of　the　known　will　of　their　constituents。　　It　is　maintained　in
  violence；　because　the　elections　since　clearly　demand　its　repeal；
  and　the　demand　is　openly　disregarded。
  You　say　men　ought　to　be　hung　for　the　way　they　are　executing　the
  law；　I　say　the　way　it　is　being　executed　is　quite　as　good　as　any
  of　its　antecedents。　　It　is　being　executed　in　the　precise　way
  which　was　intended　from　the　first；　else　why　does　no　Nebraska　man
  express　astonishment　or　condemnation？　　Poor　Reeder　is　the　only
  public　man　who　has　been　silly　enough　to　believe　that　anything
  like　fairness　was　ever　intended；　and　he　has　been　bravely
  undeceived。
  That　Kansas　will　form　a　slave　constitution；　and　with　it　will　ask
  to　be　admitted　into　the　Union；　I　take　to　be　already　a　settled
  question；　and　so　settled　by　the　very　means　you　so　pointedly
  condemn。　　By　every　principle　of　law　ever　held　by　any　court　North
  or　South；　every　negro　taken　to　Kansas　is　free；　yet；　in　utter
  disregard　of　this；in　the　spirit　of　violence　merely；that
  beautiful　Legislature　gravely　passes　a　law　to　hang　any　man　who
  shall　venture　to　inform　a　negro　of　his　legal　rights。　　This　is　the
  subject　and　real　object　of　the　law。　　If；　like　Haman；　they　should
  hang　upon　the　gallows　of　their　own　building；　I　shall　not　be　among
  the　mourners　for　their　fate。　　In　my　humble　sphere；　I　shall
  advocate　the　restoration　of　the　Missouri　Compromise　so　long　as
  Kansas　remains　a　Territory；　and　when；　by　all　these　foul　means；　it
  seeks　to　come　into　the　Union　as　a　slave　State；　I　shall　oppose　it。
  I　am　very　loath　in　any　case　to　withhold　my　assent　to　the
  enjoyment　of　property　acquired　or　located　in　good　faith；　but　I　do
  not　admit　that　good　faith　in　taking　a　negro　to　Kansas　to　be　held
  in　slavery　is　a　probability　with　any　man。　　Any　man　who　has　sense
  enough　to　be　the　controller　of　his　own　property　has　too　much
  sense　to　misunderstand　the　outrageous　character　of　the　whole
  Nebraska　business。　　But　I　digress。　　In　my　opposition　to　the
  admission　of　Kansas　I　shall　have　some　company；　but　we　may　be
  beaten。　　If　we　are；　I　shall　not　on　that　account　attempt　to
  dissolve　the　Union。　　I　think　it　probable；　however；　we　shall　be
  beaten。　　Standing　as　a　unit　among　yourselves；　You　can；　directly
  and　indirectly；　bribe　enough　of　our　men　to　carry　the　day；　as　you
  could　on　the　open　proposition　to　establish　a　monarchy。　　Get　hold
  of　some　man　in　the　North　whose　position　and　ability　is　such　that
  he　can　make　the　support　of　your　measure；　whatever　it　may　be；　a
  Democratic　party　necessity；　and　the　thing　is　done。　　Apropos　of
  this；　let　me　tell　you　an　anecdote。　　Douglas　introduced　the
  Nebraska　Bill　in　January。　　In　February　afterward　there　was　a
  called　session　of　the　Illinois　Legislature。　　Of　the　one　hundred
  members　composing　the　two　branches　of　that　body；　about　seventy
  were　Democrats。　　These　latter　held　a　caucus　in　which　the　Nebraska
  Bill　was　talked　of；　if　not　formally　discussed。　　It　was　thereby
  discovered　that　just　three；　and　no　more；　were　in　favor　of　the
