My dear sir:—­Yours of the 9th, inclosing the letter of Hon.  John Minor Botts, was duly received.  The latter is herewith returned according to your request.  It contains one of the many assurances I receive from the South, that in no probable event will there be any very formidable effort to break up the Union.  The people of the South have too much of good sense and good temper to attempt the ruin of the government rather than see it administered as it was administered by the men who made it.  At least so I hope and believe.  I thank you both for your own letter and a sight of that of Mr. Botts.

Yours very truly,

A. Lincoln.

TO THURLOW WEED

Springfield, ill.  August 17 1860.

My dear sir:—­Yours of the 13th was received this morning.  Douglas is managing the Bell element with great adroitness.  He had his men in Kentucky to vote for the Bell candidate, producing a result which has badly alarmed and damaged Breckenridge, and at the same time has induced the Bell men to suppose that Bell will certainly be President, if they can keep a few of the Northern States away from us by throwing them to Douglas.  But you, better than I, understand all this.

I think there will be the most extraordinary effort ever made to carry New York for Douglas.  You and all others who write me from your State think the effort cannot succeed, and I hope you are right.  Still, it will require close watching and great efforts on the other side.

Herewith I send you a copy of a letter written at New York, which sufficiently explains itself, and which may or may not give you a valuable hint.  You have seen that Bell tickets have been put on the track both here and in Indiana.  In both cases the object has been, I think, the same as the Hunt movement in New York—­to throw States to Douglas.  In our State, we know the thing is engineered by Douglas men, and we do not believe they can make a great deal out of it.

Yours very truly,

A. Lincoln.

SLOW TO LISTEN TO CRIMINATIONS

To Hon.  John ______________

(Private.)

Springfield, ill., Aug. 31, 1860

My dear sir:—­Yours of the 27th is duly received.  It consists almost exclusively of a historical detail of some local troubles, among some of our friends in Pennsylvania; and I suppose its object is to guard me against forming a prejudice against Mr. McC___________, I have not heard near so much upon that subject as you probably suppose; and I am slow to listen to criminations among friends, and never expose their quarrels on either side.  My sincere wish is that both sides will allow bygones to be bygones, and look to the present and future only.