Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1860-11-17
From the Augusta Me- Journal.
Letter from Abraham Lincoln.

LctCer fr0m ADraham Lincoln.
The Republicans Of Boston celebmt-
cd Thomas Jctforson's Birthday on the
18th of April, 1889. Among those in
vitcd to be present was the Hon. Abr.-
ham Lincoln, who responded in let
ter of great power and remarkable fc-
licity of expression. We thought at
the time that of all the political letters
we had tvcr read, it was the most point
ed and most forciblc, and our great sur
prise is that up to this time, so far as
we have observed, it has not been re-
published. After diIigcnt search among
some old "clippings" we have succeed
ed in finding it, and with peculiar pleas
urc lay it before our readers. 1t is IL
platform in itself, worthy of the ell
1orsc,ncnts of all who believe in the
fundamental doctrines of Free Govern
mcnt as taught by Thomas Jcfferson:
SPRINGFIELD, Ill.,, April 6, 1859.
GENTLEMEN:-TOur kind note, invit-
ing me to attend Il festival ut Boston,
on the 18th inst, in honor of the birth
day of Thomas Jefferson, was duly re-
ccivcd. My engagements are such that
| cannot attend. Bearing in mind that
about seventy years ago two great po-
litical parties were formed in this coun-
try; that Thomas Jefferson was the head
of one of them, and Boston the head
quarters of the other, it is both curious
and interesting that those supposed to
descend politically from the party op-
posed to Jefferson, should now be cclc-
brtimg his birthday in their own orig
inal seat of empire, while those claim
ing political descent from him have
nearly ceased to breathe his name
everywhere.
Remembering, too, that the Jcflcr-
son party was formed upon its sup
posed superior devotion to the person
al rights of men, holding the ights of
property to be secondary only, and
greatly inferior, and then assuming the
so called Democracy of to-day are the
jefferson, and their opponents the anti
Jefferson parties, it will be equally in
tcrcsting to note how completely the two
have changed grounds as to the princi-
pies upon which they were originally
supposed to be divided
The Democracy of to-day hold the
liberty of one man to be absolutely
nothing, when in conflict with another
mans right of property. Republicans,
on the contrary, arc both for the man
and the dollar, but in case OF conflicts
the man before the dollar.
remember being once much amused
at seeing two partially intoxicated men
engaged in II light with their great coats
on, which fight, after long and rather
harmless contest, ended in each having
fought himself out of his own coat and
into that OF the other. If the two lead
ing parties of this day are identical with
the two in the days of Jefferson and
Adams, they have performed the same
feat as the two drunken men.
But sobcrly, it il now no child's play
to save the princip pies of Jefferson from
the total overthrow of this nation.
One would state with great conf
dcncc that he could convince any sane
child that the simple propositions of
Euclid arc true; but nevertheless, he
would fail, with one who should deny
the definitions and axioms. The prin-
ciplcs of Jefferson arc the definitions
and axioms of free society. And yet
they are denied and cvatlcd, with no
small show of success. One dashingly
calls them "glittcring gcncnlities. -
Another buntly styled them ''self-evi-
dent llcs." And others insidiously ar
que that they apply only ''to superior
races"
These expressions, differing in form,
arc identical in object and etfect-thc
supplanting the principles of free gov
crnincnt, and restoring those of classi-
tication, caste, and legitimacy. They
would delight cOnvocation of crowd
ell heads plotting against tho people.
They are tho vanguard, the sappers
and miners, of returning dcspOtism. We
must repulsc them, or they will suIju-
gate us.
This is world of compcnsatiOns; and
he who would be no slave must con-
sent to have no slave. Those who
dcny:frccdom to others deserve it not
for themselves; and, under a just God
cannot long retain it.
All honor to Jcflcrson-thc man who,
in the concrete pressure Of II struggle
for national independence by a single
people, had the GOODNESS, forecast, and
capacity to introduce intoa a merely revo-
lutionary document an abstract truth
applicable to all men and all times, and
SO to cmbalm it there, that to-day, and
in all coming days, it shall be a rcbukc
and stumbling block to the harbin-
gers Of rc-appearing tyranny and op-