gment the evil of slavery. It always seemed
to me that slaves would be taken there in about equal numbers,
with or without annexation. And if more _were_ taken
because of annexation, still there would be just so many the
fewer left where they were taken from. It is possibly true, to
some extent, that, with annexation, some slaves may be sent to
Texas and continued in slavery that otherwise might have been
liberated. To whatever extent this may be true, I think
annexation an evil. I hold it to be a paramount duty of us in
the free States, due to the Union of the States, and perhaps to
liberty itself (paradox though it may seem), to let the slavery
of the other States alone; while, on the other hand, I hold it
to be equally clear that we should never knowingly lend
ourselves, directly or indirectly, to prevent that slavery from
dying a natural death--to find new places for it to live in,
when it can no longer exist in the old. Of course I am not now
considering what would be our duty in cases of insurrection
among the slaves. To recur to the Texas question, I understand
the Liberty men to have viewed annexation as a much greater evil
than ever I did; and I would like to convince you, if I could,
that they could have prevented it, without violation of
principle, if they had chosen.

"I intend this letter for you and Madison together; and if you
and he or either shall think fit to drop me a line, I shall be
pleased.

"Yours with respect,

"A. LINCOLN."

LINCOLN AND HARDIN.

As the time drew near for the convention of 1846 Lincoln learned that
Hardin proposed to contest the nomination with him. Hardin certainly was
free to do this. He had voluntarily declined the nomination in 1844,
because of the events of the Pekin convention, but he had made no
promise to do so in 1846. Many of the Whigs of the district had not
expected him to be a candidate, however, arguing that Lincoln, because
of his relation to the party, should be given his turn. "We do not
entertain a doubt," wrote the editor of the "Sangamo Journal," in
February, 1846, "that if we could reverse the positions of the two men,
a very large portion of those who now support Mr. Lincoln most warmly
would support General Hardin quite as warmly." Although Lincoln had
anticipated that Hardin would enter the race, it made him anxious and a
little melancholy.