Private & confidential–
Springfield, Ills. Oct. 27. 1860
Geo. T. M. Davis, Esq
My dear Sir:
Mr Dubois has shown me your letter of the 20th; and I promised him to write you– What is it I could say which would quiet alarm? Is it that no interference by the government, with slaves or slavery within the states, is intended? I have said this so often already, that a repetition of it is but mockey, bearing an appearance of weakness, and cowardice, which perhaps should be avoided–
Why do not uneasy men read what I have already said? and what our platform says? If they will not read, or heed, then, would they read, or heed, a repetition of them? Of course the
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declaration that there is no intention to interfere with slaves or slavery, in the states, with all that is fairly implied in such declaration, is true; and I should have no objection to make, and repeat the declaration a thousand times, if there were no danger of encouraging bold bad men to believe they are dealing with one who can be scared into anything–
I have some reason to believe the Sub-National Committee, at the Astor House, may be considering this question; and if their judgment should be different from mine, mine might be modified by theirs–
Yours very truly
A. Lincoln.