Executive Mansion, Washington, April 23, 1862.
It is said that in the case of the contract of S. Dingee & Co. in relation to arms a dispute has arisen as to the proper construction
Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 5 [Oct. 24, 1861-Dec. 12, 1862].
About this Item
- Title
- Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 5 [Oct. 24, 1861-Dec. 12, 1862].
- Author
- Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865.
- Publication
- New Brunswick, N.J.: Rutgers University Press
- 1953.
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- Link to this Item
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http://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln5
- Cite this Item
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"Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. Volume 5 [Oct. 24, 1861-Dec. 12, 1862]." In the digital collection Collected Works of Abraham Lincoln. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/lincoln5. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 21, 2025.
Pages
Page 197
of a clause in an order signed by me, which clause is in these words: ``and that all not conforming thereto'' (the contract) ``be appraised by the ordnance officer at New York, and received at such price as he may determine.''
This order was prepared with reference to a definite number of arms expected to be delivered within a definite time, and not in reference to an indefinite number to be delivered in an indefinite time. I certainly did not expect that under the clause in question a lot of guns would be appraised at one price at one time, and another lot of precisely the same quality appraised at different prices at another time. I expected that when under the clause the price of a particular quality of gun was fixed it would stand throughout the transaction, neither going down or up. I still think this is the just construction. A. LINCOLN.