The Life and Writings of Abraham Lincoln Read online

  2000 Modern Library Paperback Edition

  Copyright © 1940 by Random House, Inc.

  All rights reserved under International and Pan-American

  Copyright Conventions. Published in the United States by

  Random House, Inc., New York, and simultaneously in Canada

  by Random House of Canada Limited, Toronto.

  Grateful acknowledgment is made to the following for permission

  to reprint previously published material:

  ALFRED A. KNOPF, A DIVISION OF RANDOM HOUSE, INC.: Excerpt from Abraham Lincoln by Benjamin P. Thomas. Copyright © 1952 by Benjamin P. Thomas. Reprinted by permission of Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

  HARCOURT, INC.: Excerpt from Abraham Lincoln: The War Years by Carl Sandburg. Copyright 1939 by Harcourt, Inc. and copyright renewed 1966 by Carl Sandburg. Reprinted by permission of the publisher.

  THE ESTATE OF J. G. RANDALL: Excerpt from Lincoln the President, Volume 2: Springfield to Gettysburg by J. G. Randall. Reprinted by permission of the Estate of J. G. Randall.

  MODERN LIBRARY and colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

  LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

  Lincoln, Abraham. 1809–1865.

  The life and writings of Abraham Lincoln/edited, and with a biographical essay by Phillip Van Doren Stern; with an introduction, “Lincoln and his writings,” by Allan Nevins.—2000 Modern Library ed.

  p. cm.

  Originally published: New York: Random House, C1940.

  eISBN: 978-0-307-81681-8

  1. United States—Politics and government—1861–1865. 2. Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865. 3. United States—Politics and government–1845-1861. 4. Illinois—Politics and government—To 1865. I. Stern, Philip Van Doren, 1900–. II. Nevins, Allan,

  1890-1971. III. Title.

  E457.92 1999

  973.7’092—dc21 99-12661

  Modern Library website address: www.modernlibrary.com

  v3.1

  A NOTE ON THE TEXT

  AS CARL SANDBURG points out in the foreword to his Abraham Lincoln: The War Years, the total number of Lincoln’s words preserved for posterity is more than one million—a figure greater than that of all the words in the Bible (including the Apocrypha) or of Shakespeare’s complete works. Strangely enough, there is no adequate complete edition of Lincoln’s works, nor is there likely to be until after 1947, when certain papers deposited by his son Robert in the Library of Congress will at last be made public. At present, the largest collection is the Complete Works of Abraham Lincoln, edited by John G. Nicolay and John Hay and published in 1905. This was issued in twelve volumes, and in 1905 could be considered a reasonably complete edition. Since that time much new Lincoln material has been discovered. In 1917, Gilbert A. Tracy edited the Uncollected Letters of Abraham Lincoln; in 1927, the Lincoln Letters at Brown was issued by Brown University; in 1930, Paul M. Angle’s New Letters and Papers of Lincoln was published; in 1931, Emanuel Hertz, in the second volume of his Abraham Lincoln: A New Portrait, brought out still more new material.

  All these sources have been carefully examined in compiling the present edition. This volume, of course, does not pretend to completeness, but it is the largest single-volume collection of Lincoln’s writings ever published. The principle of selection used has been to include all those items which are of biographical interest or of historical importance. In order to bring within the covers of one volume a large and representative selection of Lincoln’s writings, it has been necessary to print excerpts from some of the longer pieces. When deletions have been made, they have been frankly indicated either by asterisks or by ellipsis points. For the general reader these excisions should not be serious, for the material omitted has been left out because it is relatively unimportant, dull, repetitious, of ephemeral interest or because it pertains only to Lincoln’s legal or business life.

  A survey of Lincoln’s life has been included in order to give the background needed to understand the full import of his writings. This biographical section is closely integrated with the Lincoln text and with the notes to the text. For quick reference, an extensive chronology is appended to this section so the reader can see at a glance the salient events of Lincoln’s life and of the history of his time.

