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LINCOLN LETTERS

Published by The Bibilophile Society

NOTE

The letters herein by Lincoln are so thoroughly characteristic of the man, and are in themselves

so completely self-explanatory, that it requires no comment to enable the reader fully tounderstand and appreciate them. t !ill be observed that the philosophical admonitions in theletter to his brother, "ohnston, !ere !ritten on the same sheet !ith the letter to his father.

The promptness and decision !ith !hich Lincoln despatched the multitudinous affairs of hisoffice during the most turbulent scenes of the #ivil $ar are exemplified in his unequivocal orderto the %ttorney-&eneral, indorsed on the bac' of the letter of (on.%ustin %. )ing, requesting a pardon for "ohn B. #orner. The indorsement bears even date !iththe letter itself, and #orner !as pardoned on the follo!ing day.

THE ORIGINALS FROM WHICH THE WITHIN FACSIMILES WERE MADE ARE IN

THECOLLECTION OF MR. WILLIAM K. BIXBY, AND THROUGH HIS COURTESYTHEYARE REPRODUCED FOR MEMBERS OF THE BIBLIOPHILE SOCIETY

*Transcriber+s ote The follo!ing letters, to Lincoln+s father and brother, ma'e up fileslinc/.0pg, linc1.0pg, and linc2.0pg3

$ashington, 4ec. 15th, /656.

7y dear father--

8our letter of the 9th !as received night before last. very cheerfully send you the t!entydollars, !hich sum you say is necessary to save your land from sale. t is singular that you shouldhave forgotten a 0udgment against you: and it is more singular that the plaintiff should have letyou forget it so long, particularly as suppose you have al!ays had property enough to satisfy a0udgment of that amount. Before you pay it, it !ould be !ell to be sure you have not paid it: or,at least, that you can not prove you have paid it. &ive my love to 7other, and all the connections.

%ffectionately your son,

A. LINCOLN.

*$ritten on same page !ith above.3

4ear "ohnston--

8our request for eighty dollars, do not thin' it best to comply !ith no!. %t the various times!hen have helped you a little, you have said to me, ;$e can get along very !ell no!,; but in avery short time find you in the same difficulty again. o! this can only happen by some defectin your conduct. $hat that defect is, thin' 'no!. 8ou are not lazy, and still you arean idler.

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doubt !hether since sa! you, you have done a good !hole day+s !or', in any one day. 8ou donot very much disli'e to !or', and still you do not !or' much, merely because it does not seemto you that you could get much for it. This habit of uselessly !asting time, is the !holedifficulty: and it is vastly important to you, and still more so to your children, that you shouldbrea' this habit. t is more important to them, because they have longer to live, and can 'eep out

of an idle habit before they are in it easier than they can get out after they are in.

8ou are no! in need of some ready money: and !hat propose is, that you shall go to !or',;tooth and nail,; for somebody !ho !ill give you money for it. Let father and your boys ta'echarge of things at home--prepare for a crop, and ma'e the crop: and you go to !or' for the bestmoney !ages, or in discharge of any debt you o!e, that you can get. %nd to secure you a fairre!ard for your labor, no! promise you that for every dollar you !ill, bet!een this and the firstof next 7ay, get for your o!n labor either in money or in your o!n indebtedness, !ill thengive you one other dollar. By this, if you hire yourself at ten dollars a month, from me you !illget ten more, ma'ing t!enty dollars a month for your !or'. n this, do not mean you shall gooff to St. Louis, or the lead mines, or the gold mines, in #alifornia, but mean for you to go at it

for the best !ages you can get close to home, in #oles #ounty. o! if you !ill do this, you !illsoon be out of debt, and !hat is better, you !ill have a habit that !ill 'eep you from getting indebt again. But if should no! clear you out, next year you !ill be 0ust as deep in as ever. 8ousay you !ould almost give your place in (eaven for

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8ours very truly,

A. LINCOLN.