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minimum　price　of　the　public　lands。　　The　question　of　the　reduction

in　value　of　those　sections　was　to　him　at　this　time　a　matter　very

nearly　of　indifference。　　He　was　inclined　to　desire　that　Wisconsin

should　be　obliged　by　having　it　reduced。　　But　the　gentleman　from

Indiana　＇Mr。　C。　B。　Smith＇；　the　chairman　of　the　Committee　on

Territories；　yesterday　associated　that　question　with　the　general

question；　which　is　now　to　some　extent　agitated　in　Congress；　of

making　appropriations　of　alternate　sections　of　land　to　aid　the

States　in　making　internal　improvements；　and　enhancing　the　price

of　the　sections　reserved；　and　the　gentleman　from　Indiana　took

ground　against　that　policy。　　He　did　not　make　any　special　argument

in　favor　of　Wisconsin；　but　he　took　ground　generally　against　the

policy　of　giving　alternate　sections　of　land；　and　enhancing　the

price　of　the　reserved　sections。　　Now　he　＇Mr。　Lincoln＇　did　not　at

this　time　take　the　floor　for　the　purpose　of　attempting　to　make　an

argument　on　the　general　subject。　　He　rose　simply　to　protest

against　the　doctrine　which　the　gentleman　from　Indiana　had　avowed

in　the　course　of　what　he　＇Mr。　Lincoln＇　could　not　but　consider　an

unsound　argument。



It　might；　however；　be　true；　for　anything　he　knew；　that　the

gentleman　from　Indiana　might　convince　him　that　his　argument　was

sound；　but　he　＇Mr。　Lincoln＇　feared　that　gentleman　would　not　be

able　to　convince　a　majority　in　Congress　that　it　was　sound。　　It

was　true　the　question　appeared　in　a　different　aspect　to　persons

in　consequence　of　a　difference　in　the　point　from　which　they

looked　at　it。　　It　did　not　look　to　persons　residing　east　of　the

mountains　as　it　did　to　those　who　lived　among　the　public　lands。

But；　for　his　part；　he　would　state　that　if　Congress　would　make　a

donation　of　alternate　sections　of　public　land　for　the　purpose　of

internal　improvements　in　his　State；　and　forbid　the　reserved

sections　being　sold　at　1。25；　he　should　be　glad　to　see　the

appropriation　made；　though　he　should　prefer　it　if　the　reserved

sections　were　not　enhanced　in　price。　　He　repeated；　he　should　be

glad　to　have　such　appropriations　made；　even　though　the　reserved

sections　should　be　enhanced　in　price。　　He　did　not　wish　to　be

understood　as　concurring　in　any　intimation　that　they　would　refuse

to　receive　such　an　appropriation　of　alternate　sections　of　land

because　a　condition　enhancing　the　price　of　the　reserved　sections

should　be　attached　thereto。　　He　believed　his　position　would　now

be　understood：　if　not；　he　feared　he　should　not　be　able　to　make

himself　understood。



But；　before　he　took　his　seat；　he　would　remark　that　the　Senate

during　the　present　session　had　passed　a　bill　making

appropriations　of　land　on　that　principle　for　the　benefit　of　the

State　in　which　he　resided　the　State　of　Illinois。　　The　alternate

sections　were　to　be　given　for　the　purpose　of　constructing　roads；

and　the　reserved　sections　were　to　be　enhanced　in　value　in

consequence。　　When　that　bill　came　here　for　the　action　of　this

Houseit　had　been　received；　and　was　now　before　the　Committee　on

Public　Landshe　desired　much　to　see　it　passed　as　it　was；　if　it

could　be　put　in　no　more　favorable　form　for　the　State　of　Illinois。

When　it　should　be　before　this　House；　if　any　member　from　a　section

of　the　Union　in　which　these　lands　did　not　lie；　whose　interest

might　be　less　than　that　which　he　felt；　should　propose　a　reduction

of　the　price　of　the　reserved　sections　to　1。25；　he　should　be　much

obliged；　but　he　did　not　think　it　would　be　well　for　those　who　came

from　the　section　of　the　Union　in　which　the　lands　lay　to　do　so。

He　wished　it；　then；　to　be　understood　that　he　did　not　join　in

the　warfare　against　the　principle　which　had　engaged　the　minds　of

some　members　of　Congress　who　were　favorable　to　the　improvements

in　the　western　country。　There　was　a　good　deal　of　force；　he

admitted；　in　what　fell　from　the　chairman　of　the　Committee　on

Territories。　　It　might　be　that　there　was　no　precise　justice　in

raising　the　price　of　the　reserved　sections　to　2。50　per　acre。　　It

might　be　proper　that　the　price　should　be　enhanced　to　some　extent；

though　not　to　double　the　usual　price；　but　he　should　be　glad　to

have　such　an　appropriation　with　the　reserved　sections　at　2。50；

he　should　be　better　pleased　to　have　the　price　of　those　sections

at　something　less；　and　he　should　be　still　better　pleased　to　have

them　without　any　enhancement　at　all。



There　was　one　portion　of　the　argument　of　the　gentleman　from