  In compiling a volume of this kind, the author has had to call upon the services of many people to whom he gratefully acknowledges his indebtedness. In particular, however, he would like to mention the name of Mr. Paul M. Angle, Librarian of the Illinois State Historical Library, whose reputation as a Lincoln scholar is too great to need any comment here. He has been endlessly patient in answering questions and in giving advice. The invaluable day-by-day record of Lincoln’s life from 1847 to 1861, edited by him and by Mr. Benjamin P. Thomas, has served not only as the basis for the chronology in this volume, but also as an authoritative guide to check the disputed dating of some of Lincoln’s letters and speeches. Mr. Angle has kindly supplied a photo-static copy of the significant Kalamazoo speech of August 27, 1856, which has never before been printed in any collection of Lincoln’s works.

  PHILIP VAN DOREN STERN

  Brooklyn, New York

  December 24, 1939

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Cover

  Title Page

  Copyright

  A Note on the Text

  “Lincoln in His Writings” by Allan Nevins

  The Life of Abraham Lincoln

  Chronology

  Address to the People of Sangamon County, Illinois, March 9, 1832

  Announcement of Political Views, June 13, 1836

  Letter to Robert Allen, June 21, 1836

  Letter to Miss Mary Owens, December 13, 1836

  Letter to Miss Mary Owens, May 7, 1837

  Letter to Miss Mary Owens, August 16, 1837

  Address Before the Young Men’s Lyceum of Springfield, January 27, 1838

  Letter to Mrs. O. H. Browning, April 1, 1838

  Letter to John T. Stuart, March 1, 1840

  Letter to W. G. Anderson, October 31, 1840

  Letter to John T. Stuart, January 20, 1841

  Letter to John T. Stuart, January 23, 1841

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, June 19, 1841

  Letter to Miss Mary Speed, September 27, 1841

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, January [3?], 1842

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, February 3, 1842

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, February 13, 1842

  From an Address to the Springfield Washingtonian Temperance Society, February 22, 1842

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, February 25, 1842

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, February 25, 1842

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, March 27, 1842

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, July 4, 1842

  Letter to James Shields, September 17, 1842

  Memorandum of Instructions to E. H. Merryman, Lincoln’s Second in the Lincoln-Shields Duel, September 19, 1842

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, October [4?], 1842

  Letter to Samuel D. Marshall, November 11, 1842

  Letter to Richard S. Thomas, February 14, 1843

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, March 24, 1843

  Letter to Martin M. Morris, March 26, 1843

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, May 18, 1843

  From a Letter to Rowland, Smith & Co., April 24, 1844

  Letter to Williamson Durley, October 3, 1845

  Letter to Andrew Johnston, April 18, 1846

  Letter to Andrew Johnston, September 6, 1846

  “The Bear Hunt” (1846)

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, October 22, 1846

  Letter to An
drew Johnston, February 25, 1847

  From Notes for a Tariff Discussion, December 1, 1847 [?]

  Resolutions in the United States House of Representatives, December 22, 1847

  Letter to William H. Herndon, January 8, 1848

  From a Speech in the United States House of Representatives on the Mexican War, January 12, 1848

  Letter to William H. Herndon, February 1, 1848

  Letter to William H. Herndon, February 2, 1848

  Letter to William H. Herndon, February 15, 1848

  Letter to David Lincoln, March 24, 1848

  Letter to David Lincoln, April 2, 1848

  Letter to Mary Lincoln, April 16, 1848

  Letter to Mary Lincoln, June 12, 1848

  Letter to William H. Herndon, June 22, 1848

  Letter to Mary Lincoln, July 2, 1848

  Letter to William H. Herndon, July 10, 1848

  Letter to William H. Herndon, July 11, 1848

  From a Speech in the House of Representatives, July 27, 1848

  Letter to Thomas Lincoln, December 24, 1848

  Letter to John D. Johnston, December 24, 1848

  Letter to C. U. Schlater, January 5, 1849

  Application for a Patent, May 22, 1849 [?]

  Letter to J. M. Clayton, Secretary of State, July 28, 1849

  Letter to J. M. Clayton, September 27, 1849

  Letter to John D. Johnston, February 23, 1850

  Notes for a Law Lecture, July 1, 1850 [?]

