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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measure　superseded　by　what　had　fallen　from　the　gentleman　from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　report　made　by　the　committee

had　been　intended　to　yield　much　for　the　sake　of　removing　that

grievance。　　That　the　grievance　was　very　great　there　was　no

dispute　in　any　quarter。　　He　supposed　that　the　statements　made　by

the　gentleman　from　Virginia　to　show　this　were　all　entirely

correct　in　point　of　fact。　　He　did　suppose　that　the　interruptions

of　regular　intercourse；　and　all　the　other　inconveniences　growing

out　of　it；　were　all　as　that　gentleman　had　stated　them　to　be；　and

certainly；　if　redress　could　be　rendered；　it　was　proper　it　should

be　rendered　as　soon　as　possible。　　The　gentleman　said　that　in

order　to　effect　this　no　new　legislative　action　was　needed；　all

that　was　necessary　was　that　the　Postmaster…General　should　be

required　to　do　what　the　law；　as　it　stood；　authorized　and　required

him　to　do。



We　come　then；　said　Mr。　Lincoln；　to　the　law。　　Now　the　Postmaster…

General　says　he　cannot　give　to　this　company　more　than　two　hundred

and　thirty…seven　dollars　and　fifty　cents　per　railroad　mile　of

transportation；　and　twelve　and　a　half　per　cent。　less　for

transportation　by　steamboats。　　He　considers　himself　as　restricted

by　law　to　this　amount；　and　he　says；　further；　that　he　would　not

give　more　if　he　could；　because　in　his　apprehension　it　would　not

be　fair　and　just。









1848





DESIRE　FOR　SECOND　TERM　IN　CONGRESS



TO　WILLIAM　H。　HERNDON。



WASHINGTON；　January　8；　1848。



DEAR　WILLIAM：Your　letter　of　December　27　was　received　a　day　or

two　ago。　　I　am　much　obliged　to　you　for　the　trouble　you　have

taken；　and　promise　to　take　in　my　little　business　there。　　As　to

speech　making；　by　way　of　getting　the　hang　of　the　House　I　made　a

little　speech　two　or　three　days　ago　on　a　post…office　question　of

no　general　interest。　　I　find　speaking　here　and　elsewhere　about

the　same　thing。　　I　was　about　as　badly　scared；　and　no　worse　as　I

am　when　I　speak　in　court。　　I　expect　to　make　one　within　a　week　or

two；　in　which　I　hope　to　succeed　well　enough　to　wish　you　to　see

it。



It　is　very　pleasant　to　learn　from　you　that　there　are　some　who

desire　that　I　should　be　reelected。　　I　most　heartily　thank　them

for　their　kind　partiality；　and　I　can　say；　as　Mr。　Clay　said　of　the

annexation　of　Texas；　that　〃personally　I　would　not　object〃　to　a

reelection；　although　I　thought　at　the　time；　and　still　think；　it

would　be　quite　as　well　for　me　to　return　to　the　law　at　the　end　of

a　single　term。　　I　made　the　declaration　that　I　would　not　be　a

candidate　again；　more　from　a　wish　to　deal　fairly　with　others；　to

keep　peace　among　our　friends；　and　to　keep　the　district　from　going

to　the　enemy；　than　for　any　cause　personal　to　myself；　so　that　if

it　should　so　happen　that　nobody　else　wishes　to　be　elected；　I

could　not　refuse　the　people　the　right　of　sending　me　again。　　But

to　enter　myself　as　a　competitor　of　others；　or　to　authorize　any

one　so　to　enter　me　is　what　my　word　and　honor　forbid。





I　got　some　letters　intimating　a　probability　of　so　much