The gentleman had said that the Postmaster-General had got into a personal squabble with the railroad company.  Of this Mr. Lincoln knew nothing, nor did he need or desire to know anything, because it had nothing whatever to do with a just conclusion from the premises.  But the gentleman had gone on to ask whether so great a grievance as the present detention of the Southern mail ought not to be remedied.  Mr. Lincoln would assure the gentleman that if there was a proper way of doing it, no man was more anxious than he that it should be done.  The report made by the committee had been intended to yield much for the sake of removing that grievance.  That the grievance was very great there was no dispute in any quarter.  He supposed that the statements made by the gentleman from Virginia to show this were all entirely correct in point of fact.  He did suppose that the interruptions of regular intercourse, and all the other inconveniences growing out of it, were all as that gentleman had stated them to be; and certainly, if redress could be rendered, it was proper it should be rendered as soon as possible.  The gentleman said that in order to effect this no new legislative action was needed; all that was necessary was that the Postmaster-General should be required to do what the law, as it stood, authorized and required him to do.

We come then, said Mr. Lincoln, to the law.  Now the Postmaster-General says he cannot give to this company more than two hundred and thirty-seven dollars and fifty cents per railroad mile of transportation, and twelve and a half per cent. less for transportation by steamboats.  He considers himself as restricted by law to this amount; and he says, further, that he would not give more if he could, because in his apprehension it would not be fair and just.

1848 Desire for second term in Congress to William H. Herndon.

Washington, January 8, 1848.

Dear William:—­Your letter of December 27 was received a day or two ago.  I am much obliged to you for the trouble you have taken, and promise to take in my little business there.  As to speech making, by way of getting the hang of the House I made a little speech two or three days ago on a post-office question of no general interest.  I find speaking here and elsewhere about the same thing.  I was about as badly scared, and no worse as I am when I speak in court.  I expect to make one within a week or two, in which I hope to succeed well enough to wish you to see it.

It is very pleasant to learn from you that there are some who desire that I should be reelected.  I most heartily thank them for their kind partiality; and I can say, as Mr. Clay said of the annexation of Texas, that “personally I would not object” to a reelection, although I thought at the time, and still think, it would be quite as well for me to return to the law at the end of a single term.  I made