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Show Lincoln's Letter Accepting Nomination One of World's Literary Gems THE age of twenty-one. w-hen seeking a political office, Lincoln, as was the method in those days, caused these words to be printed in the form of a handbill: "If the good people in their wisdom shall see fit to keep me in the background, back-ground, I have been too familiar with disappointment to be very much chagrined." cha-grined." In 1S36 he wrote what now seems to be prophetic: "I go for ail sharing the privileges of the government who assist in bear-ins bear-ins its burdens, consequently I go for admitting all whites to the right of suffrage who pay taxes or bear arms, by no means excluding the females. Lincoln was the loader in causing the capital of IVinois to be moved from Yandaiia to Springfield. At a, banquet in his honor the following toast was offered: "Abraham Lincoln one of nature s noblemen, tie has fulfilled the expectations expec-tations of his friends and disappointed the hopes cf his enemies." In 1S5 8 an editorial friend in Illinois Illi-nois wrote to Lincoln: "I would like to have a talk with you on poli'.ic.il matters, as to the policy of announcing your name for the presidency." Lhv.-o'.u replied: " mt:t 1:1 c;u:'-'.or 11:.- I '!o- jlir. Ills Opponents Had Long Letters, But "Honest Abe" Said, "The Time Comes When It Is Best to Keep the Lips Closed." think myself fit for tho presidency. I certainly am flattered and gratified that some partial friends think of me in that connection." About January 1, 1SS0, there was a conference at Springfield of the Republican Re-publican leaders of the State. One of the men present said: "We asked him if his name might be used in connection with the nomination. nom-ination. With characteristic modesty he doubted whether he could get the nomination even if he wished it, and asked until the next morning to answer. The next day he author'.zea us. if we thought proper to do so, to place him in the field." The Illinois State Convention gave Lincoln a hearty indorsement and sent an enthusiastic delegation to Chicago composed of personal friends of great ability, political experience and personal influence. "The news cf his nomination." writes William II. Herndon, his lew partner, "found Lincoln at Springfield. Spring-field. When the telegram containing con-taining the result of the last ballot came in, although a;'par.?.i:ly calm undisturbed, a cloe observer cotiM and serious countenance evidence pt deep and unusual emotion. Later lis hastened to 'tell a little woman down the street the news.'" Norman Hapgood has written: "Under the adroit management of the Republican State Committee, who was preparing the ground all through 1S59. the Illinois papers came out, one at a time, at considerable intervals, inter-vals, for Lincoln, as if by a natural growth of public opinion, culminating February 16, 1860, in the Chicago Tribune, whose editor was one of the leading workers of this scheme.'' The fbllowing was toid me, while in Kansas, by George J. Talmage. who was, in 1860, the boy who delivered the telegram to' Lincoln announcing his nomination as President by the Republicans at Chicago: "Mr. J. J. S. Wilson, superintendent of the Illinois and Mississippi telegraph tele-graph lines, sent the message from 'the Wigwam' at Chicago. Mr. Frank Mclntire received the message at Springfield, 111. I delivered it. My instructions were to give the message to Mr. Lincoln only; a!?o to note how he look it. I vent to the Lincoln Jiamf io-l-ntf-1 -Ms, iJ;nsulriaf Xot. door. She said that Mr. Lincoln had gone out and to leave the message. I told her that my instructions were to deliver It to Mr. Lincoln only. Then she asked me for the contents of the message. I stated that to give U3 contents was against orders. She did not take my answer graciously. There was silence for a minute or two. Finally, Fi-nally, she said Mr. Lincoln would probably prob-ably be found at Hopper's news depot. I went there and found him reading the Sew York Tribune. I said to him, as I had said many times before, 'Mr. Lincoln, a message.' He laid the paper he was reading on the counter, took my receipt book, signed it and handr-d it to me. Then he took the message deliberate'.;.-, tore the envelope to the end, took out the message, seemed to read it twice, made a slight movement with his head, crumpled the taper between be-tween the right thumb and two fn-gers. fn-gers. shoved the message into his right-hand vest pocket and resumed reading the newspaper. Not a word was said by Mr. Lincoln to me." The evening of the second day after the nomination brought to Springfield a committee of not'.ncation, composed of some of the most ui.'.inguihtu men r'f r v ai.d ethers who Were des- ' tined to play a conspicuous part in national affairs. Among them were Carl Schurz, William M. Evarts ana "Pig Iron" Kellty, of Pennsylvania. The opposing candidates prepared long letters of acceptance. Lincoln had already recognized the wisdom of reticence. The night of his nomination, nomina-tion, standing in his own doorway, he told those who demanded a speech : "Tho time comes upon every man when it Is best to keep his lips closed. That time has come to me." Hence his letter of acceptance was the briefest ever written by a presidential presi-dential candidate: "The declaration of principles which accompanies yoUr letter meets my approval, ap-proval, and it shall be my care not to violate it or disregard it in any way or part. Imploring the assistance of Divine Providence, and with due regard re-gard for the views and feelings of all who were represented in tho conven-tion, conven-tion, to the rights cf all the states and territories and people of the nation, na-tion, to the inviolability of the Con-stitution Con-stitution and the perpetual union of prosperity and harmony of ail, I am most hanpy to 'co-operate for the practical prac-tical success of the principles declared de-clared by the convention. Your obliged friend and fellow citizen. "A. LINCOLN." What Chesterton has written is true of Abraham Lincoln: "A sane man is one who can have tragedy in his heart and comedy in his head." |