e. A few days after I was there, Richardson,
as I understood, started this same story about my having been in a
Know-Nothing lodge. When I heard of the charge, as I did soon after; I
taxed my recollection for some incident which could have suggested it; and
I remembered that on parting with you the last night I went to the office
of the hotel to take my stage-passage for the morning, was told that no
stage-office for that line was kept there, and that I must see the driver
before retiring, to insure his calling for me in the morning; and a
servant was sent with me to find the driver, who, after taking me a square
or two, stopped me, and stepped perhaps a dozen steps farther, and in my
hearing called to some one, who answered him, apparently from the upper
part of a building, and promised to call with the stage for me at the
Quincy House. I returned, and went to bed, and before day the stage called
and took me. This is all.

That I never was in a Know-Nothing lodge in Quincy, I should expect could
be easily proved by respectable men who were always in the lodges and
never saw me there. An affidavit of one or two such would put the matter
at rest.

And now a word of caution. Our adversaries think they can gain a point
if they could force me to openly deny the charge, by which some degree
of offence would be given to the Americans. For this reason it must not
publicly appear that I am paying any attention to the charge.

Yours truly,

A. LINCOLN.

TO JOHN B. FRY.

SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS, August 15, 1860.

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 alarm