ls and
construct railroads without borrowing money and paying the
interest on it.

"If alive on the first Monday in November, I shall vote for
Hugh L. White for President.

"Very respectfully,
"A. LINCOLN."

The campaign which Lincoln began with this letter was in every way
more exciting for him than those of 1832 and 1834. Since the last
election a census had been taken in Illinois which showed so large
an increase in the population that the legislative districts had been
reapportioned and the General Assembly increased by fifty members. In
this reapportionment Sangamon County's delegation had been enlarged
to seven representatives and two senators. This gave large new
opportunity to political ambition, and doubled the enthusiasm of
political meetings.

But the increase of the representation was not all that made the
campaign exciting. Party lines had never before been so clearly drawn,
nor personal abuse quite so intense. One of Lincoln's first acts was
to answer a personal attack. He did it in a letter marked by candor,
good-humor, and shrewdness.

"NEW SALEM, _June 21, 1836_.
"DEAR COLONEL:

"I am told that during my absence last week you passed through
the place and stated publicly that you were in possession of
a fact or facts which, if known to the public, would entirely
destroy the prospects of N.W. Edwards and myself at the
ensuing election; but that through favor to us you would
forbear to divulge them. No one has needed favors more than I,
and generally few have been less unwilling to accept them; but
in this case favor to me would be injustice to the public, and
therefore I must beg your pardon for declining it. That I
once had the confidence of the people of Sangamon County is
sufficiently evident; and if I have done anything, either by
design or misadventure, which if known would subject me to a
forfeiture of that confidence, he that knows of that thing and
conceals it is a traitor to his country's interest.

"I find myself wholly unable to form any conjecture of what
fact or facts, real or supposed, you spoke; but my opinion of
your veracity will not permit me for a moment to doubt that
you at least believed what you said. I am flattered with the
personal regard you manifested for me; but I do hope that
on mature reflection you will view the public interest as a
paramount consid