  Letter to John D. Johnston, January 12, 1851

  Two Letters to John D. Johnston, November 4, 25, 1851

  Resolutions in Behalf of Hungarian Freedom, January 9, 1852

  Letter to Jesse Lincoln, April 1, 1854

  Speech at Peoria, Illinois, in Reply to Senator Douglas, October 16, 1854

  Letter to E. B. Washburne, February 9, 1855

  Letter to Owen Lovejoy, August 11, 1855

  Letter to George Robertson, August 15, 1855

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, August 24, 1855

  Letter to Isham Reavis, November 5, 1855

  Letter to George P. Floyd, February 21, 1856

  Letter to Lyman Trumbull, June 7, 1856

  From a Speech Made at Galena, Illinois, During the Frémont Campaign, July 23, 1856

  Speech at Kalamazoo, Michigan, August 27, 1856

  From a Speech on Sectionalism, October [2?], 1856

  From a Speech at a Republican Banquet, Chicago, December 10, 1856

  From a Speech in Springfield, Illinois, June 26, 1857

  Letter to Hannah Armstrong, September, 1857

  Speech Delivered at Springfield, Illinois, at the Republican State Convention which had made Lincoln its Candidate for United States Senator, June 16, 1858

  Letter to John L. Scripps, June 23, 1858

  From a Speech at Chicago, July 10, 1858

  From a Speech at Springfield, Illinois, July 17, 1858

  Letter to Stephen A. Douglas, July 24, 1858

  Letter to Stephen A. Douglas, July 29, 1858

  Letter to Stephen A. Douglas, July 31, 1858

  Letter to Henry Asbury, July 31, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Reply in the First Joint Debate at Ottawa, Illinois, August 21, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Opening Speech at the Second Joint Debate at Freeport, Illinois, August 27, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Rejoinder in the Second Joint Debate at Freeport, Illinois, August 27, 1858

  From a Speech at Edwardsville, Illinois, September 11, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Reply in the Third Joint Debate at Jonesboro, Illinois, September 15, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Opening Speech at the Fourth Joint Debate at Charleston, Illinois, September 18, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Rejoinder in the Fourth Joint Debate at Charleston, Illinois, September 18, 1858

  Notes for Speeches, about October 1, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Reply in the Fifth Joint Debate at Galesburg, Illinois, October 7, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Opening Speech at the Sixth Joint Debate at Quincy, Illinois, October 13, 1858

  From Lincoln’s Reply in the Seventh and Last Joint Debate at Alton, Illinois, October 15, 1858

  Letter to Edward Lusk, October 30, 1858

  Conclusion of a Speech at Springfield, Illinois, October 30, 1858

  Letter to N. B. Judd, November 16, 1858

  Letter to Henry Asbury, November 19, 1858

  From a Letter to A. G. Henry, November 19, 1858

  Letter to Dr. B. Clarke Lundy, November 26, 1858

  Letter to Alexander Sympson, December 12, 1858

  Letter to Thomas J. Pickett, March 5, 1859

  Letter to H. L. Pierce and Others, April 6, 1859

  Letter to Salmon Portland Chase, June 9, 1859

  Letter to Salmon Portland Chase, June 20, 1859

  From a Speech at Columbus, Ohio, September 16, 1859

  From a Speech at Cincinnati, September 17, 1859

  From an Address before the Wisconsin State Agricultural Society, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, September 30, 1859

  Letter to J. W. Fell, December 20, 1859

  Letter to A. Jonas, February 4, 1860

  Address at Cooper Institute, New York, February 27, 1860

  From a Speech at New Haven, Connecticut, March 6, 1860

  From a Letter to Mark W. Delahay, March 16, 1860

  Letter to E. Stafford, March 17, 1860

  Letter to Samuel Galloway, March 24, 1860

  Letter to C. F. McNeil, April 6, 1860

  Reply to the Committee Sent to Notify Lincoln of his Nomination for President, May 21, 1860

  Letter to George Ashmun and the Republican National Convention, May 23, 1860

  Letter to Samuel Haycraft, May 28, 1860

  Autobiographical Sketch Written for Use in Preparing a Campaign Biography, about June 1, 1860

