Lincoln, Abraham. Historic autograph letter signed, 2 May 1864....

Click the image to load the highest resolution version.

Sold on Jun 11, 2015 for:

$60,000.00 Bid Source: Internet bidder

Get one of these:

Share this lot

Track Item Printable Auction Results

Sell One of These

Description

Auction Info

Guides & Info

Description

Lincoln, Abraham. Historic autograph letter signed, 2 May 1864. Historic autograph letter signed ("A. Lincoln"), 2 pages on two sheets of blue-lined paper (7.75 x 9.75 in.; 197 x 248 mm.), [Washington, D.C., ca. 2 May 1864], "To the Honorable the House of Representatives," being a transcript penned in Lincoln's hand of his 2 November 1863 letter to "Hon. Montgomery Blair". First page slightly toned with some ink smudges; both pages have two filing holes in the upper left margins with minor adhesive residue stains at the lower verso. As the rift between radicals and conservatives over the issues of civil liberties, slavery and Reconstruction threatens to erupt into open warfare, President Lincoln counsels Frank Blair, through his brother Postmaster-General Montgomery Blair, to take his seat in Congress and aid the Union's cause "My wish, then, is compounded of what I believe will be best for the country, and best for him. And it is, that he will come here, put his military commission in my hands, take his seat, go into caucus with our friends, abide the nomination, help elect the nominees, and thus aid to organize a House of Representatives which will really support the Government in the war... For the country this will heal a dangerous schism; for him it will relieve from a dangerous position. By a misunderstanding, as I think, he is in danger of being permanently separated from those with whom only he can ever have a real sympathy - the sincere opponent of slavery." Lincoln writes in full: To the Honorable the House of Representatives. In compliance with the request contained in your Resolution of the 29th ult., and a copy of which Resolution is herewith returned, I have the honor to transmit the following: Executive Mansion, Washington, November 2, 1863. Hon. Montgomery Blair My dear Sir: Some days ago I understood you to say that your brother, General Frank Blair, desires to be guided by my wishes as to whether he will occupy his seat in Congress, or remain in the field. My wish, then, is compounded of what I believe will be best for the country, and best for him. And it is, that he will come here, put his military commission in my hands, take his seat, go into caucus with our friends, abide the nomination, help elect the nominees, and thus aid to organize a House of Representatives which will really support the Government in the war. If the request shall be the election of himself as Speaker, let him serve in that position; if not, let him retake his commission, and return to the Army. For the country this will heal a dangerous schism; for him it will relieve from a dangerous position. By a misunderstanding, as I think, he is in danger of being permanently separated from those with whom only he can ever have a real sympathy - the sincere opponent of slavery. It will be a mistake if he shall allow the provocation offered him by insincere time-servers, to drive him from the house of his own building. He is young yet. He has abundant talent - quite enough to occupy all his time, without devoting any to temper. He is rising in military skill and usefulness. His recent appointment to the command of a Corps by one so competent to judge as Gen. Sherman proves this. In that line he can serve both the country and himself more profitably than he could as a member of Congress upon the floor. The foregoing is what I would say if Frank Blair were my brother instead of yours. Yours truly, A. Lincoln. One of the most irascible members of an irascible family, Francis P. "Frank" Blair, Jr. (1821-1875) was a Major General in the Union Army and represented Missouri in both the House of Representatives and the Senate. In 1848, he organized the Free Soil party to oppose Missouri's very strong pro-slavery sentiment and, as an officer in the Union volunteers, was instrumental in saving that state for the Union. In an effort to balance his political and military ambitions, he asked President Lincoln, through his brother Montgomery Blair, if he would prefer that he remain on the battlefield or return to the House of Representatives, to which Blair had been re-elected. Lincoln responded with the unusually frank letter transcribed here. In October 1863, returning to Missouri after heroic duty with Grant and Sherman at Vicksburg, Blair did as Lincoln suggested and took his seat in the Thirty-Eighth Congress. He was not elected Speaker, however, and he soon grew frustrated with the struggle centered on Reconstruction. Since the Emancipation Proclamation did not extend to the loyal Border States, the people of Missouri were left to determine the fate of slavery independently in their state. The conservatives, led by Frank Blair, were in favor of a gradual emancipation that provided protection to slaveholders during a transitional period. Radical leaders favored changes in the state constitution that would immediately extinguish slavery. Blair was as courageous and aggressive on the political field as he was on the battlefield, harshly critical of Secretary of the Treasury Salmon Chase in particular and radical Republicans in general. The soldier-politician escalated the dissension with an explosive speech before a large crowd at the Mercantile Library Hall in St. Louis. He condemned the call for the immediate emancipation of Missouri's slaves and insisted that no action should be taken until the war was won. He argued that Missourians should focus solely on supporting the Union, deferring all issues regarding slavery. He warned that if the radicals gained control, the country would "degenerate into a revolution like that which afflicted France." As the audience roared its approval, Blair accused secretary Chase of using his cabinet post to create a political machine designed to unseat Lincoln in the next election. In sum, the treasury secretary was a traitor and scoundrel indistinguishable from Jefferson Davis himself. President Lincoln was dismayed by the whole affair, realizing that Frank, whom he liked a great deal, had seriously compromised his future. In this letter to Monty, he offers advice as if the tempestuous Frank "were my brother instead of yours." He warned that by "a misunderstanding," Frank was "in danger of being permanently separated from those with whom only he can ever have a real sympathy - the sincere opponents of slavery." If Frank decided to resume his seat in the House when the new Congress assembled, he should bear this in mind. Otherwise, he would serve the country "more profitably" by returning to the military, where he had recently been promoted to corps commander. Blair's unorthodox reappointment caught the attention of Democrats in Congress, who demanded that the executive branch furnish them with all documents relating to the case. Lincoln complied on 2 May, and the present letter to the House of Representatives was part of that filing.