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No sooner had the election returns come in that November of 1860, than huge piles of mail and telegrams began pouring in to Springfield, addressed to the new president-elect. There were the congratulatory missives,of course, many of them hinting (more or less delicately) at hopes of a government appointment. Lincoln received many letters of advice,as well ... proposed policies and actions. But, then there were the others, largely from the South, containing threats to himself and his family, and very often simply effusions of bile.
Some were subtle: "Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First had his Cromwell. And the President may profit by their example." There were a number of threats (or warnings) of "a sworn band of 10 who have sworn to shoot you in the Inaugural Procession." A Tennessee slave-owners sent him a notice,
And, not only letters, gifts ... boxes of fruit from the deep South. Lincoln's friend Henry C. Whitney "had several packages opened and examined by medical men who found them to be all poisoned."(Holzer, Dear Mr Lincoln).
And, not all hostile letters were from the South, by any means. "May the hand of the Devil strike you down before long -- You are destroying the Country,d*mn you -- every breath you take," read an anonymous note from New York. Interestingly, most threatening letters from the North were anonymous. Southerners spoke their hatred openly.
One comes from an obviously rather upset Pete Muggins of Fillmore, La., reproduced here from: https://www.amdigital.co.uk/about/blog/item/oldabelincoln.
It is a singularly eloquent piece of writing:
While President Lincoln's friends were shocked and worried about all this "G*d-d*mning", the President-elect himself didn't appear concerned. He took an armful of the letters downstairs from his office, to the cabinet shop below, and asked the cabinet-maker to put them in his stove. "When the cabinet-maker asked if he could keep them, Lincoln good-naturedly complied," thus saving them for posterity.
Some were subtle: "Caesar had his Brutus, Charles the First had his Cromwell. And the President may profit by their example." There were a number of threats (or warnings) of "a sworn band of 10 who have sworn to shoot you in the Inaugural Procession." A Tennessee slave-owners sent him a notice,
"my negro man left this place, no doubt with the intention of escaping to a free state. ... You d*mned old negro thief if you don't find the above described slave, you shall never be inaugurated President of the Unites States-- You old Cuss -- when you find him you must send him right home!
One threatened: "You are nothing but a Black ni***r and if you don't Resign we are going to put a spider in your dumpling and play the Devil with you!" (!!??)And, not only letters, gifts ... boxes of fruit from the deep South. Lincoln's friend Henry C. Whitney "had several packages opened and examined by medical men who found them to be all poisoned."(Holzer, Dear Mr Lincoln).
And, not all hostile letters were from the South, by any means. "May the hand of the Devil strike you down before long -- You are destroying the Country,d*mn you -- every breath you take," read an anonymous note from New York. Interestingly, most threatening letters from the North were anonymous. Southerners spoke their hatred openly.
One comes from an obviously rather upset Pete Muggins of Fillmore, La., reproduced here from: https://www.amdigital.co.uk/about/blog/item/oldabelincoln.
It is a singularly eloquent piece of writing:
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