  Letter to F. A. Wood, June 1, 1860

  Letter to Samuel Haycraft, June 4, 1860

  Letter to Samuel Galloway, June 19, 1860

  Letter to A. G. Henry, July 4, 1860

  Letter to Hannibal Hamlin, July 18, 1860

  Letter to A. Jonas, July 21, 1860

  Letter to Samuel Haycraft, August 16, 1860

  Letter to Samuel Haycraft, August 23, 1860

  Letter to John Hanks, August 24, 1860

  Letter to Anson G. Chester, September 5, 1860

  Letter to Nathaniel Grigsby, September 20, 1860

  Letter to Mrs. M. J. Green, September 22, 1860

  Letter to Miss Grace Bedell, October 19, 1860

  Letter to Major David Hunter, October 26, 1860

  Letter to George D. Prentice, October 29, 1860

  Letter to Hannibal Hamlin, November 8, 1860

  Letter to Truman Smith, November 10, 1860

  Letter to Joshua F. Speed, November 19, 1860

  Letters to W. H. Seward, December 8, 1860

  Letter to Lyman Trumbull, December 10, 1860

  Letter to E. B. Washburne, December 13, 1860

  Letter to John A. Gilmer, December 15, 1860

  Letter to Thurlow Weed, December 17, 1860

  Letter to Lyman Trumbull, December 21, 1860

  Letter to Alexander H. Stephens, December 22, 1860

  Letter to General Duff Green, December 28, 1860

  Letter to W. H. Seward, January 3, 1861

  Letter to J. T. Hale, January 11, 1861

  From a Letter to W. H. Seward, February 1, 1861

  Farewell Address at Springfield, Illinois, February 11, 1861

  From an Address to the Germans at Cincinnati, Ohio, February 12, 1861

  From an Address at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 15, 1861

  From an Address at Cleveland, Ohio, February 15, 1861

  Address at Hudson, New York, February 19, 1861

  Address at New York City, February 19, 1861

  From an Address to the New Jersey Assembly, February 21, 1861

  Speech at Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1861
>
  From an Address at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, February 22, 1861

  First Inaugural Address, March 4, 1861

  Note to Each of the Cabinet Members Asking for Opinions on Fort Sumter, March 15, 1861

  Reply to Secretary Seward’s Memorandum, April 1, 1861

  Proclamation Calling 75,000 Militia, and Convening Congress in Extra Session, April 15, 1861

  Proclamation of Blockade, April 19, 1861

  Letter to Reverdy Johnson, April 24, 1861

  Letter to Colonel Ellsworth’s Parents, May 25, 1861

  From the Message to Congress in Special Session, July 4, 1861

  Memoranda of Military Policy (Written after the Defeat at Bull Run), July 23, 1861

  Letter to General John C. Frémont, September 2, 1861

  Order to General Frémont, September 11, 1861

  Letter to O. H. Browning, September 22, 1861

  Note to Major Ramsey, October 17, 1861

  Order Retiring General Scott and Appointing General McClellan his Successor, November 1, 1861

  From the Annual Message to Congress, December 3, 1861

  Letter to Major-General Hunter, December 31, 1861

  General War Order No. One, January 27, 1862

  Letter to General G. B. McClellan, February 3, 1862

  Respite and Confirmation of Sentence for Nathaniel Gordon, February 4, 1862

  From a Message to Congress Recommending Compensated Emancipation, March 6, 1862

  Letter to James A. McDougall, March 14, 1862

  Letter to General G. B. McClellan, April 9, 1862

  Letter to General G. B. McClellan, May 9, 1862

  From the Proclamation Revoking General Hunter’s Order of Military Emancipation, May 19, 1862

  Letter to E. M. Stanton, Secretary of War, June, 1862

  Telegram to General G. B. McClellan, June 28, 1862

  Telegram to General G. B. McClellan, July 1, 1862

  Letter to General G. B. McClellan, July 4, 1862

  Emancipation Proclamation as First Submitted to the Cabinet, July 22, 1862

  Letter to Cuthbert Bullitt, July 28, 1862

  Letter to August Belmont, July 31, 1862

  From a Letter to Count A. de Gasparin, August 4, 1862

  From an Address at Washington, August 6, 1862

  Letter to John M. Clay, August 9, 1862

  From an Address on Colonization to a Negro Deputation at Washington, August 14, 1862

  Letter to Horace Greeley, August 22, 1862

  Reply to a Committee of Religious Denominations, Asking the President to Issue a Proclamation of Emancipation, September 13, 1862