The Writings of Abraham Lincoln - Volume 2

The second volume of Abraham Lincoln's letters and oratory span fifteen years, through his years in the Illinois legislature until the opening of his campaign as a United States Senator.

In this volume, we witness the steady rise of Lincoln as a prominent and capable politician. His ardent belief in the abolition of slavery is marked by his letters and speeches to that effect; many of these strike a persuasive tone, with a firm grounding upon the morality and convictions which Abe Lincoln held close to heart throughout his career. We also witness the building of the United States infrastructure; for example, Lincoln is receptive to the new technology of the railroad, and recognizes the role of canals in the proper transportation of goods.

In his essay introducing the first volume of this series, Carl Shurz notes that a great starting point for study of Lincoln is his personal letters, speeches and other writings. It is by reading these items sequentially that we gain an insight into the mind of a man who was to become arguably the greatest President the United States has seen to date. We come to realize that Lincoln was - contrary to his portrait as a near-infallible and towering figure - a human being with emotions, strengths and weaknesses.

This record of Lincoln's personal correspondences is complete and unabridged, offering readers a chronologically arranged account of the man's early life. We join Lincoln as an ambitious politician on the cusp of middle age in 1843, gaining in confidence and eloquence both in his public addresses and private correspondences. which reveal a man with wisdom imbued by his innate personality, and by years of experience. Perhaps most notably of all is Abraham Lincoln's rare and stubborn eagerness to perform as a public servant to the best of his capacity.

Through reading and comparing his own writings, we see how Lincoln's political views and positions Lincoln evolved over his lifetime, informed by experience he steadily amassed debating and passing legislation, and examining the consequences of his prior decisions. There is also a personal side to his writings: capable of offering counsel and comfort to those he considered friends, many of Lincoln's letters concern not politics or law drafting, but matters such as contentious criminal cases which Lincoln, as a lawyer, could claim authority on. Subjects such as marriage, and friendly correspondences, are also present.

At the conclusion of this volume in 1858, Lincoln is readying himself to run for the United States Senate against Stephen A. Douglas.