To Zachariah Chandler [1]
Hon. Z. Chandler Executive Mansion,
My dear Sir: Washington, Nov. 20. 1863.
Your letter of the 15th. marked ``private'' was received to-day. I have seen Gov. Morgan and Thurlow Weed, separately, but notPage 24 together, within the last ten days; but neither of them mentioned the forthcoming message, or said anything, so far as I can remember, which brought the thought of the Message to my mind.
I am very glad the elections this autumn have gone favorably, and that I have not, by native depravity, or under evil influences, done anything bad enough to prevent the good result.
I hope to ``stand firm'' enough to not go backward, and yet not go forward fast enough to wreck the country's cause. Yours truly
A. LINCOLN
Annotation
[1] ALS, DLC-Chandler Papers. On November 15, Senator Chandler wrote Lincoln protesting published reports that `` `Thurlow Weed and Gov Morgan & other distinguished Republicans are here [Washington] urging the President to take bold conservative ground in his message.' I have been upon the stump more than two months this fall & have certainly talked to more than 200,000 people in Illinois Ohio & New York . . . & have yet to meet the first Republican or real War Democrat who stands by Thurlough Weed or Mr Blair. All denounce them. . . . You are today Master of the situation if you stand firm. The people endorsed you gloriously in every state save one & New Jersey could have been carried by a bold radical campaign. . . . Conservatives & traitors are buried together, for Gods sake dont exhume their remains in Your Message. They will smell worse than Lazarus did after he had been buried three days (Chandler to Lincoln, November 15, 1863, ibid.).
