Abraham Lincoln to John Mathers, 20 July 18581
Springfield, July 20. 1858.Jn0 Mathers, Esq[Esquire]My dear Sir: Your kind and interesting letter of the 19th was duly received– Your suggestions as to placing one’s self on ^the^ offensive, rather than the defensive, are certainly correct– That is a point which I shall not disregard–2 I spoke here on Saturday-night. The speech, not very well reported, appears in the State Journal of this morning– You, [doubtyless,?] doubtless, will see it; and I hope you will perceive in it, that I am already improving–
I would mail you a copy now, but I have not one at hand–3
I thank you for your letter; and shall be pleased to hear from you again–4
Yours very trulyA. Lincoln–2Lincoln had recently been nominated at the 1858 Illinois Republican Convention to run against incumbent Stephen A. Douglas to represent Illinois in the U.S. Senate. Douglas had commenced his reelection campaign with a speech in Chicago on July 9, 1858, and Lincoln followed with a speech in Chicago on July 10.
In his letter to Lincoln of the preceding day, John Mathers offered advice on the 1858 U.S. Senate race in Illinois, and having acquainted himself with both Douglas’ and Lincoln’s recent
Chicago speeches, Mathers encouraged Lincoln to attack Douglas offensively in his
speeches in future, rather than speaking defensively. Several other correspondents
wrote to Lincoln during the campaign of 1858 offering similar advice for his speeches
and debates with Douglas.
Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008), 1:457-58, 467-72; Robert W.
Johannsen, ed., The Lincoln-Douglas Debates of 1858 (New York: Oxford University Press, 1965), 22-36; Report of Speech at Chicago, Illinois; Report of Speech at Chicago, Illinois; Report of Speech at Chicago, Illinois; John Trible to Abraham Lincoln; Johnson H. Jordan to Abraham Lincoln; Leander Munsell to Abraham Lincoln; David Davis to Abraham Lincoln; Joseph Medill to Abraham Lincoln.
3On Saturday, July 17, 1858, Lincoln attended a speech by Douglas in Atlanta in the morning and another in Springfield in the afternoon. Lincoln delivered a speech
of his own at the Illinois statehouse in Springfield that evening. His speech was
printed in the Illinois State Journal as well as in pamphlet form at Lincoln’s request.
The Lincoln Log: A Daily Chronology of the Life of Abraham Lincoln, 17 July 1858, https://www.thelincolnlog.org/Results.aspx?type=CalendarDay&day=1858-07-17; Speech at Springfield, Illinois; Report of Speech at Springfield, Illinois; Report of Speech at Springfield, Illinois; Daily Illinois State Journal (Springfield), 20 July 1858, 2:1-6; The Illinois State Journal (Springfield), 21 July 1858, 2:4-7, 3:1; Abraham Lincoln to Gustave P. Koerner; Speech of Hon. Abraham Lincoln, Delivered in Springfield, Saturday Evening, July 17,
1858 ([Springfield?]: n.p., [1858?]); Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life, 473-75.
Autograph Letter Signed, 1 page(s), Lincoln Collection, Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum (Springfield, IL).