The Writings of Abraham Lincoln, vol 5

Book Excerpt: ...decision holds, Congress can authorize a Territorial Legislature to do everything else, and cannot authorize them to prohibit slavery. That is one of the things the court can decide, but can never give an intelligible reason for. Yours very truly, A. LINCOLN. TO A. CAMPBELL. SPRINGFIELD, June 28, 1858. A. CAMPBELL, Esq. MY DEAR SIR: --In 1856 you gave me authority to draw on you for any sum not exceeding five hundred dollars. I see clearly that such a privilege would be more available now than it was then. I am aware that times are tighter now than they were then. Please write me at all events, and whether you can now do anything or not I shall continue grateful for the past. Yours very truly, A. LINCOLN. TO J. GILLESPIE. SPRINGFIELD, July 16, 1858. HON. JOSEPH GILLESPIE. MY DEAR SIR: --I write this to say that from the specimens of Douglas Democracy we occasionally see here from Madison, we learn that they are making very confident calculation of beating you and yo