White Cloud Kansas chief. [volume] (White Cloud, Kan.) 1857-1872, 1860-08-30
tWHOLE NUMBER, l64.
From the Augusta (Me.) Journal
Letter from Abraham Lincoln.

Letter from Abraham Lincoln.
= The Republicans of Boston celebrated
Ihos. Jefferson's Birthday on the 18th OF
April, 1858. Among those invited &c
be present was the Hon. Abraham Lin
coin, who responded in letter of great
power and Or<Rsmarkable felicity Of ex.
preston. We thought at the time that
OF all the political letters we had ever
read. it was the most pointed and most
forcible. and our great surprise is that
up to this time, so far as we have observ.
Ell, 1t has not been republished. Alter
dihgent search among some old "clip-
pings" we have succeeded in finding il,
and with peculiar pleasure lay it before
our readers. 1t is a platform in itself.
worthy OF the Endorsement Of all who
believe in the fundamental doctrines of
Free Government as taught BY Thomas
Jefferson. Here is the letter:
SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, April6, 1859.
Gentlemen Your kind note, inviting
me to attend festival in Boston, on the
18th inst, in honor Of the birthday of
Thomas Jefferson, was duly received
My engagements are such that cannot
attend.
Bearing in mind that about seventy
years ago two great political parties were
first formed in this country; that Thomas
Jefferson was the head of one of them,
and Boston the headquarters of the other,
it is both curious and interesting that
those supposed to descend politically
from the party opposed to Jefferson should
now be celebrating his birthday in their
original seat of empire, while those
claiming political descent from him have
nearly ceased to breathe his name every
where.
Remembering, too, that the Jefferson
party was formed upon its supposed su-
perior devotion to the personal rights of
men, holding the rights of property to
be secondary only. and greatly inferior
and then assuming that the so-ealled
Democracy of to-day are the Jefferson,
and their opponents the anti Jefferson
parties, it will be equally interesting to
note how completely the two have chang
ed ground as to the principle upon which
they were originally supposed to be d.
vided.
The Democracy Of to-day hold the
liberty OF one man to be absolutely moth
ing, when in conflict with another mans
right of property. Republicans, on the
contrary, are for both the man and the
dollar; but in case of conflict, the man
before the dollar.
L remember once being much amused
at seeing two partially intoxicated men
engaged in fight with their greatcoats
on, which fight, after a long and rather
harmless contest. ended in each having
fought himself out of his own coat and
into that Of tine other. If the two lead
ing parties Of this day are really identi-
cal with the Two in the days Of Jefferson
and Adams, they have performed the
same feat as the two drunken men.
But, soberly, it is now no chiId's play
to save the principles of jefferson from
total overthrow in this nation.
One woult state with great confidence
that he could convince any sane child
that the simpler propositions of Euclid
are true: but nevertheless, he would
fail, with one who should deny the def
nitions and axioms. The principles of
Jefferson are the definitions and axioms
Of free society. And yet they are denied
and evaded, with no small show of sue
cess. One dashingly calls them ''glitter-
ing generslities." Another bluntly styles
them ''self evident lies" And others
argue that they apply only to
superior races"
These expressions. differing in form.
are identical in object and eifeet-the
supplanting the principles Of free gov.
eminent, and restoring those Of classi6ea-
lion, caste, and Legitimacy. They would
delight convocation of crowned heads
plotting against the people. They are
the vanguard, the sappers and miners, of
returning dsspotism. We must repulse
them, or they will subjugats rs.
This is q world of compensstions and
be who would be no slave must consent
to have no slave. Those who deny free.
dom to others deserve il not for them
selves; and. under just God, cannot
long retain it.
All honor to JeFerson--to the man
who, in the concrete pressure Of a strug-
gle for national Independence by single
people, had the GOODNESS, forecast aud ca
pscity to introduce into a merely revolu-
.ionsry document an abstract truth, ap-
plicable to sill men and all times, and 80
10 embalm it there, that to day and in all
coming days it shall be rebuke and 3.
stumbling block to the harbingers Of re-
tyranny and oppression.
Your obedient servant.
A. LINCOLN.
Messrs. a. L. Pierce. and others, DC.