  measure。　　In　a　day　or　two　Douglas's　orders　came　on　to　have
  resolutions　passed　approving　the　bill；　and　they　were　passed　by
  large　majorities！！！！　　　The　truth　of　this　is　vouched　for　by　a
  bolting　Democratic　member。　　The　masses；　too；　Democratic　as　well
  as　Whig；　were　even　nearer　unanimous　against　it；　but；　as　soon　as
  the　party　necessity　of　supporting　it　became　apparent；　the　way　the
  Democrats　began　to　see　the　wisdom　and　justice　of　it　was　perfectly
  astonishing。
  You　say　that　if　Kansas　fairly　votes　herself　a　free　State；　as　a
  Christian　you　will　rejoice　at　it。　　All　decent　slaveholders　talk
  that　way；　and　I　do　not　doubt　their　candor。　　But　they　never　vote
  that　way。　　Although　in　a　private　letter　or　conversation　you　will
  express　your　preference　that　Kansas　shall　be　free；　you　would　vote
  for　no　man　for　Congress　who　would　say　the　same　thing　publicly。
  No　such　man　could　be　elected　from　any　district　in　a　slave　State。
  You　think　Stringfellow　and　company　ought　to　be　hung；　and　yet　at
  the　next　Presidential　election　you　will　vote　for　the　exact　type
  and　representative　of　Stringfellow。　　The　slave…breeders　and
  slave…traders　are　a　small；　odious；　and　detested　class　among　you；
  and　yet　in　politics　they　dictate　the　course　of　all　of　you；　and
  are　as　completely　your　masters　as　you　are　the　master　of　your　own
  negroes。　　You　inquire　where　I　now　stand。　　That　is　a　disputed
  point。　　I　think　I　am　a　Whig；　but　others　say　there　are　no　Whigs；
  and　that　I　am　an　Abolitionist。　　When　I　was　at　Washington；　I　voted
  for　the　Wilmot　Proviso　as　good　as　forty　times；　and　I　never　heard
  of　any　one　attempting　to　un…Whig　me　for　that。　　I　now　do　no　more
  than　oppose　the　extension　of　slavery。　　I　am　not　a　Know…Nothing；
  that　is　certain。　　How　could　I　be？　　How　can　any　one　who　abhors　the
  oppression　of　negroes　be　in　favor　of　degrading　classes　of　white
  people？　　Our　progress　in　degeneracy　appears　to　me　to　be　pretty
  rapid。　　As　a　nation　we　began　by　declaring　that　〃all　men　are
  created　equal。〃　We　now　practically　read　it　〃all　men　are　created
  equal；　except　negroes。〃　When　the　Know…Nothings　get　control；　it
  will　read　〃all　men　are　created　equal；　except　negroes　and
  foreigners　and　Catholics。〃　When　it　comes　to　this；　I　shall　prefer
  emigrating　to　some　country　where　they　make　no　pretense　of　loving
  liberty；to　Russia；　for　instance；　where　despotism　can　be　taken
  pure；　and　without　the　base　alloy　of　hypocrisy。
  Mary　will　probably　pass　a　day　or　two　in　Louisville　in　October。
  My　kindest　regards　to　Mrs。　　Speed。　　On　the　leading　subject　of
  this　letter　I　have　more　of　her　sympathy　than　I　have　of　yours；　and
  yet　let　me　say　I　am；
  Your　friend　forever；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  1856
  REQUEST　FOR　A　RAILWAY　PASS
  TO　R。　P。　MORGAN
  SPRINGFIELD；　February　13；　1856。
  R。　P。　MORGAN；　ESQ。：
  Says　Tom　to　John；　〃Here's　your　old　rotten　wheelbarrow。　　I've
  broke　it　usin'　on　it。　　I　wish　you　would　mend　it；　'case　I　shall
  want　to　borrow　it　this　arternoon。〃　　Acting　on　this　as　a
