Carson Dobbins Hay to Abraham Lincoln, March 27, 1860 Newton Jasper Co. Ills
March 27th 1860
Hon. A. Lincoln
Honored & Dear Sir
I have been highly delighted at Seeing the perfect Success of your tour East. It is very evident that nothing has transpired recently to so much advance your interest and elevate you in the minds of the people, as that short trip.
I regret you did not address the people of Pennsylvania & New Jersey. I see by the papers that you were urged by the people of those States to do so. Cant you do it yet? Those are two of the doubtful States, and we must have Pennsylvania or we are almost certainly defeated, and I believe there is no man can do as much to secure Penna. as yourself. After the meeting of the Chicago Convention it will probably be too late for you to Speak in Penna. as I think in all probability you will be chosen our Standard-bearer—
I saw one of the delegates to that Convn the other day from the Southern part of Indiana and he Said that the Indiana delegation would will go for Abraham Lincoln on the first balot. He said it was all a mistake about Indiana going for Bates. It is ascertained that the Germans are opposed to Bates, and this fact being once fully understood, will lay him on the Shelf.
I was of opinion some time since, that as it was so all important to carry Penna. it would be pollicy for us to place a Pennsylvanian at the head of the ticket, but I am now fully of the opinion that the Strongest ticket we can get is Abraham Lincoln for President and Simon Cameron for Vice P. –
I shall be at the Decatur Convention and hope to meet you there—
I must not close, without mentioning the fact that we have a little Abraham Lincoln at our house, about twenty four hours old– His arrival created something of a Stir in our little town as it got noised around that your Honor was at Mr Hays, and Several persons were on their way to call on you, when it was discovered that it was not the original, but only a namesake—
I hope you will not think I am trying to flatter you . . . What I write comes from the bottom of my heart –
Believe me very Sincerely and Truly Your Friend and Humb. Sevt.
C. D. Hay
SOURCE: Abraham Lincoln Papers at the Library of Congress, Washington, D. C.
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Hay to Lincoln on PA & NJ:
"Those are two of the doubtful States, and we must have Pennsylvania or we are almost certainly defeated, and I believe there is no man can do as much to secure Penna. as yourself." In 1860, just as in 2016, Pennsylvania was both doubtful and necessary for Republican victory.
Hay to Lincoln: "I saw one of the delegates to that Convn the other day from the Southern part of Indiana and he Said that the Indiana delegation would will go for Abraham Lincoln on the first balot.
He said it was all a mistake about Indiana going for Bates.
It is ascertained that the Germans are opposed to Bates, and this fact being once fully understood, will lay him on the Shelf."
Not sure why "the Germans" mattered in Republican politics, since immigrants typically voted Democratic.
But "the Germans" in Missouri were strong abolitionists, helped prevent Missouri from seceding and may have felt their fellow Missourian, Edwin Bates, not strongly abolitionist enough to suit them.
Hay to Lincoln: "I was of opinion some time since, that as it was so all important to carry Penna. it would be pollicy for us to place a Pennsylvanian at the head of the ticket, but I am now fully of the opinion that the Strongest ticket we can get is Abraham Lincoln for President and Simon Cameron for Vice P. –"
Sadly, Pennsylvania has seldom produced Republican leaders worthy of its more conservative Republican voters.
Pennsylvania's Senator Cameron began as an anti-abolition Jackson-Van Buren Democrat but eventually switched to Republican supporting abolition.
He did poorly as Lincoln's Secretary of War but, indefatigable, later became a great power in Pennsylvania state politics.
Today the longest North-South road through Harrisburg is named Cameron Street.
Hay to Lincoln: "I must not close, without mentioning the fact that we have a little Abraham Lincoln at our house, about twenty four hours old– His arrival created something of a Stir... "
A google of Carson Dobbins Hay produces nothing about a son named Abraham Lincoln.
Maybe someone else's? ![]()