Indiana；　the　chairman　of　the　Committee　on　Territories　＇Mr。

Smith＇；　which　he　wished　to　take　occasion　to　say　that　he　did　not

view　as　unsound。　　He　alluded　to　the　statement　that　the　General

Government　was　interested　in　these　internal　improvements　being

made；　inasmuch　as　they　increased　the　value　of　the　lands　that　were

unsold；　and　they　enabled　the　government　to　sell　the　lands　which

could　not　be　sold　without　them。　　Thus；　then；　the　government

gained　by　internal　improvements　as　well　as　by　the　general　good

which　the　people　derived　from　them；　and　it　might　be；　therefore；

that　the　lands　should　not　be　sold　for　more　than　1。50　instead　of

the　price　being　doubled。　　He；　however；　merely　mentioned　this　in

passing；　for　he　only　rose　to　state；　as　the　principle　of　giving

these　lands　for　the　purposes　which　he　had　mentioned　had　been　laid

hold　of　and　considered　favorably；　and　as　there　were　some

gentlemen　who　had　constitutional　scruples　about　giving　money　for

these　purchases　who　would　not　hesitate　to　give　land；　that　he　was

not　willing　to　have　it　understood　that　he　was　one　of　those　who

made　war　against　that　principle。　　This　was　all　he　desired　to　say；

and　having　accomplished　the　object　with　which　he　rose；　he

withdrew　his　motion　to　reconsider。









ON　TAYLOR'S　NOMINATION



TO　E。　B。　WASHBURNE。



WASHINGTON；　April　30；1848。



DEAR　WASHBURNE：



I　have　this　moment　received　your　very　short　note　asking　me　if　old

Taylor　is　to　be　used　up；　and　who　will　be　the　nominee。　　My　hope　of

Taylor's　nomination　is　as　higha　little　higher　than　it　was　when

you　left。　　Still；　the　case　is　by　no　means　out　of　doubt。　　Mr。

Clay's　letter　has　not　advanced　his　interests　any　here。　　Several

who　were　against　Taylor；　but　not　for　anybody　particularly；

before；　are　since　taking　ground；　some　for　Scott　and　some　for

McLean。　　Who　will　be　nominated　neither　I　nor　any　one　else　can

tell。　　Now；　let　me　pray　to　you　in　turn。　　My　prayer　is　that　you

let　nothing　discourage　or　baffle　you；　but　that；　in　spite　of　every

difficulty；　you　send　us　a　good　Taylor　delegate　from　your　circuit。

Make　Baker；　who　is　now　with　you；　I　suppose；　help　about　it。　　He　is

a　good　hand　to　raise　a　breeze。



General　Ashley；　in　the　Senate　from　Arkansas；　died　yesterday。

Nothing　else　new　beyond　what　you　see　in　the　papers。



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN









DEFENSE　OF　MEXICAN　WAR　POSITION



TO　REV。　J。　M。　PECK



WASHINGTON；　May　21；　1848。



DEAR　SIR：



。。。。Not　in　view　of　all　the　facts。　　There　are　facts　which　you　have

kept　out　of　view。　　It　is　a　fact　that　the　United　States　army　in

marching　to　the　Rio　Grande　marched　into　a　peaceful　Mexican

settlement；　and　frightened　the　inhabitants　away　from　their　homes

and　their　growing　crops。　　It　is　a　fact　that　Fort　Brown；　opposite

Matamoras；　was　built　by　that　army　within　a　Mexican　cotton…field；

on　which　at　the　time　the　army　reached　it　a　young　cotton　crop　was

growing；　and　which　crop　was　wholly　destroyed　and　the　field　itself

greatly　and　permanently　injured　by　ditches；　embankments；　and　the

like。　　It　is　a　fact　that　when　the　Mexicans　captured　Captain

Thornton　and　his　command；　they　found　and　captured　them　within

another　Mexican　field。



Now　I　wish　to　bring　these　facts　to　your　notice；　and　to　ascertain

what　is　the　result　of　your　reflections　upon　them。　　If　you　deny

that　they　are　facts；　I　think　I　can　furnish　proofs　which　shall

convince　you　that　you　are　mistaken。　　If　you　admit　that　they　are

facts；　then　I　shall　be　obliged　for　a　reference　to　any　law　of

language；　law　of　States；　law　of　nations；　law　of　morals；　law　of

religions；　any　law；　human　or　divine；　in　which　an　authority　can　be

found　for　saying　those　facts　constitute　〃no　aggression。〃



Possibly　you　consider　those　acts　too　small　for　notice。　　Would　you

venture　to　so　consider　them　had　they　been　committed　by　any　nation

on　earth　against　the　humblest　of　our　people？　　I　know　you　would

not。　　Then　I　ask；　is　the　precept　〃Whatsoever　ye　would　that　men

should　do　to　you；　do　ye　even　so　to　them〃　obsolete？　　of　no　force？

of　no　application？



Yours　truly；



A。　LINCOLN。









ON　ZACHARY　TAYLOR　NOMINATION



TO　ARCHIBALD　WILLIAMS。



WASHINGTON；　June　12；　1848。



DEAR　WILLIAMS：On　my　return　from　Philadelphia；　where　I　had　been

attending　the　nomination　of　〃Old　Rough；〃　（Zachary　Taylor）　I　found

your　letter　in　a　mass　of　others　which　had　accumulated　in　my

absence。　　By　many；　and　often；　it　had　been　said　they　would　not

abide　the　nomination　of　Taylor；　but　since　the　deed　has　been　done；

they　are　fast　falling　in；