M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1860-07-05
TCoPY.1
WASHINGTON, June 0, 1860.

pend below;
CopY.]
WASHINGTON, June 0, 1860.
GENTLEMEN:--l have received by
express one dozen copies of your pub
lcation Of the joint debates between
Lincoln and myself in 1853, sent by
order Of the Hon Mr.. Cox, who will
pay you the amount of your bill. |
feel it my duty to protest against the
un!airness OF this publication, and es-
pecially against the alterations and
mutilations in the reports Of my
speeches. The original reports, as
published in the Chicago Times. al.
though intended to be fair and just,
were necessarily imperfect, and in
some respects erroneous. The speech
es were all delivered ir the open air,
to immenee crowds OF people, and in
some instances in stormy and bolster.
Qua weather, when it was impossible
for the reporters to hear distinctly and
report literally. The reports Of my
speeches were not submitted to me or
to any friend of mine for inspection or
correction before publication; nor did
| have the opportunity OF reading
more than one Or two Of them after.
wards, until the election. was over.
when all interest in the subject had
passed away.
About one year ago, gentleman in
Illinois wrote to me in this city for
permission to publish these joint de-
bates in'booll torn, stating that Mr.
Lincoln had given his consent to their
publication. did not retain arcply
but, according to my present recoilec,
tion, | stated that there were many
errors in the reports OF the speeches
as published, and expressed my I'm
Willingness to the publication unless |
should have the opportunity OF revis-
Ing and correcting errors. | am not
aware, however, that yourpUblicatou
has any connection with that applca-
ton. Upon the slight examination of
your publication which | have been
able to make, find that Mr.. Lincoln's
speeches have been revised, corrected
and improved since their publication
in tho newspa ers OF Illinois; while
mine have been mutilated, ard in
some instances the meaning changed
| by the commission Of inteTogatories
and expressions of appreciation and
diaapprobation by persons in the
crowd to which my remarks were made
responsive, bat by the omission of
which my replies seemed ambiguous,
incoherent or unintelligible. The I'M
sairne5G Of these omissions OF altera.
tons is rendered more apparent by
reference to the fact that similar IN.
terrogatories and expressions of ap.
plause or disapprobation are retained
in Mr., Lincoln's speeches in all cases
where they add to their force, and
omitted where they impair the effect
Of his argument.
In short, regard your publication
as partial and unfair, and designed to
do me injustice by placing me in a
false position. ] saw in the preface to
the first edition Of your publ cation,
which is omitted in the copy sent to
me, correspondence between Mr..
Lincoln and the Ohio Republican
Committee, from which it appears
that MIR. Lincoln furnished his speech.
es and mine for publication his in
the revised and corrected form, and
mine as they came from the hands OF
the reporter, without revision. Being
thus notified that his speeches had
been revised and corrected, this fact
ought to have reminded you that com.
mon fairness and justice required thai
should have an opportunity Of re-
vising and correcting mine. But to
deny me that privilege, and then to
change and mutiate the reports as
they appeared in the newspaper from
which they were taken, is an act oi
injustice against which must De per-
mitted to enter my protest. In order
that the injustice which yon have done
me may be ir some degree diminish
ed, respectfully request that this let
ter, together with the correspondence
between Mr.. Lincoln and the Commit
tee, which led to the publication may
be inserted as a preface to all future
editions of these debates.
have the honor to be, very res
pecttully, your obedient servant,
9 nOTTCT TAC