I　do　not　get　there；　it　will　be　because　I　shall　think　my　efforts
  are　now　needed　farther　south。
  Present　my　regards　to　Mrs。　Boal；　and　believe　＇me＇；　as　ever；
  Your　friend；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  TO　HENRY　O'CONNER；　MUSCATINE；　IOWA。
  SPRINGFIELD；　Sept。　　14；　1856。
  DEAR　SIR：Yours；　inviting　me　to　attend　a　mass…meeting　on　the　23d
  inst。；　is　received。　　It　would　be　very　pleasant　to　strike　hands
  with　the　Fremonters　of　Iowa；　who　have　led　the　van　so　splendidly；
  in　this　grand　charge　which　we　hope　and　believe　will　end　in　a　most
  glorious　victory。　　All　thanks；　all　honor　to　Iowa！　　But　Iowa　is
  out　of　all　danger；　and　it　is　no　time　for　us；　when　the　battle
  still　rages；　to　pay　holiday　visits　to　Iowa。　　I　am　sure　you　will
  excuse　me　for　remaining　in　Illinois；　where　much　hard　work　is
  still　to　be　done。
  Yours　very　truly；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  AFTER　THE　DEMOCRATIC　VICTORY　OF　BUCHANAN
  FRAGMENT　OF　SPEECH　AT　A　REPUBLICAN　BANQUET
  IN　CHICAGO；　DECEMBER　10；　1856。
  We　have　another　annual　Presidential　message。　　Like　a　rejected
  lover　making　merry　at　the　wedding　of　his　rival；　the　President
  felicitates　himself　hugely　over　the　late　Presidential　election。
  He　considers　the　result　a　signal　triumph　of　good　principles　and
  good　men；　and　a　very　pointed　rebuke　of　bad　ones。　　He　says　the
  people　did　it。　　He　forgets　that　the　〃people；〃　as　he　complacently
  calls　only　those　who　voted　for　Buchanan；　are　in　a　minority　of　the
  whole　people　by　about　four　hundred　thousand　votesone　full　tenth
  of　all　the　votes。　　Remembering　this；　he　might　perceive　that　the
  〃rebuke〃　may　not　be　quite　as　durable　as　he　seems　to　thinkthat
  the　majority　may　not　choose　to　remain　permanently　rebuked　by　that
  minority。
  The　President　thinks　the　great　body　of　us　Fremonters；　being
  ardently　attached　to　liberty；　in　the　abstract；　were　duped　by　a
  few　wicked　and　designing　men。　　There　is　a　slight　difference　of
  opinion　on　this。　　We　think　he；　being　ardently　attached　to　the
  hope　of　a　second　term；　in　the　concrete；　was　duped　by　men　who　had
  liberty　every　way。　　He　is　the　cat's…paw。　　By　much　dragging　of
  chestnuts　from　the　fire　for　others　to　eat；　his　claws　are　burnt
  off　to　the　gristle；　and　he　is　thrown　aside　as　unfit　for　further
  use。　　As　the　fool　said　of　King　Lear；　when　his　daughters　had
  turned　him　out　of　doors；　〃He　's　a　shelled　peascod〃　＇〃That　's　a
  sheal'd　peascod〃）。
  So　far　as　the　President　charges　us　〃with　a　desire　to　change　the
  domestic　institutions　of　existing　States；〃　and　of　〃doing
  everything　in　our　power　to　deprive　the　Constitution　and　the　laws
  of　moral　authority；〃　for　the　whole　party　on　belief；　and　for
  myself　on　knowledge；　I　pronounce　the　charge　an　unmixed　and
  unmitigated　falsehood。
  Our　government　rests　in　public　opinion。　　Whoever　can　change
  public　opinion　can　change　the　government　practically　just　so
  much。　　Public　opinion；　on　any　subject；　always　has　a　〃central
  idea；〃　from　which　all　its　minor　thoughts　radiate。　　That　〃central
  idea〃　in　our　political　public　opinion　at　the　beginning　was；　and
  until　recently　has　continued　to　be；　〃the　equality　of　men。〃　And
  although　it　has　always　submitted　patiently　to　whatever　of
  inequality　there　seemed　to　be　as　matter　of　actual　necessity；　its
  constant　working　has　been　a　steady　progress　toward　the　practical
  equality　of　all　men。　　The　late　Presidential　election　was　a
  struggle　by　one　party　to　discard　that　central　idea　and　to
  substitute　for　it　the　opposite　idea　that　slavery　is　right　in　the
  abstract；　the　workings　of　which　as　a　central　idea　may　be　the
  perpetuity　of　human　slavery　and　its　extension　to　all　countries
  and　colors。　　Less　than　a　year　ago　the　Richmond　Enquirer；　an
  avowed　advocate　of　slavery；　regardless　of　color；　in　order　to
  favor　his　views；　invented　the　phrase　〃State　equality；〃　and　now
  the　President；　in　his　message；　adopts　the　Enquirer's　catch…
  phrase；　telling　us　the　people　〃have　asserted　the　constitutional
  equality　of　each　and　all　of　the　States　of　the　Union　as　States。〃
  The　President　flatters　himself　that　the　new　central　idea　is
  completely　inaugurated；　and　so　indeed　it　is；　so　far　as　the　mere
  fact　of　a　Presidential　election　can　inaugurate　it。　　To　us　it　is
  left　to　know　that　the　majority　of　the　people　have　not　yet
  declared　for　it；　and　to　hope　that　they　never　will。
  All　of　us　who　did　not　vote　for　Mr。　Buchanan；　taken　together；　are
  a　majority　of　four　hundred　thousand。　　But　in　the　late　contest　we
  were　divided　between　Fremont　and　Fillmore。　　Can　we　not　come
