Keokuk Dec 27th 1859
My Dear Sir
Our State Convention
comes off soon probably too Soon for the appointment of delegates to the
National Republican Convention. As the National Convention is so convenient I
am truly sorry that our Convention was appointed so early, there may be great
changes in public sentiment between now and next June. I do not expect to be a
delegate to the Convention. I do not know how many delegates we may have but
th[ere] will probably be one to each Judicial District appointed who will be
appointed from our district it is hard to say. There is probably more than half
the Political talent in the State in our Judicial District still I will fill my
part in the appointment of Delegates at the State Convention and if alive and
well I will be at the National Convention and I hope able to exert some
influence and the Question is who is the Right Man to bear the Republican
Banner In my opinion he should be Conservative yet thoroughly honest and above
evry thing else a man of Iron Nerve And evry Kick a Republican. Let him say to
the South keep your Slaves if you want to. You shall be fully protected in all
your Constitutional Rights, but you must let all free Territory alone except as
free setlers while it remains a Territory. You shall have all the Appointments
both at home & abroad that your White population entitle you to but
not one more. You must let the mails of the Country alone
In a word behave
your selves as other people have to do and you Shall be treated as other people
are
The candidate
should be thoroughly in favor of the Homestead Bill and the Great Central
National Road to the Pacific and a Good Tariff Man in feeling. With such a man
there no danger of defeat. But without such a man victory would be a defeat
worse than defeat itself
I would rather see
you the candidate than any other man, but I am willing to see Camron & You
the candidates or I am willing to see Bates and some Pensylvany Man the
candidates. I have some doubts of Bates. I fear that there is too much “Old
Line Whig” about him and besides I would rather see both the Candidates taken
from Free States so that we could Show the conservative portion of the South
that the Republican party can be a National & conservative party when in
power and the Fire Eaters that they can & will be Hung by a Republican
administration if they do not behave them selves. I hope & trust that
Douglass is politically dead for the next four years at least so far as being a
Candidate for President is concerned It is not worth while to disguise the fact
he is Strong stronger than any other Man that could be nominated It
would be next to impossible to keep him from getting Iowa & all of the
Western States, over almost any body And very largely over such candidates as
Seward, Chase, Banks, or any such men. The West will not vote for any but a
Western Man against a Western Man. We Want and must have free Lands And a
Pacific Road and if the National Republican Convention do not give us such
a man they need not make a nomination with any hope of success, unless the
Locos nominate Some fireeater Which they are sure not to do. They will give us
a Third addition of the Polk & Pierce Dodge or I am mistaken
Write me fully when
you receive this I am very anxious to hear from you before our State Convention
Yours truly
Hawkins Taylor
Hon. A. Lincoln
SOURCE: Abraham Lincoln Papers
at the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.
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