has　been　devoted　to　the　public　service；　at　a

period；　too；　in　the　world's　history　justly　regarded　as　a

remarkable　era　in　human　affairs。　　He　witnessed　in　the　beginning

the　throes　of　the　French　Revolution。　　He　saw　the　rise　and　fall　of

Napoleon。　　He　was　called　upon　to　legislate　for　America　and　direct

her　policy　when　all　Europe　was　the　battlefield　of　contending

dynasties；　and　when　the　struggle　for　supremacy　imperilled　the

rights　of　all　neutral　nations。　　His　voice　spoke　war　and　peace　in

the　contest　with　Great　Britain。



〃When　Greece　rose　against　the　Turks　and　struck　f