  together　for　the　future？　　Let　every　one　who　really　believes　and
  is　resolved　that　free　society　is　not　and　shall　not　be　a　failure；
  and　who　can　conscientiously　declare　that　in　the　last　contest　he
  has　done　only　what　he　thought　bestlet　every　such　one　have
  charity　to　believe　that　every　other　one　can　say　as　much。　　Thus
  let　bygones　be　bygones；　let　past　differences　as　nothing　be；　and
  with　steady　eye　on　the　real　issue　let　us　reinaugurate　the　good
  old　〃central　idea〃　of　the　republic。　　We　can　do　it。　　The　human
  heart　is　with　us；　God　is　with　us。　　We　shall　again　be　able；　not　to
  declare　that　〃all　States　as　States　are　equal；〃　nor　yet　that　〃all
  citizens　as　citizens　are　equal；〃　but　to　renew　the　broader；　better
  declaration；　including　both　these　and　much　more；　that　〃all　men
  are　created　equal。
  TO　Dr。　R。　BOAL。
  SPRINGFIELD；　Dec。　25；　1856。
  DEAR　SIR：…When　I　was　at　Chicago　two　weeks　ago　I　saw　Mr。　Arnold；
  and　from　a　remark　of　his　I　inferred　he　was　thinking　of　the
  speakership；　though　I　think　he　was　not　anxious　about　it。　　He
  seemed　most　anxious　for　harmony　generally；　and　particularly　that
  the　contested　seats　from　Peoria　and　McDonough　might　be　rightly
  determined。　　Since　I　came　home　I　had　a　talk　with　Cullom；　one　of
  our　American　representatives　here；　and　he　says　he　is　for　you　for
  Speaker　and　also　that　he　thinks　all　the　Americans　will　be　for
  you；　unless　it　be　Gorin；　of　Macon；　of　whom　he　cannot　speak。　　If
  you　would　like　to　be　Speaker　go　right　up　and　see　Arnold。　　He　is
  talented；　a　practised　debater；　and；　I　think；　would　do　himself
  more　credit　on　the　floor　than　in　the　Speaker's　seat。　　Go　and　see
  him；　and　if　you　think　fit；　show　him　this　letter。
  Your　friend　as　ever；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  1857
  TO　JOHN　E。　　ROSETTE。
  Private。
  SPRINGFIELD；　ILL。；　February　10；　1857。
  DEAR　SIR：Your　note　about　the　little　paragraph　in　the　Republican
  was　received　yesterday；　since　which　time　I　have　been　too　unwell
  to　notice　it。　　I　had　not　supposed　you　wrote　or　approved　it。　　The
  whole　originated　in　mistake。　　You　know　by　the　conversation　with
  me　that　I　thought　the　establishment　of　the　paper　unfortunate；　but
  I　always　expected　to　throw　no　obstacle　in　its　way；　and　to
  patronize　it　to　the　extent　of　taking　and　paying　for　one　copy。
  When　the　paper　was　brought　to　my　house；　my　wife　said　to　me；　〃Now
  are　you　going　to　take　another　worthless　little　paper？〃；　I　said　to
  her　evasively；　〃I　have　not　directed　the　paper　to　be　left。〃　From
  this；　in　my　absence；　she　sent　the　message　to　the　carrier。　　This
  is　the　whole　story。
  Yours　truly；
  A。　LINCOLN。
  RESPONSE　TO　A　DOUGLAS　SPEECH
  SPEECH　IN　SPRINGFIELD；　ILLINOIS；
  JUNE　26；　1857。
  FELLOW…CITIZENS：I　am　here　to…night　partly　by　the　invitation　of
  some　of　you；　and　partly　by　my　own　inclination。　　Two　weeks　ago
  Judge　Douglas　spoke　here　on　the　several　subjects　of　Kansas；　the
  Dred　Scott　decision；　and　Utah。　　I　listened　to　the　speech　at　the
  time；　and　have　the　report　of　it　since。　　It　was　intended　to
  controvert　opinions　which　I　think　just；　and　to　assail
  （politically；　not　personally）　those　men　who；　in　common　with　me；
  entertain　those　opinions。　　For　this　reason　I　wished　then；　and
  still　wish；　to　make　some　answer　to　it；　which　I　now　take　the
  opportunity　of　doing。
  I　begin　with　Utah。　　If　it　prove　to　be　true；　as　is　probable；　that
  the　people　of　Utah　are　in　open　rebellion　to　the　United　States；
  then　Judge　Douglas　is　in　favor　of　repealing　their　territorial
  organization；　and　attaching　them　to　the　adjoining　States　for
  judicial　purposes。　　I　say；　too；　if　they　are　in　rebellion；　they
  ought　to　be　somehow　coerced　to　obedience；　and　I　am　not　now
  prepared　to　admit　or　deny　that　the　Judge's　mode　of　coercing　them
  is　not　as　good　as　any。　　The　Republicans　can　fall　in　with　it
  without　taking　back　anything　they　have　ever　said。　　To　be　sure；　it
  would　be　a　considerable　backing　down　by　Judge　Douglas　from　his
  much…vaunted　doctrine　of　self…government　for　the　Territories；　but
  this　is　only　additional　proof　of　what　was　very　plain　from　the
  beginning；　that　that　doctrine　was　a　mere　deceitful　pretense　for
  the　benefit　of　slavery。　　Those　who　could　not　see　that　much　in　the
  Nebraska　act　itself；　which　forced　governors；　and　secretaries；　and
  judges　on　the　people　of　the　Territories　without　their　choice　or
  consent；　could　not　be　made　to　see；　though　one　should　rise　from
  the　dead。
  But　in　all　this　it　is　very　plain　the　Judge　evades　the　only
  question　the　Republicans　have　ever　pressed