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[166] tone of his declarations. His card — a sort of political fulmination — was as follows:

New Salem, June 13, 1836.
To the Editor of The Journal:
In your paper of last Saturday I see a communication over the signature of “Many voters” in which the candidates who are announced in the Journal are called upon to “show their hands.” Agreed. Here's mine:

I go for all sharing the privileges of the government who assist in bearing its burdens. Consequently, I go for admitting all whites to the right of suffrage who pay taxes or bear arms (by no means excluding females).

If elected I shall consider the whole people of Sangmon my constituents, as well those that oppose as those that support me.

While acting as their Representative, I shall be governed by their will on all subjects upon which I have the means of knowing what their will is; and upon all others I shall do what my own judgment teaches me will best advance their interests. Whether elected or not, I go for distributing the proceeds of the sales of public lands to the several States to enable our State, in common with others, to dig canals and construct railroads without borrowing money and paying the interest on it.

If alive on the first Monday in November, I shall vote for Hugh L. White, for President.

Very respectfully,

A. Lincoln.

It is generally admitted that the bold and decided stand Lincoln took — though too audacious and emphatic for statesmen of a later day — suited the temper of the times. Leaving out of sight his

The Herndon's Lincoln Pubishing Company, Springfield, Ill., 1888.

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