Ward H. Lamon to Abraham Lincoln, 9 June 18581
Jolliett IllinoisJune 9th 1858Hon. A LincolnSpringfieldIllsMy dear friend,
I believe the whole country is fast going to the Devil! the Counties of Mc Lean and La Salle, in their primary meetings, have instructed their delegates to the congressional
convention for Lovejoy.–2 At our Convention in Mc Lean, resolutions were passed “endorsing” Douglas, which ^“endorsement”^, although they by resolution declared their preference for you, for U.S. Senate in my humble opinion— is to say the least of it— under all of the surroundings, not
calculated to give you strength over him, and certainly impolitic.3
I have just arr^i^ved here from Ottowa; this county and Kankakee can yet be controlled for against Lovejoy— but these two counties together with De Witt, certain,— would be feeble strength to go with, into the Convention– So we all can,
but acknowledge, beaten4 Judge Davis is, of course, out of the field–5 It is now a free fight— and I presume Lovejoy will have no opposition in convention6
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–I fear that Lovejoy’s election a second term, will put this Congressional District
irredeemably in the hands of the Abolitionists– I find very many of the Republicans who express themselves very freely upon the subject of Douglas’s course— and some
of them say “he is good enough Republican for” them– I tell you sir! in my opinion
this is a dangerous element,— a dangerous endorsement—there are breakers ahead!– I learn that two of the abolitionists— (and I call them such on the authority of Judge Dickey.) who7 ^were^ were delegates to the LaSalle County Convention to day openly declared that they were for Douglas for U.S. Senator– I hope however there
are few such— but I fear, that the foreign influences brought to bear, for national
strength (I mean Greely and otheres) to the Republican party, are having effect— and it requires our ^most^ vigilant watch over both foreign and domestic influences and action in this behalf–8We all here, who were opposed to Lovejoy in Convention feel a little sore,– It is proposed by some of our
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friends, to run an independent candidate– I have my fears about the policy of such
a step– It is proposed to get together and select the stongest man and start him out–
Do you think that would injure your election,? write me at Bloomington at your ealiest convenience–9 It is train time I must close–
Yours in hasteVery Truly Ward H Lamon
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[Envelope]
BLOOMI[NGTON] Ill.[Illinois]
JUN[June] 10 1858
JUN[June] 10 1858
CENTRAL HOTEL,
JNO. ELDRED,
proprietor,
Cor.[Corner] Van Buren & Chicago sts.[streets]
JOLIET, ILL.
Hon A. LincolnSpringfieldIlls–JNO. ELDRED,
proprietor,
Cor.[Corner] Van Buren & Chicago sts.[streets]
JOLIET, ILL.
2Lamon is discussing counties in the Third Congressional District of Illinois, where Owen Lovejoy was up for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in the election of 1858. Some of the more conservative Republicans of the district, Lamon among them, sought
to replace Lovejoy, whom they labeled an abolitionist.
In May of 1858 the Republican central committee of the district instructed their constituent
counties to select delegates to attend a convention to be held in Joliet on June 30, 1858, at which the district Republicans would nominate their congressional
candidate. The Republicans of McLean County held their county convention in Bloomington
on June 5, and adopted a resolution approving of Lovejoy’s actions in the U.S. House
of Representatives, after which a second resolution on Lovejoy, to “earnestly present
his claims for a re-nomination, to the Joliet Convention” was adopted without dissent.
The names of other candidates had been withdrawn prior to the passage of the resolution
endorsing Lovejoy’s renomination.
The Republicans of La Salle County held their county convention in Ottawa on June
9. According to one newspaper report, prior to the convention it was expected that
La Salle County Republicans would name two sets of delegates to the congressional
convention in Joliet: one that backed Lovejoy, and one that supported William H. L. Wallace. On ascertaining that Lovejoy had a majority, Wallace’s supporters removed his name
from consideration before the county convention took any actions. The Republicans
at the La Salle County convention passed a resolution approving of Lovejoy’s actions
in the U.S. Congress, followed by a resolution requesting their delegates to the congressional convention
in Joliet to work to secure Lovejoy’s renomination.
Howard W. Allen and Vincent A. Lacey, eds., Illinois Elections, 1818-1990 (Carbondale and Edwardsville: Southern Illinois University Press, 1992), 10, 11,
142; Edward Magdol, Owen Lovejoy: Abolitionist in Congress (New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1967), 189-98; The Daily Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL), 20 May 1858, 2:1; The Weekly Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL), 9 June 1858, 2:1, 2; The Ottawa Weekly Republican (IL), 22 May 1858, 2:2, 3; 12 June 1858, 2:2, 4; Isabel Wallace, Life and Letters of General W. H. L. Wallace
(Chicago: R. R. Donnelley & Sons, 1909), 81-86.
