Abraham Lincoln to Benjamin F. James, 16 January 18461
Springfield, Jany 16. 1846–Dear James:A plan is on foot to change the plan ^mode^ of selecting the candidate for this district–2 The movement is intended to injure me, and if effected, most likely would injure
me to some extent– I have not time to give particulars now; but I want you to let
nothing prevent your getting an article in your paper, of this week taking strong ground for the old system, under which Hardin was & Baker were nominated, without seeming to know or suspect, that any one desires to change
it–3 I have written Dr Henry more at length;4 and he will probably call & consult with you, in getting up the article; but whether
he does or not dont fail, on any account, to get it in this week–5
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PAID5SPRINGFIELD Ill.[Illinois]JAN[January] 21B. F. James Esqr[Esquire]TremontIllinois–
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A Lincoln–
Jany 16./46[1846]
Jany 16./46[1846]
1Abraham Lincoln wrote and signed the letter. He also authored the address on the back
page, which was folded to create an envelope for mailing.
2At a Whig convention in Pekin in May 1843, an agreement was made between Lincoln, Edward D. Baker, and John J.
Hardin that seemed to establish a one-term limit on the prospective Whig congressmen.
Hardin and Baker having already served, Lincoln believed that the 1846 nomination
should have been his. While Hardin delayed officially announcing his candidacy, Lincoln
set out to solidify his own support. In response, Hardin proposed that the convention
system for the nomination be thrown out, in favor of a primary election. Lincoln
responded to Hardin’s proposal on January 19.
Lincoln and Hardin were vying to represent the Seventh Congressional District, which
included the counties of Cass, Logan, Marshall, Mason, Menard, Morgan, Putnam, Sangamon, Scott, Tazewell, and Woodford.
Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008), 1:218, 231, 233; Sangamo Journal (Springfield, IL), 26 February 1846, 2:1-2; Howard W. Allen and Vincent A. Lacey,
eds., Illinois Elections, 1818-1990 (Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1992), 126; Abraham Lincoln to Henry E. Dummer.
For other correspondence between Lincoln and James regarding the 1846 Congressional
nomination, see: Abraham Lincoln to Benjamin F. James, Abraham Lincoln to Benjamin F. James, Abraham Lincoln to Benjamin F. James.
3On January 24, 1846, Benjamin F. James’ paper, the Tazewell Whig, published an editorial regarding the Whig Central Committee, of which James was
the chairman. The editorial advocated for the committee to choose a time and place
for the convention, claiming that the convention system would “prove the best calculated
to preserve harmony and subserve the interests of the Whig party in our district.”
The Tazewell Whig (Tremont, IL), 24 January 1846, 2:1.
Copy of Autograph Letter [Signed], 1 page(s), Abraham Lincoln Association Files, Lincoln Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield, IL).