The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-03
A LETTER OF LINCOLN.
His Reply to Threatening Epistle from One
w. G. Anderson, i'm 1910.

Dr. w. G. Wilkinson in January Century.
"The remarkable popular interest in
everything that throws light upon the char
acter of Abraham Lincoln, which the serial
publication of his life in ths Century Mag
azine in part finds and in part creates, en-
boldens me to believe that a recent dis
covery of my own bearing on the matter
may be accepted by many readers as a con-
tribution not without its value to the
bilia. I use the word discovery although
that word may seem not fit, when l say,
as l must, that what discovered was
already public enough to be seen framed
and hanging on one of the interior
walls of the fine State capitol in Nash
vile, Tenn. The documents to which
refer are no longer to be seen where saw
them, they having, since my visit to Nash
vile, a few years ago, been removed to a
much less. freqnented place of custody, in
the same city, Through the intervention of
a friend lately found them again, though
not without trouble, and here show them
for the examination of the curious.
They consist of two letters, one written
to and the other written by Abraham Lin
coln.. How they came into public keeping,
and with what history, in the case of the
illustrious writer of one of the letters, they
may be associated, have sought in vain to
learn. But the letters happily explain them
selves, Perhaps the, enterprising authors
of the biography now being published in the
magazine may be able to bring these letters
into their proper setting in the circum-
stances of Lincoln's life.
'One thing was very noteworthy in the
autograph letter of Lincoln, and that was
its immediately neat and correct mechan-
ical execution. The manuscript had the
physiOgnomy and air of one produced by an
habitually fa5tiGiOus literary man. The
handwriting was finished enough to be
called elegant, the punctuation. the SPELL
ing, the capitaliZing, were as conscientious
=
1T is q w. q. Anderson who writes a
covertly threatening letter to LincOln-lit-
tie dreaming at the moment that it was an
historic document that he was so seriously
inditing The date is Lawrenceville, Oct
so, 1910. The address is stifly, meant per-
haps TO even formidably, formal. 1t is A.
Lincoln, ESQ.,: Dear SIR Mr. Anderson
straitly says:
lon our first meeting ON Wednesday
last difficulty in words ensued between
us which deem it my duty to notice fur
Their. l think you were the aggressor.
Your words imported insult, and whether
you meant them as such is for you to say.
You will therefore please inform me on this
point, and if you designed to offend me,
please communicate TO me your present
feelings on the subject, and whether you
persist in the stand you took
"And Mr.. Anderson sternly signs himself,
Your obedient servant
There now was 2 chance. for Abraham
Lincoln. How will he meet it' Will he
chaff Mr.. Anderson Will he give him stiff
ness for stiffnessf There will surely be an
interesting revelation of character. The
actual fact is, if Abraham Lincoln had
known, in writing his reply, that he was
writing it much more for the whole world
and for all future generations, than simply
for his personal friend, Mr.. Anderson, to
read. dc not sec how he could have written
it better tor the advantage of his own good
fame. HIRE is his reply:
"LAwREScEvILLE. Oct 81. 1sA0.-w. CLAN.