the writings-5-第5章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
ingenuity to be supported in the late contest both as the best means
to break down and to uphold the slave interest。 No ingenuity can
keep these antagonistic elements in harmony long。 Another explosion
will soon come。
Yours truly;
A。 LINCOLN。
REALIZATION THAT DEBATES MUST BE SAVED
TO C。 H。 RAY。
SPRINGFIELD; Nov。20; 1858
DR。 C。 H。 RAY
MY DEAR SIR:I wish to preserve a set of the late debates (if they
may be called so); between Douglas and myself。 To enable me to do
so; please get two copies of each number of your paper containing the
whole; and send them to me by express; and I will pay you for the
papers and for your trouble。 I wish the two sets in order to lay one
away in the 'undecipherable word' and to put the other in a
scrapbook。 Remember; if part of any debate is on both sides of the
sheet it will take two sets to make one scrap…book。
I believe; according to a letter of yours to Hatch; you are 〃feeling
like h…ll yet。〃 Quit thatyou will soon feel better。 Another 〃blow
up〃 is coming; and we shall have fun again。 Douglas managed to be
supported both as the best instrument to down and to uphold the slave
power; but no ingenuity can long keep the antagonism in harmony。
Yours as ever;
A。 LINCOLN
TO H。 C。 WHITNEY。
SPRINGFIELD; November 30; 1858
H。 C。 WHITNEY; ESQ。
MY DEAR SIR :Being desirous of preserving in some permanent form
the late joint discussion between Douglas and myself; ten days ago I
wrote to Dr。 Ray; requesting him to forward to me by express two
sets of the numbers of the Tribune which contain the reports of those
discussions。 Up to date I have no word from him on the subject。
Will you; if in your power; procure them and forward them to me by
express? If you will; I will pay all charges; and be greatly obliged;
to boot。 Hoping to visit you before long; I remain
As ever your friend;
A。 LINCOLN。
TO H。 D。 SHARPE。
SPRINGFIELD; Dec。 8; 1858。
H。 D。 SHARPE; Esq。
DEAR SIR:Your very kind letter of Nov。 9th was duly received。 I
do not know that you expected or desired an answer; but glancing over
the contents of yours again; I am prompted to say that; while I
desired the result of the late canvass to have been different; I
still regard it as an exceeding small matter。 I think we have fairly
entered upon a durable struggle as to whether this nation is to
ultimately become all slave or all free; and though I fall early in
the contest; it is nothing if I shall have contributed; in the least
degree; to the final rightful result。
Respectfully yours;
A。 LINCOLN。
TO A。 SYMPSON。
SPRINGFIELD; Dec。12; 1858。
ALEXANDER SYMPSON; Esq。
MY DEAR SIR:I expect the result of the election went hard with you。
So it did with me; too; perhaps not quite so hard as you may have
supposed。 I have an abiding faith that we shall beat them in the
long run。 Step by step the objects of the leaders will become too
plain for the people to stand them。 I write merely to let you know
that I am neither dead nor dying。 Please give my respects to your
good family; and all inquiring friends。
Yours as ever;
A。 LINCOLN。
ON BANKRUPTCY
NOTES OF AN ARGUMENT。
December '?'; 1858。
Legislation and adjudication must follow and conform to the progress
of society。
The progress of society now begins to produce cases of the transfer
for debts of the entire property of railroad corporations; and to
enable transferees to use and enjoy the transferred property;
1egislation and adjudication begin to be necessary。
Shall this class of legislation just now beginning with us be general
or special?
Section Ten of our Constitution requires that it should be general;
if possible。 (Read the section。)
Special legislation always trenches upon the judicial department; and
in so far violates Section Two of the Constitution。 (Read it。)
Just reasoningpolicyis in favor of general legis1ationelse the
Legislature will be loaded down with the investigation of smaller
casesa work which the courts ought to perform; and can perform much
more perfectly。 How can the Legislature rightly decide the facts
between P。 & B。 and S。C。
It is said that under a general law; whenever a R。 R。 Co。 gets tired
of its debts; it may transfer fraudulently to get rid of them。 So
they mayso may individuals; and whichthe Legislature or the
courtsis best suited to try the question of fraud in either case?
It is said; if a purchaser have acquired legal rights; let him not be
robbed of them; but if he needs legislation let him submit to just
terms to obtain it。
Let him; say we; have general law in advance (guarded in every
possible way against fraud); so that; when he acquires a legal right;
he will have no occasion to wait for additional legislation; and if
he has practiced fraud let the courts so decide。
A LEGAL OPINION BY ABRAHAM LINCOLN。
The 11th Section of the Act of Congress; approved Feb。 11; 1805;
prescribing rules for the subdivision of sections of land within the
United States system of surveys; standing unrepealed; in my opinion;
is binding on the respective purchasers of different parts of the
same section; and furnishes the true rule for surveyors in
establishing lines between them。 That law; being in force at the
time each became a purchaser; becomes a condition of the purchase。
And; by that law; I think the true rule for dividing into quarters
any interior section or sections; which is not fractional; is to run
straight lines through the section from the opposite quarter section
corners; fixing the point where such straight lines cross; or
intersect each other; as the middle or centre of the section。
Nearly; perhaps quite; all the original surveys are to some extent
erroneous; and in some of the sections; greatly so。 In each of the
latter; it is obvious that a more equitable mode of division than the
above might be adopted; but as error is infinitely various perhaps no
better single rules can be prescribed。
At all events I think the above has been prescribed by the competent
authority。
SPRINGFIELD; Jany。 6; 1859。
A。 LINCOLN。
TO M。 W。 DELAHAY。
SPRINGFIELD; March 4; 1859。
M。 W。 DELAHAY; Esq。
MY DEAR SIR: Your second letter in relation to my being with you at
your Republican convention was duly received。 It is not at hand just
now; but I have the impression from it that the convention was to be
at Leavenworth; but day before yesterday a friend handed me a letter
from Judge M。 F。 Caraway; in which he also expresses a wish for me to
come; and he fixes the place at Ossawatomie。 This I believe is off
of the river; and will require more time and labor to get to it。 It
will push me hard to get there without injury to my own business; but
I shall try to do it; though I am not yet quite certain I shall
succeed。
I should like to know before coming; that while some of you wish me
to come; there may not be others who would quite as lief I would stay
away。 Write me again。
Yours as ever;
A。 LINCOLN。
TO W。 M。 MORRIS。
SPRINGFIELD; March 28; 1859。
W。 M。 MORRIS; Esq。
DEAR SIR:Your kind note inviting me to deliver a lecture at
Galesburg is received。 I regret to say I cannot do so now; I must
stick to the courts awhile。 I read a sort of lecture to three
different audiences during the last month and this; but I did so
under circumstances which made it a waste of no time whatever。
Yours very truly;
TO H。 L。 PIERCE AND OTHERS。
SPRINGFIELD; ILLINOIS; April 6; 1859。
GENTLEMEN:Your kind note inviting me to attend a festival in
Boston; on the 28th instant; in honor of the birthday of Thomas
Jefferson; was duly received。 My engagements ar