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Collection Reference Number GLC00365
From Archive Folder Documents Relating to 1859 
Title Abraham Lincoln to Samuel Galloway with directions for publishing the Lincoln-Douglas debates
Date 19 December 1859
Author Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865)  
Recipient Galloway, Samuel  
Document Type Correspondence
Content Description With two postscripts, one initialed. Headed "Private." Introducing John "George" Nicolay (later Lincoln's personal secretary) and describing how he wants the Lincoln-Douglas debates published. In the 1860 presidential election, the debates served as an essential statement of Republican Party principles, especially on the issue of slavery being extended into the territories. Given the importance of the debates, it is unsurprising that Lincoln emphasizes the importance of fidelity to the original speeches: "As they stand there, is precisely the shape I would prefer the publication to be made in…. [….] …Mr. Nicolay will furnish you another double set of the joint debates, so that Douglas' speeches can be taken from the paper friendly to him, and mine from that friendly to me. Of course I wish the whole to be accurately done; but especially let there be no color of complaint, that a word, or letter, in Douglas' speeches, has been changed." In fact, Lincoln printed the debates over Douglas's objections. Samuel Galloway, an attorney at Columbus, Ohio, helped get the Lincoln-Douglas Debates printed. Lincoln served as counsel to Galloway, who was also an early promoter of him for president. See Basler, Roy P. The Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln, (New Brunswick, NJ and London: Rutgers University Press, 1974), Vol. X 1832 - 1865, p. 47 - 48.
Subjects Election  Printing  Book Selling  Politics  President  Government and Civics  Republican Party  Journalism  
People Lincoln, Abraham (1809-1865)  
Place written Springfield, Illinois
Theme The Presidency; Government & Politics; Arts & Literature
Sub-collection The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859
Additional Information Notes: Basler 10: 47-48, prints a slightly different version based upon a copy in the Ohio State Historical Society, Galloway Papers. The Ohio copy joins the four paragraphs in the body of Lincoln's letter, combines some sentences and changes some words without many changes to meaning. Substantive variations appear below. He is a printer I believe-certainly.... | Basler: believe & certainly. You perceive the copies, in one of the shapes.... | Basler: You will perceive... in all of the shapes. ...in a scrap book. As they stand there, is precisely the shape... | Basler: in a scrapbook, as they stood there, precisely in the shape.... Allow me to add that I esteem...; and to assure you, and the other kind friends.... | Basler: and to assure to the other kind friends. Still, I think it would be indelicate in me to cause a publication of the correspondence. | Basler: publish the. ...the copies of the Columbus & Cincinnati speeches, which I send, are as corrected by myself. | Basler: are a correction by me.
Copyright The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859
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