Abraham Lincoln to George Gilman Fogg, August 16, 1860

Abraham Lincoln to George Gilman Fogg, August 16, 1860

To George G. Fogg [NOTE: 1. Then a member of the Republican National Committee; afterwards Minister to Switzerland (1861-65) and Senator from New Hampshire (1866-67). Original owned by Mr. Judd Stewart, Plainfield, N.J.]

Springfield, Ills. Aug. 16, 1860

Hon. George G. Fogg.

My dear Sir: I am annoyed some by the printed paragraph below, in relation to myself, taken from the N.Y. Herald's correspondence from this place of August 8th.

"He had, he said, on one occasion been invited to go into Kentucky and revisit some of the scenes with whose history his father in his lifetime had been identified. On asking by letter whether Judge Lynch would be present, he received no response; and he therefore came to the conclusion that the invitation was a trap laid by some designing person to inveigle him into a slave state for the purpose of doing violence to his person."

This is decidedly wrong. I did not say it. I do not impugn the correspondent. I suppose he misconceived the statement from the following incident. Soon after the Chicago nomination, I was written to by a highly respectable gentleman of Harden County, Ky., inquiring if I was a son of Thomas Lincoln, whom he had known long ago in that county. I answered that I was, and that I was myself born there. He wrote again, and, among other things, (did not invite me) but simply inquired if it would not be agreeable to me to revisit the scenes of my childhood. I replied among other things, "It would indeed, but would you not Lynch me?" He did not write again.

I have playfully (and never otherwise) related this incident several times; and I suppose I did so to the Herald correspondent, though I do not remember it. If I did, it is all that I did say from which the correspondent could have inferred his statement.

Now, I dislike, exceedingly, for Kentuckians to understand that I am charging them with a purpose to inveigle me, and do violence to me. Yet I can not go into the newspapers. Would not the editor of the Herald, upon being shown this letter, insert the short correction which you find upon the inclosed scrap?

Please try him, unless you perceive some sufficient reason to the contrary. In no event, let my name be publicly used.

Yours very truly

A. Lincoln.

Correction

We have such assurance as satisfies us that our correspondent writing from Springfield, Ills., under date of Aug. 8 was mistaken in representing Mr. Lincoln as expressing a suspicion of a design to inveigle him into Kentucky for the purpose of doing him violence.

Mr. Lincoln neither entertains, nor has intended to express any such suspicion.