Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1860-07-27
u o IL II &c A L.
tfrom the Dce,tar Oll) Chronicle
LineOln's Early Life.
Letter from an old Acquaintance aud
Laboring Associate.

IN the Columbus Statesman few days ago,
which take from tho Coles County Ledger:
"llANXs AGAINST LlNcotN. We were IN.
formed day or two ago by delesat, to
the Baltimore Convention, who called At
our ollicc. that John Hanks, tho man who
assisted Abo Lincoln TO mako those rail.
abou, which the Republicans are making
such hubbub, ha. announced himself op.
posed to tho election Of Lincoln. Hanks.
who ha. never been Democrat. i- agains,
the Republican nominee because be knows
Lincoln to bsa humbus and nothing else.
llurrah tor Hanks"
10 tbi. article | desire briefly to reply.
II my choice Tor President. or how shall
vote a. between the candidates Tor that OIL.
Zee. b. worth considering at al. I claim 1t
asa simple right to bccorrectly represented.
am bot farmer. and rrgtc, % say no, an
elucl,el one have never been cardi.
date Tor any Office, nor DO I expect ever to
De; whilst can with all trutbfulne., Say
this, yet have never h.cn a negative man
In politics. From my b,yhood have bccn
a constant voter with the Democratic Party
IN an ESSENTIAL elections. have iho't that
party 10 be upright and straightforward in
all the principle. it has really adopted So
ht, as l~iS | voted flr Mr.. Douglas. and
arain., my old friend Lincoln. Tor forty
year. I have looked upon the party with
pride. and hailed its success, with pleasure .
but A. Mr.. Douglas made a speech in Dcca.
tur in 1858, and In my hearing spoke -
pleasantly and >, honorable of the old whis
party, and Of Mr. Clay. iI. leader, after
having for fifteen years, in discussing scu.r
Al politics, which u,ri to lJy, n listen to
him - we'll, 'Foke'o complaininsly aud -
ahu.ively OF that party and of Mr Clay.
charging upon inni lin many bli and
mean tfios', until listening % him | learned
20 look upon both a, ianserou. and fll Of
evil, the thought struck mo that for the lu.
ture would 90, Judge Of . party or iislcai
,r- by what an oTroucn, misht sny. and ,hi.
conclusion mean {, follow the balance Of
my lirc. How foolish d, i. to aou.c a party
because my 'rirni may do -, and then
praise the .,m- party because that friend
may DO 30. hr may be dssisnins-I would
in all probability bc ilr'. Ever since
Mr. Dough-, made iha; speech in 1855, be
hn. bsgn abusing the Republicans jas, like
hru..j O. ahl.s thc Oh Whis' am tired
of thi. kind or warfare. | think 10 j., not
right {, DO 50, and ~ ,lr D,urh. farther
sail In that speech that hr va. IN t'Ir habit
Of sometime, changing hi' r1liiic', I DID
not know bat it wns about time for him 10
b,cin 20 excuse and cease 90 abuse the r..
ruh,cin., and made up my mind 20 lc,hrm
<, in time Now, ~ % entirely changing
my politics, cannot sly have done thi-,
bat ipr the lie II me can sec np,hin: in
the Republican party that any honest Dem
ocrat can seriously oppose. II i',ruc, were
tlcy such party a' Mr.. DJush, used 10
,ay they were, could see Objectionable 'c,.
turc. about ii. bat then j, il wise to believe
c,crythins Mr. Dousa. las aid, when be
tell. Us be sometimes changes, aud when We
have near ~ honest men known O. be pure.
ly honest Tor more than thirty yeir., VII,
deny all ihi', aud Tropose to tell US the true
state Of the case, ani TO give u, the true
principles of that party? think not. Be
sIlc. ihi.. when we have Tor years been op.
posed IN politics, 10 a man who has again
aud again seen b.. party defeated, and stall
zen that man true 10 hi, cOlOrs. re.armins
and rc.cp,erins the field to try to uphold
and successfully pant his eolors upon the
siic ul victory, whcn all the time hc knew be
had but to change once 10 win, and yet las
never chansci, think may s,y never fal.
tered, bow are W. u respect him? Such a
man have known Mr.. Lincoln for thirty
years 70 be-. IN boyhold days We io,ed TO
selhsr; many are the day, We have lucscd
the heavy oar on the Ohio. Illinois and Mis-.
sls.ippi rivers together many are the long
cold days We have journeyed over tho Wild
prAirle- aud through the torres. with gun and
axe. and though It is not pleasant to reier
back 70 IL. well 20 remember when We set
out together in the cold winter TO cut and
maui rails On the SInsimOn river, in Macon
County, thirty years ago, to inclJs, his IA.
ther's little home, and from day to day keep
AZ work until the whole was finished and the
homestead fenced in; We often swappcd
work in ihi, way, aud yet durias the many
years We we're connected together as labor.
ers, slmeiimcs officiating, sometimes hog
driving. sometimes rail-making, aud too,
when it was nearly impossible to set books,
he was constant reader | was listener
be setiled sll the disputes Of all the youbs
men in the neighborhood, and his decisions
we're always abIded By. never knew
man 50 honest under all circumstances, Tor
+ Nj, whole life. Thus associated with Mr..
Lincoln. | learned to love hm, and when in
I 1853 he WIS a candidate for the first time
within my reach, against my feelings, and !
may say against my convictions. my old
party ties induced me to vote for MIR. Doug
as-my Democratic friends all declared
that Lincoln was an AbOlilionist; | heard
him make a speech in Decatur just before
I the election. and | could see nothing bad in
II IL; but was told by the party that he was
wrong could not see how he could be-
but they said 50. and was Demo ri' and
wen, il. Ny wife used to say to mo that
so,,a dav Aha vould come out and be some