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represented　would　drive　an　ascending　boat　to　the　long　pier　but

not　to　the　short　pier；　as　they　urge。　　He　explained　from　a　model

of　a　boat　where　the　splash　door　is；　just　behind　the　wheel。　　The

boat　struck　on　the　lower　shoulder　of　the　short　pier　as　she　swung

around　in　the　splash　door；　then　as　she　went　on　around　she　struck

the　point　or　end　of　the　pier；　where　she　rested。　　〃Her　engineers；〃

said　Mr。　Lincoln；　〃say　the　starboard　wheel　then　was　rushing

around　rapidly。　　Then　the　boat　must　have　struck　the　upper　point

of　the　pier　so　far　back　as　not　to　disturb　the　wheel。　　It　is　forty

feet　from　the　stern　of　the　Afton　to　the　splash　door；　and　thus　it

appears　that　she　had　but　forty　feet　to　go　to　clear　the　pier。　　How

was　it　that　the　Afton　with　all　her　power　flanked　over　from　the

channel　to　the　short　pier　without　moving　one　foot　ahead？　　Suppose

she　was　in　the　middle　of　the　draw；　her　wheel　would　have　been　31

feet　from　the　short　pier。　　The　reason　she　went　over　thus　is　her

starboard　wheel　was　not　working。　　I　shall　try　to　establish　the

fact　that　the　wheel　was　not　running　and　that　after　she　struck　she

went　ahead　strong　on　this　same　wheel。　　Upon　the　last　point　the

witnesses　agree；　that　the　starboard　wheel　was　running　after　she

struck；　and　no　witnesses　say　that　it　was　running　while　she　was

out　in　the　draw　flanking　over。〃



Mr。　Lincoln　read　from　the　testimonies　of　various　witnesses　to

prove　that　the　starboard　wheel　was　not　working　while　the　Afton

was　out　in　the　stream。



〃Other　witnesses　show　that　the　captain　said　something　of　the

machinery　of　the　wheel；　and　the　inference　is　that　he　knew　the

wheel　was　not　working。　　The　fact　is　undisputed　that　she　did　not

move　one　inch　ahead　while　she　was　moving　this　31　feet　sideways。

There　is　evidence　proving　that　the　current　there　is　only　five

miles　an　hour；　and　the　only　explanation　is　that　her　power　was　not

all　usedthat　only　one　wheel　was　working。　　The　pilot　says　he

ordered　the　engineers　to　back　her　up。　　The　engineers　differ　from

him　and　said　they　kept　on　going　ahead。　　The　bow　was　so　swung　that

the　current　pressed　it　over；　the　pilot　pressed　the　stern　over

with　the　rudder；　though　not　so　fast　but　that　the　bow　gained　on

it；　and　only　one　wheel　being　in　motion　the　boat　nearly　stood

still　so　far　as　motion　up　and　down　is　concerned；　and　thus　she　was

thrown　upon　this　pier。　　The　Afton　came　into　the　draw　after　she

had　just　passed　the　Carson；　and　as　the　Carson　no　doubt　kept　the

true　course　the　Afton　going　around　her　got　out　of　the　proper　way；

got　across　the　current　into　the　eddy　which　is　west　of　a　straight

line　drawn　down　from　the　long　pier；　was　compelled　to　resort　to

these　changes　of　wheels；　which　she　did　not　do　with　sufficient

adroitness　to　save　her。　　Was　it　not　her　own　fault　that　she

entered　wrong；　so　far　wrong　that　she　never　got　right？　　Is　the

defence　to　blame　for　that？



〃For　several　days　we　were　entertained　with　depositions　about

boats　'smelling　a　bar。'　　Why　did　the　Afton　then；　after　she　had

come　up　smelling　so　close　to　the　long　pier　sheer　off　so

strangely。　　When　she　got　to　the　centre　of　the　very　nose　she　was

smelling　she　seemed　suddenly　to　have　lost　her　sense　of　smell　and

to　have　flanked　over　to　the　short　pier。〃



Mr。　Lincoln　said　there　was　no　practicability　in　the　project　of

building　a　tunnel　under　the　river；　for　there　〃is　not　a　tunnel

that　is　a　successful　project　in　this　world。　　A　suspension　bridge

cannot　be　built　so　high　but　that　the　chimneys　of　the　boats　will

grow　up　till　they　cannot　pass。　　The　steamboat　men　will　take　pains

to　make　them　grow。　　The　cars　of　a　railroad　cannot　without　immense

expense　rise　high　enough　to　get　even　with　a　suspension　bridge　or

go　low　enough　to　get　through　a　tunnel；　such　expense　is

unreasonable。



〃The　plaintiffs　have　to　establish　that　the　bridge　is　a　material

obstruction　and　that　they　have　managed　their　boat　with　reasonable

care　and　skill。　　As　to　the　last　point　high　winds　have　nothing　to

do　with　it；　for　it　was　not　a　windy　day。　　They　must　show　due　skill

and　care。　　Difficulties　going　down　stream　will　not　do；　for　they

were　going　up　stream。　　Difficulties　with　barges　in　tow　have

nothing　to　do　with　the　accident；　for　they　had　no　barge。　　〃Mr。

Lincoln　said　he　had　much　more　to　say；　many　things　he　could

suggest　to　the　jury；　but　he　wished　to　close　to　save　time。









TO　JESSE　K。　　DUBOIS。



DEAR　DUBOIS：



BLOOMINGTON；　Dec。　19；　1857。



