Springfield, ill., Aug. 5, 1837.
John Bennett, Esq.
Dear sir:-Mr. Edwards tells me you wish
to know whether the act to which your own incorporation
provision was attached passed into a law. It did.
You can organize under the general incorporation law
as soon as you choose.
I also tacked a provision onto a fellow’s bill
to authorize the relocation of the road from Salem
down to your town, but I am not certain whether or
not the bill passed, neither do I suppose I can ascertain
before the law will be published, if it is a law.
Bowling Greene, Bennette Abe? and yourself are appointed
to make the change. No news. No excitement
except a little about the election of Monday next.
I suppose, of course, our friend Dr. Heney stands
no chance in your diggings.
Your friend and humble servant,
A. Lincoln.
Springfield, Aug. 16, 1837
Friend Mary: You will no doubt think
it rather strange that I should write you a letter
on the same day on which we parted, and I can only
account for it by supposing that seeing you lately
makes me think of you more than usual; while at our
late meeting we had but few expressions of thoughts.
You must know that I cannot see you, or think of you,
with entire indifference; and yet it may be that you
are mistaken in regard to what my real feelings toward
you are.
If I knew you were not, I should not have troubled
you with this letter. Perhaps any other man would
know enough without information; but I consider it
my peculiar right to plead ignorance, and your bounden
duty to allow the plea.
I want in all cases to do right; and most particularly
so in all cases with women.
I want, at this particular time, more than any thing
else to do right with you; and if I knew it would
be doing right, as I rather suspect it would, to let
you alone I would do it. And, for the purpose
of making the matter as plain as possible, I now say
that you can drop the subject, dismiss your thoughts
(if you ever had any) from me for ever and leave this
letter unanswered without calling forth one accusing
murmur from me. And I will even go further and
say that, if it will add anything to your comfort
or peace of mind to do so, it is my sincere wish that
you should. Do not understand by this that I
wish to cut your acquaintance. I mean no such
thing. What I do wish is that our further acquaintance
shall depend upon yourself. If such further acquaintance
would contribute nothing to your happiness, I am sure
it would not to mine. If you feel yourself in
any degree bound to me, I am now willing to release
you, provided you wish it; while on the other hand
I am willing and even anxious to bind you faster if
I can be convinced that it will, in any considerable
degree, add to your happiness. This, indeed, is
the whole question with me. Nothing would make
me more miserable than to believe you miserable, nothing
more happy than to know you were so.
