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  measure　superseded　by　what　had　fallen　from　the　gentleman　from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