Year: 1860

sooner they are allowed to prevail In peace
and harmony. the better for all concerned.
ms we'll those who are against them as
those who are for them.


am aware that small partisans, in their
little warfare against opposing leaders, do
sometimes assail them by the trick of
tearing from their cOntexts some particu-
lar Objectionable phrases penned, perhaps,
in the hurry of composition, or spoken in
the heat of oral debate, and holding them
up to the public as the leading doctrines
of the person assailed, and drawing from
them their own unchaTitable inferences.-
That line of attack beirayS Il little mind
conscious of its weakness, for the f:llsity
of its logic is not more apparent than the
injustice of its design. No public man
can stand that ordeal, and, however will
ling men may be to see it applied to their
adversaries, all finch from the torture
when applied to themselves. In fact, the
man who never said IL foolish thing, will
hardly be able to prove that he ever said
many wise ones.


Iconsider Mr.. Lincoln sound, safe, ma
tioual man. He could not be sectional If
he tried. His birth, his education, the
habits of his life, and his geographical
position, compel him 10 be national. All
his feelings and interests are identified
with the great valley of the MisSis-
Sippi, near whose center he has spent
his whole life. That Valley is not Il
section, but, conspicuously, the body of
the nation, and, large as it is, it is
not capable of being divided into sections,
for the great river cannot he divided. 1t
is one and indiViSiblc, and the North and
the South are alike necessary to its COM
fort and prosperity. Its people, too, in all
their interests and affections, are as broad





They are emigrautS, Il mixed multitude,
coming from every State in the Union, and
from most countries in Europe; they are
unwilling, therefore, to submit to any one
petty local standard. They love the ma
ton as whole, and they love all its
parts, for they are bound to them all, not
only by feeling of common interest and
mutual dependence, but also by the re-
collections of childhood and youth, by
blood and friendship, and by all those So
flai re and and diane Ills I world worth living in
The Valley is beginning to feel its power,
aud will soon be strong enough to dictate
the law of the land. Whenever that
state of things shall come TO pass, it will
be most fortunate for the nation to find
the powers of government lodged In the
hands of men whose habits of thought,
whose position and surrounding circum-
stances constrain them to use those powers
for general and not sectional ends.


give my opinion freely in favor of Mr..
Lincoln, and ] hope that, for the good of
the country, he will be elected. But it is
not my intention to take any active part in
the canvass. For many years past have
had little to do with public affairs, and
have aspired to no political office and now,
in view of the mad excitement which con-
vulses the country, and the general dis
ruption and disorder of parties and the ell
emcntS which compose them, l am more
than ever assured that for me, personally,
there is no political future, and accept
the condition with cheerful satisfaction.
Still | cannot discharge myself from the
life long duty to watch the men in power,
and to resist, so far as a private man may,
the fearful progress of Otticinl corruption,
which for several years past has sadly de-
filed the fair fabric of our government.


If Mr. Lincoln should be elected, COM
ing in as new man at the head of
young party never before in power, he may
render great service to his country,
which no Democrat could render. He can
march straight forward in the discharge
of his high duties, guided only by his own
good Judgment and honest purposes,
without amy necessity to tcmpOriZe with
establishcdabUSes,t to wink at the delinquen-
cies of old party friends, or to unIearn and
discard the bad official habits that have
grown up under the misgovernment OF his
Democratic predecessors. In short. he can
be an honest and bold reformer on easier
and cheaper terms than any Democratic
candidate can be, for, III proceeding in the
good work of cleansing and purifying the
administrative departments, he will have
no occasion to expose the vices, assail the
interests, or thwart the ambition of his
political friends.


Begging your pardon for the length of
this letter, remain, with great respect,


Your friend and obedient servnnt,


EDWARD BATES.
.- .,SEs ~. ,r,I:I, rE1sn 4 C:E.RnIAN N