Abraham Smith to Abraham Lincoln, July 20, 1858

Ridge Farm Ill. 7th mo. 20, 1858

Friend Lincoln

It is said that the campaign is regularly opened between thee & Douglas

Thou art perhaps not aware of the great solicitude with which I look on -- nor does it matter much to thee how much interest I may take in it he-- But I want to say to thee that while some republicans -- good men & true but cautious will say thou hast taken too high ground -- (too near up to the standard of the Christianity of the day)-- I am rejoicd that by thy speeches at -- Springfield & Chicago thou are fairly mounted on the eternal invulnerabl bulwark of truth -- the same that the bible teaches the same that is taught by the declaration of Independance -- by the Constitution of the U. S. and by the fathers of the republic -- the Christianity of the age demands -- a higher stand than dont care whether the "sum of all vilianies" should deluge the land

But Douglas is a cuning dog & the devil is on his side-- As I view the contest (tho we say it is between Douglass [Douglas] & Lincoln --) it is no less than a contest for the advancement of the kingdom of Heaven or the kingdom of Satan -- a contest for an advance or a retrograde -- in civilization -- and the fate of Douglas or Lincoln is comparatively a trifle But it is not for the gratification of boring thee with my abstractions that I write But I rember of hearing an anecdote which I think will be of servise to thee -- in answering Douglasses -- Meniel veneration for supreme judges-- The

The anecdote is something like this While William Penn was governer of Pennsylvania -- he had commissioned a J. P. in some back settlement -- so circumstanced that it was hardly possible to have any appeal from his decisions -- in course of time this J. P. commenced playing the tyrant at such a rate that complaint came to the governor -- Penn and his attorney -- after disgusing themselves in a hunters suit started on a visit to the tyrant -- it so happened that they arrived in time of a rain and called in as tho they wanted merely shelter from the rain-- Bt the attorney in his own way commenced the investigation by alluding to the rumors of tyrany and when he was satisfied of the squires malpractice from his own mouth -- he began to hint at the danger the squire was in when the squire became very indignant and soon ordered the hunters from his cabin -- but the atorney advised him his companion -- siting so demurely there in the corner -- was the man that made squires in short that he was in presence of the governor -- and that he would probably make a new squire for that settlement

It occured to me on reading Douglass' sneers at town meetings -- that the people who compose these town meetings sometimes sometimes make new judges -- and if I remember the history of the case correctly -- Douglass was made judge by a political freak of the people of Illinois

If my anecdote should be of no servise to thee please -- receive it as an emenation from kind intention

Thy friend

Abraham Smith