3At the McLean County Republican convention in Bloomington on June 5, Jesse W. Fell introduced two resolutions. The first declared respect and admiration for Stephen A. Douglas and other Democrats who opposed the Lecompton Constitution, but stated that Democrats had no just claim to the political support of Republicans
“so long as they refuse to place themselves upon Republican grounds”. The second resolution
declared Abraham Lincoln to be the choice of the McLean County Republicans to replace
Douglas in the U.S. Senate in the election of 1858, elaborating that “despite all
influences at home or abroad, domestic or foreign, the Republicans of Illinois, as
with the voice of one man, are unalterably so resolved: to the end, that we may have
a big man, with a big mind, and a big heart, to represent our big State.” Both resolutions were adopted unanimously.
Douglas had criticized the Lecompton Constitution and James Buchanan’s support of it in December 1857, causing a rift in the Democratic Party. Some Republicans were excited by Douglas’ repudiation of the Lecompton Constitution
to the extent that they considered supporting his bid for reelection to the U.S. Senate
in the election of 1858. Although Douglas later denied it, he courted Republican support
and hinted in correspondence to Republicans that he was finished with the Democratic
Party. Lincoln and other Illinois Republicans were concerned by these developments
and urged fellow party members to remain loyal in the upcoming election.
The Weekly Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL), 9 June 1858, 2:2; Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life (Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2008), 1:445-50.
4For the approaching Third Congressional District convention, eighty-one total delegates
were allotted to the counties of the district in proportion to votes cast in the 1856 presidential election. McLean and La Salle counties were apportioned two of the largest delegations with
ten and sixteen votes respectively, and Lovejoy was also expected to perform well
in Bureau County and the more northern counties of the district. Even if Lovejoy’s opponents could
sway the conventions in Will, Kankakee, and DeWitt counties that would give them only eighteen delegates, well
below a majority.
The Daily Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL), 20 May 1858, 2:1; Edward Magdol, Owen Lovejoy: Abolitionist in Congress, 193.
5David Davis, another possible contender to replace Lovejoy as the Republican candidate
in the Illinois Third Congressional District in 1858, had recruited Lamon to investigate
his chances. Davis was put forward as an opposition candidate at the Republican convention
in his home county of McLean, but was unable to convince enough delegates to support
him over Lovejoy, whom the delegates then chose to back unanimously. Davis removed
himself from consideration following this loss.
Edward Magdol, Owen Lovejoy: Abolitionist in Congress, 191-96; Isabel Wallace, Life and Letters of General W. H. L. Wallace, 83-84; The Ottawa Weekly Republican (IL), 12 June 1858, 2:2.
6The Republican convention of the Third Illinois Congressional District in Joliet on
June 30 saw full attendance from all of the counties of the district except DeWitt.
Owen Lovejoy was unanimously nominated for reelection at the convention and he won
reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1858 with 57.7 percent of the vote,
defeating Douglas Democrat George W. Armstrong who garnered 38.8 percent and Buchanan Democrat David Le Roy who received 3.4 percent.
The Daily Pantagraph (Bloomington, IL), 2 July 1858, 2:1-3; 9 October 1858, 2:2; Howard W. Allen and Vincent
A. Lacey, eds., Illinois Elections, 1818-1990, 11, 142.
8The abolitionist delegates to the La Salle County Republican convention referenced
by Lamon have not been identified.
Journalist Horace Greeley promoted Douglas to Illinois Republicans following the latter’s break with the Buchanan
administration, as he believed it possible that Douglas might fully split with Democrats
and become a Republican. Illinois Republicans were suspicious of such involvement
by eastern Republicans who supported Douglas in the 1858 U.S. Senate race and resented
the outside interference. Rumor suggested that a group of eastern Republicans had
made an agreement to support Douglas’ reelection in exchange for Douglas backing William H. Seward for the presidency in 1860, although Lincoln ultimately concluded no such bargain had been made.
Michael Burlingame, Abraham Lincoln: A Life, 1:446, 452-54.
9On June 11, 1858 Lincoln wrote Lamon in Bloomington and argued against running an independent candidate against
Lovejoy. Lincoln had warned Lovejoy as early as March 1858 to be wary of the possibility of Democrats recruiting
a Republican to oppose Lovejoy in his bid for reelection to the U.S. House of Representatives.
Attempts from conservative Republicans and Democrats to either replace Lovejoy as
the Republican candidate or challenge him with an independent opponent continued to
be a concern throughout the campaign of 1858.
Abraham Smith to Abraham Lincoln; Stephen G. Paddock and John H. Bryant to Abraham Lincoln; Abraham Smith to Abraham Lincoln; Abraham Lincoln to Charles H. Ray; Abraham Lincoln to the Editors, Chicago Tribune; David Davis to Abraham Lincoln; James W. Somers to Abraham Lincoln; Henry C. Whitney to Abraham Lincoln and William H. Herndon; Abraham Lincoln to Burton C. Cook; Joseph O. Glover to Abraham Lincoln; Owen Lovejoy to Abraham Lincoln.
Autograph Letter Signed, 4 page(s), Abraham Lincoln Papers, Library of Congress (Washington, DC).