Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 to Samuel Galloway
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC00365 Author/Creator: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 Place Written: Springfield, Illinois Type: Autograph letter signed Date: December 19, 1859 Pagination: 2 p. ; 26 x 20 cm. Order a Copy
With two postscripts, one initialed. Headed "Private." Introducing John "George" Nicolay (later Lincoln's personal secretary) and describing how he wants the Lincoln-Douglas debates published. In the 1860 presidential election, the debates served as an essential statement of Republican Party principles, especially on the issue of slavery being extended into the territories. Given the importance of the debates, it is unsurprising that Lincoln emphasizes the importance of fidelity to the original speeches: "As they stand there, is precisely the shape I would prefer the publication to be made in…. [….] …Mr Nicolay will furnish you another double set of the joint debates, so that Douglas' speeches can be taken from the paper friendly to him, and mine from that friendly to me. Of course I wish the whole to be accurately done; but especially let there be no color of complaint, that a word, or letter, in Douglas' speeches, has been changed." In fact, Lincoln printed the debates over Douglas's objections. Samuel Galloway, an attorney at Columbus, Ohio, helped get the Lincoln-Douglas Debates printed. Lincoln served as counsel to Galloway, who was also an early promoter of him for president.
Basler, Roy P. The Collected Works Of Abraham Lincoln, (New Brunswick, NJ and London: Rutgers University Press, 1974), Vol. X
1832 - 1865, p. 47 - 48.
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