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treacherously with me。 He has also； at all times； appeared equally
true and faithful to the party。 In his position as chairman of the
committee； I believe he did all that any man could have done。 The
best of us are liable to commit errors； which become apparent by
subsequent developments； but I do not know of a single error； even；
committed by Mr。 Judd； since he and I have acted together
politically。
I； had occasionally heard these insinuations against Mr。 Judd； before
the receipt of your letter； and in no instance have I hesitated to
pronounce them wholly unjust； to the full extent of my knowledge and
belief。 I have been； and still am； very anxious to take no part
between the many friends； all good and true； who are mentioned as
candidates for a Republican gubernatorial nomination； but I can not
feel that my own honor is quite clear if I remain silent when I hear
any one of them assailed about matters of which I believe I know more
than his assailants。
I take pleasure in adding that； of all the avowed friends I had in
the canvass of last year； I do not suspect any of having acted
treacherously to me； or to our cause； and that there is not one of
them in whose honesty； honor； and integrity I； today； have greater
confidence than I have in those of Mr。 Judd。
I dislike to appear before the public in this matter； but you are at
liberty to make such use of this letter as you may think justice
requires。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
TO G。 M。 PARSONS AND OTHERS。
SPRINGFIELD； ILLINOIS； December 19； 1859。
MESSRS。 G。 M。 PARSONS AND OTHERS； CENTRAL EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE； ETC。
GENTLEMEN：Your letter of the 7th instant； accompanied by a similar
one from the governor…elect； the Republican State officers； and the
Republican members of the State Board of Equalization of Ohio； both
requesting of me； for publication in permanent form； copies of the
political debates between Senator Douglas and myself last year； has
been received。 With my grateful acknowledgments to both you and them
for the very flattering terms in which the request is communicated； I
transmit you the copies。 The copies I send you are as reported and
printed by the respective friends of Senator Douglas and myself； at
the timethat is； his by his friends； and mine by mine。 It would be
an unwarrantable liberty for us to change a word or a letter in his；
and the changes I have made in mine； you perceive； are verbal only；
and very few in number。 I wish the reprint to be precisely as the
copies I send； without any comment whatever。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH
TO J。 W。 FELL；
SPRINGFIELD； December 20； 1859。
J。 W。 FELL； Esq。
MY DEAR SIR：Herewith is a little sketch； as you requested。 There
is not much of it； for the reason； I suppose； that there is not much
of me。 If anything be made out of it； I wish it to be modest； and
not to go beyond the material。 If it were thought necessary to
incorporate anything from any of my speeches I suppose there would be
no objection。 Of course it must not appear to have been written by
myself。
Yours very truly；
A。 LINCOLN
…
I was born February 12； 1809； in Hardin County； Kentucky。 My parents
were both born in Virginia； of undistinguished familiessecond
families； perhaps I should say。 My mother； who died in my tenth
year； was of a family of the name of Hanks； some of whom now reside
in Adams； and others in Macon County； Illinois。 My paternal
grandfather； Abraham Lincoln； emigrated from Rockingham County；
Virginia； to Kentucky about 1781 or 1782； where a year or two later
he was killed by the Indians； not in battle； but by stealth； when he
was laboring to open a farm in the forest。 His ancestors； who were
Quakers； went to Virginia from Berks County； Pennsylvania。 An effort
to identify them with the New England family of the same name ended
in nothing more definite than a similarity of Christian names in both
families； such as Enoch； Levi； Mordecai； Solomon； Abraham； and the
like。
My father； at the death of his father； was but six years of age； and
he grew up literally without education。 He removed from Kentucky to
what is now Spencer County； Indiana； in my eighth year。 We reached
our new home about the time that State came into the Union。 It was a
wild region； with many bears and other wild animals still in the
woods。 There I grew up。 There were some schools； so called； but no
qualification was ever required of a teacher beyond 〃readin'；
writin'； and cipherin〃' to the Rule of Three。 If a straggler
supposed to understand Latin happened to sojourn in the neighborhood
he was looked upon as a wizard。 There was absolutely nothing to
excite ambition for education。 Of course； when I came of age I did
not know much。 Still； somehow； I could read； write； and cipher to
the Rule of Three； but that was all。 I have not been to school
since。 The little advance I now have upon this store of education I
have picked up from time to time under the pressure of necessity。
I was raised to farm work； which I continued till I was twenty…two。
At twenty…one I came to Illinois； Macon County。 Then I got to New
Salem； at that time in Sangamon； now in Menard County； where I
remained a year as a sort of clerk in a store。 Then came the Black
Hawk war； and I was elected a captain of volunteers； a success which
gave me more pleasure than any I have had since。 I went the
campaign； was elected； ran for the Legislature the same year （1832）；
and was beatenthe only time I ever have been beaten by the people。
The next and three succeeding biennial elections I was elected to the
Legislature。 I was not a candidate afterward。 During this
legislative period I had studied law； and removed to Springfield to
practice it。 In 1846 I was once elected to the lower House of
Congress。 Was not a candidate for re…election。 From 1849 to 1854；
both inclusive； practiced law more assiduously than ever before。
Always a Whig in politics； and generally on the Whig electoral
tickets； making active canvasses。 I was losing interest in politics
when the repeal of the Missouri Compromise aroused me again。 What I
have done since then is pretty well known。
If any personal description of me is thought desirable； it may be
said I am； in height； six feet four inches； nearly； lean in flesh；
weighing on an average one hundred and eighty pounds； dark
complexion； with coarse black hair and gray eyes。 No other marks or
brands recollected。
Yours truly；
A。 LINCOLN。
ON NOMINATION TO THE NATIONAL TICKET
To N。 B。 JUDD。
SPRINGFIELD； FEBRUARY 9； 1859
HON。 N。 B。 JUDD。
DEAR Sir：I am not in a position where it would hurt much for me to
not be nominated on the national ticket； but I am where it would hurt
some for me to not get the Illinois delegates。 What I expected when
I wrote the l