To John Bennett. 
Springfield, Aug. 4, 1856

Dear sir:—­I understand you are a Fillmore man.  If, as between Fremont and Buchanan, you really prefer the election of Buchanan, then burn this without reading a line further.  But if you would like to defeat Buchanan and his gang, allow me a word with you:  Does any one pretend that Fillmore can carry the vote of this State?  I have not heard a single man pretend so.  Every vote taken from Fremont and given to Fillmore is just so much in favor of Buchanan.  The Buchanan men see this; and hence their great anxiety in favor of the Fillmore movement.  They know where the shoe pinches.  They now greatly prefer having a man of your character go for Fillmore than for Buchanan because they expect several to go with you, who would go for Fremont if you were to go directly for Buchanan.

I think I now understand the relative strength of the three parties in this State as well as any one man does, and my opinion is that to-day Buchanan has alone 85,000, Fremont 78,000, and Fillmore 21,000.

This gives B. the State by 7000 and leaves him in the minority of the whole 14,000.

Fremont and Fillmore men being united on Bissell, as they already are, he cannot be beaten.  This is not a long letter, but it contains the whole story.

Yours as ever,
A. Lincoln.

TO JESSE K. DUBOIS.

Springfield, Aug. 19, 1856.

Dear Dubois:  Your letter on the same sheet with Mr. Miller’s is just received.  I have been absent four days.  I do not know when your court sits.

Trumbull has written the committee here to have a set of appointments made for him commencing here in Springfield, on the 11th of Sept., and to extend throughout the south half of the State.  When he goes to Lawrenceville, as he will, I will strain every nerve to be with you and him.  More than that I cannot promise now.

Yours as truly as ever,
A. Lincoln.

TO HARRISON MALTBY.

[Confidential]

Springfield, September 8, 1856.

Dear sir:—­I understand you are a Fillmore man.  Let me prove to you that every vote withheld from Fremont and given to Fillmore in this State actually lessens Fillmore’s chance of being President.  Suppose Buchanan gets all the slave States and Pennsylvania, and any other one State besides; then he is elected, no matter who gets all the rest.  But suppose Fillmore gets the two slave States of Maryland and Kentucky; then Buchanan is not elected; Fillmore goes into the House of Representatives, and may be made President by a compromise.  But suppose, again, Fillmore’s friends throw away a few thousand votes on him in Indiana and Illinois; it will inevitably give these States to Buchanan, which will more than compensate him for the loss of Maryland and Kentucky, will elect him, and leave Fillmore no chance in the House of Representatives or out of it.