Gustave Philipp Koerner to Abraham Lincoln, August 12, 1858

Record Data

Source citation

Gustave Philipp Koerner to Abraham Lincoln, August 12, 1858, Belleville, IL, Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/alhtml/malhome.html.

Type

Letter

Date Certainty

Exact

Transcriber

Transcribed by the Lincoln Studies Center, Knox College, Galesburg, IL

Adapted by Ben Lyman, Dickinson College

Transcription

The following transcript has been adapted from the Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress.

Belleville Aug. 12/ 58

My dear Sir.

Yours of 6th in. duly received. The St. Louis Democrat foolishly in my opinion thought to make capital with Douglas. You will have perceived however that it is turning on its tracks. The conduct of Douglas and his friends, in claiming Barrets victory in their favor gives ~~him~~ it a good opportunity though he would have attacked Douglas any way soon after the election.

I have seen a list of your appointments. Keep a day or two in Octob. for St. Clair & Madison. There is Court in Octob. in Madison. A speech in Highland would also do good. We must work hard in that County. But there is one County, which we can carry, if we try, & that is Randolph. Douglas friends consider it as very doubtful. Court commences there 6 Sept. Could you not change your appointment and come down to Chester. There are boats going down from St Louis every evening about 4 oclock. You will get there the same night. Now say that you will be there on 7 or 8 Sept -- & you will have a large audience and can anticipate Douglas, who gets there immediately after Court, he having so managed down here, as to skip every Court. He speak es in Monroe, while Court is in Randolph, & in Randolph while Court is in Monroe. He spoke in Highland (without previous appointment) while Court was in Carlyle 20 miles distant.-- Ain't that strange.

I think we will carry St. Clair handsomely. Waste no ammunition unnecessarily.-- The Buchanan men here have no backbone. I think we may as well prepare to fight them in a solid phalanx. The Douglas men are as much pro Slavery, as the Buchanan men, only they are acting a little more hypocritically.

If I were you I would use his accepting the victory of Barret as his thunder upon him, and handle him without gloves. He is an arch-traitor, and consumate political scoundrel, who can only be broke down by hard-sledge-hammer licks.--

I see Trumbull has come. None but doubtful counties should be canvassed Our strength must be concentrated on a few points.--

Yours sincerely

G Koerner.