J。　M。　Douglas　of　the　I。　C。　R。　R。　Co。　is　here　and　will　carry　this

letter。　　He　says　they　have　a　large　sum　（near　90；000）　which　they

will　pay　into　the　treasury　now；　if　they　have　an　assurance　that

they　shall　not　be　sued　before　Jan。；　1859otherwise　not。

I　really　wish　you　could　consent　to　this。　　Douglas　says　they

cannot　pay　more；　and　I　believe　him。



I　do　not　write　this　as　a　lawyer　seeking　an　advantage　for　a

client；　but　only　as　a　friend；　only　urging　you　to　do　what　I　think

I　would　do　if　I　were　in　your　situation。　　I　mean　this　as　private

and　confidential　only；　but　I　feel　a　good　deal　of　anxiety　about

it。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　JOSEPH　GILLESPIE。



SPRINGFIELD；　Jan。　19；　1858。



MY　DEAR　SIR：

This　morning　Col。　McClernand　showed　me　a　petition　for　a　mandamus

against　the　Secretary　of　State　to　compel　him　to　certify　the

apportionment　act　of　last　session；　and　he　says　it　will　be

presented　to　the　court　to…morrow　morning。　　We　shall　be　allowed

three　or　four　days　to　get　up　a　return；　and　I；　for　one；　want　the

benefit　of　consultation　with　you。



Please　come　right　up。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　J。　　GILLESPIE。



SPRINGFIELD；　Feb　7；　1858



MY　DEAR　SIR：

Yesterday　morning　the　court　overruled　the　demurrer　to　Hatches

return　in　the　mandamus　case。　McClernand　was　present；　said　nothing

about　pleading　over；　and　so　I　suppose　the　matter　is　ended。



The　court　gave　no　reason　for　the　decision；　but　Peck　tells　me

confidentially　that　they　were　unanimous　in　the　opinion　that　even

if　the　Gov'r　had　signed　the　bill　purposely；　he　had　the　right　to

scratch　his　name　off　so　long　as　the　bill　remained　in　his　custody

and　control。



Yours　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









TO　H。　C。　WHITNEY。



SPRINGFIELD；　December　18；　1857。



HENRY　C。　WHITNEY；　ESQ。



MY　DEAR　SIR：Coming　home　from　Bloomington　last　night　I　found

your　letter　of　the　15th。



I　know　of　no　express　statute　or　decisions　as　to　what　a　J。　　P。

upon　the　expiration　of　his　term　shall　do　with　his　docket　books；

papers；　unfinished　business；　etc。；　but　so　far　as　I　know；　the

practice　has　been　to　hand　over　to　the　successor；　and　to　cease　to

do　anything　further　whatever；　in　perfect　analogo　to　Sections　110

and　112；　and　I　have　supposed　and　do　suppose　this　is　the　law。　　I

think　the　successor　may　forthwith　do　whatever　the　retiring　J。　　P。

might　have　done。　　As　to　the　proviso　to　Section　114　I　think　it　was

put　in　to　cover　possible　cases；　by　way　of　caution；　and　not　to

authorize　the　J。　　P。　　to　go　forward　and　finish　up　whatever　might

have　been　begun　by　him。



The　view　I　take；　I　believe；　is　the　Common　law　principle；　as　to

retiring　officers　and　their　successors；　to　which　I　remember　but

one　exception；　which　is　the　case　of　Sheriff　and　ministerial

officers　of　that　class。



I　have　not　had　time　to　examine　this　subject　fully；　but　I　have

great　confidence　I　am　right。　　You　must　not　think　of　offering　me

pay　for　this。



Mr。　John　O。　Johnson　is　my　friend；　I　gave　your　name　to　him。　　He　is

doing　the　work　of　trying　to　get　up　a　Republican　organization。　　I

do　not　suppose　〃Long　John〃　ever　saw　or　heard　of　him。　　Let　me　say

to　you　confidentially；　that　I　do　not　entirely　appreciate　what　the

Republican　papers　of　Chicago　are　so　constantly　saying　against

〃Long　John。〃　I　consider　those　papers　truly　devoted　to　the

Republican　cause；　and　not　unfriendly　to　me；　but　I　do　think　that

more　of　what　they　say　against　〃Long　John〃　is　dictated　by　personal

malice　than　themselves　are　conscious　of。　　We　can　not　afford　to

lose　the　services　of　〃Long　John〃　and　I　do　believe　the　unrelenting

warfare　made　upon　him　is　injuring　our　cause。　　I　mean　this　to　be

confidential。



If　you　quietly　co…operate　with　Mr。　J。　　O。　　Johnson　on　getting　up

an　organization；　I　think　it　will　be　right。



Your　friend　as　ever；



A。　LINCOLN。









1858







ANOTHER　POLITICAL　PATRONAGE　REFERENCE



TO　EDWARD　G。　MINER。



SPRINGFIELD；　Feb。19；　1858。



MY　DEAR　SIR：



Mr；　G。　A。　Sutton　is　an　applicant　for　superintendent　of　the

addition　of　the　Insane　Asylum；　and　I　understand　it　partly　depends

on　you　whether　he　gets　it。



Sutton　is　my　fellow…townsman　and　friend；　and　I　therefore　wish　to

say　for　him　that　he　is　a　man　of　sterling　integrity　and　as　a

master　mechanic　and　builder　not　surpassed　by　any　in　our　city；　or

any　I　have　known　anywhere；　as　far　as　I　can　judge。　　I　hope　you

will　consider　me　as　being　really　interested　for　Mr。　Sutton　and

not　as　writing　merely　to　relieve　myself　of　importunity