  precedent；　I　say；　〃Here's　your　old　'chalked　hat；I　wish　you
  would　take　it　and　send　me　a　new　one；　'case　I　shall　want　to　use　it
  the　first　of　March。〃
  Yours　truly；
  A。　LINCOLN
  （A　'chalked　hat'　was　the　common　term；　at　that　time；　for　a
  railroad　pass。）
  SPEECH　DELIVERED　BEFORE　THE　FIRST　REPUBLICAN
  STATE　CONVENTION　OF　ILLINOIS；
  HELD　AT　BLOOMINGTON；　ON　MAY　29；　1856。
  ＇From　the　Report　by　William　C。　　Whitney。＇
  （Mr。　Whitney's　notes　were　made　at　the　time；　but　not　written　out
  until　1896。　　He　does　not　claim　that　the　speech；　as　here　reported；
  is　literally　correct　only　that　he　has　followed　the　argument；　and
  that　in　many　cases　the　sentences　are　as　Mr。　Lincoln　spoke　them。）
  Mr。　CHAIRMAN　AND　GENTLEMEN：　I　was　over　at　＇Cries　of　〃Platform！〃
  〃Take　the　platform！〃＇I　say；　that　while　I　was　at　Danville　Court；
  some　of　our　friends　of　Anti…Nebraska　got　together　in　Springfield
  and　elected　me　as　one　delegate　to　represent　old　Sangamon　with
  them　in　this　convention；　and　I　am　here　certainly　as　a　sympathizer
  in　this　movement　and　by　virtue　of　that　meeting　and　selection。
  But　we　can　hardly　be　called　delegates　strictly；　inasmuch　as；
  properly　speaking；　we　represent　nobody　but　ourselves。　　I　think　it
  altogether　fair　to　say　that　we　have　no　Anti…Nebraska　party　in
  Sangamon；　although　there　is　a　good　deal　of　Anti…Nebraska　feeling
  there；　but　I　say　for　myself；　and　I　think　I　may　speak　also　for　my
  colleagues；　that　we　who　are　here　fully　approve　of　the　platform
  and　of　all　that　has　been　done　＇A　voice；　〃Yes！；〃＇；　and　even　if　we
  are　not　regularly　delegates；　it　will　be　right　for　me　to　answer
  your　call　to　speak。　　I　suppose　we　truly　stand　for　the　public
  sentiment　of　Sangamon　on　the　great　question　of　the　repeal；
  although　we　do　not　yet　represent　many　numbers　who　have　taken　a
  distinct　position　on　the　question。
  We　are　in　a　trying　timeit　ranges　above　mere　partyand　this
  movement　to　call　a　halt　and　turn　our　steps　backward　needs　all　the
  help　and　good　counsels　it　can　get；　for　unless　popular　opinion
  makes　itself　very　strongly　felt；　and　a　change　is　made　in　our
  present　course；　blood　will　flow　on　account　of　Nebraska；　and
  brother's　hands　will　be　raised　against　brother！
  ＇The　last　sentence　was　uttered　in　such　an　earnest；　impressive；　if
  not；　indeed；　tragic；　manner；　as　to　make　a　cold　chill　creep　over
  me。　　Others　gave　a　similar　experience。＇
  I　have　listened　with　great　interest　to　the　earnest　appeal　made　to
  Illinois　men　by　the　gentleman　from　Lawrence　＇James　S。　　Emery＇　who
  has　just　addressed　us　so　eloquently　and　forcibly。　　I　was　deeply
  moved　by　his　statement　of　the　wrongs　done　to　free…State　men　out
  there。　　I　think　it　just　to　say　that　all　true　men　North　should
  sympathize　with　them；　and　ought　to　be　willing　to　do　any　possible
  and　needful　thing　to　right　their　wrongs。　　But　we　must　not　promise
  what　we　ought　not；　lest　we　be　called　on　to　perform　what　we
  cannot；　we　must　be　calm　and　moderate；　and　consider　the　whole
  difficulty；　and　determine　what　is　possible　and　just。　　We　mus