“My case is thrown exclusively upon the independent voters of the county, and if elected, they will have conferred a favour upon me for which I shall be unremitting in my labours to compensate.”
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Author: Abraham Lincoln o be sometimes right than at all times wrong, so soon as I discover my opinions to be erroneous I shall be ready to renounce them. Every man is said to have his peculiar ambition. Whether it be true or not, I can say, for one, that I have no other so great as that of being truly esteemed of my fellow-men by rendering myself worthy of their esteem. How far I shall succeed in gratifying this ambition is yet to be developed. I am young and unknown to many of you; I was born and have ever remained in the most humble walks of life. I have no wealthy or popular relations or friends to recommend me. My case is thrown exclusively upon the independent voters of the county, and if elected, they will have conferred a favour upon me for which I shall be unremitting in my labours to compensate. But if the good people in their wisdom shall see fit to keep me in the background, I have been too familiar with disappointments to be very much chagrined. Your friend and fellow-citizen, A. LINCOLN. _Letter to Colonel Robert Allen. June 21, 1836_ Dear Colonel, I am told that during my absence last week you passed through this 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 favour to us, you should forbear to divulge them. No one h Public domain in the USA.Read evidence
Source
- Title
- Speeches & Letters of Abraham Lincoln, 1832-1865
- Type
- Public-domain primary text · Primary source
- Edition date
- 1907
- Location
- Lincoln's First Public Speech
- Held by
- J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd
Context (AI)
Lincoln concludes his appeal for electoral support.
What it means (AI)
Pledges diligent service in return for voters' confidence.
Cite this source
- Bibliography entry
- Lincoln, Abraham. (1907). Speeches & Letters of Abraham Lincoln, 1832-1865. J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd. https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/14721/pg14721.txt
- Quotation citation
- Lincoln (1907, Lincoln's First Public Speech)
- In-text citation
- (Lincoln, 1907, Lincoln's First Public Speech)
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Provenance: https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/14721/pg14721.txt