SPRINGFIELD, December 18, 1857.
       HENRY C. WHITNEY, ESQ.
       MY DEAR SIR:--Coming home from Bloomington last night I found your letter of the 15th.
       I know of no express statute or decisions as to what a J. P. upon the expiration of his term shall do with his docket books, papers, unfinished business, etc., but so far as I know, the practice has been to hand over to the successor, and to cease to do anything further whatever, in perfect analogy to Sections 110 and 112, and I have supposed and do suppose this is the law. I think the successor may forthwith do whatever the retiring J. P. might have done. As to the proviso to Section 114 I think it was put in to cover possible cases, by way of caution, and not to authorize the J. P. to go forward and finish up whatever might have been begun by him.
       The view I take, I believe, is the Common law principle, as to retiring officers and their successors, to which I remember but one exception, which is the case of Sheriff and ministerial officers of that class.
       I have not had time to examine this subject fully, but I have great confidence I am right. You must not think of offering me pay for this.
       Mr. John O. Johnson is my friend; I gave your name to him. He is doing the work of trying to get up a Republican organization. I do not suppose "Long John" ever saw or heard of him. Let me say to you confidentially, that I do not entirely appreciate what the Republican papers of Chicago are so constantly saying against "Long John." I consider those papers truly devoted to the Republican cause, and not unfriendly to me; but I do think that more of what they say against "Long John" is dictated by personal malice than themselves are conscious of. We can not afford to lose the services of "Long John" and I do believe the unrelenting warfare made upon him is injuring our cause. I mean this to be confidential.
       If you quietly co-operate with Mr. J. O. Johnson on getting up an organization, I think it will be right.
       Your friend as ever,
       A. LINCOLN.

First Child
To Gen. J. J. Hardin.
Selection of Congressional Candidates
To _________ Williams,
Abolition Movement
Request for Political Support
To John Bennett.
To N. J. Rockwell.
To James Berdan.
To James Berdan.
Verses Written by Lincoln After a Visit to His Old Home in Indiana-(A Fragment).
Second Child
To Morris and Brown
To William H. Herndon
To William H. Herndon.
Resolutions in the United States House of Representatives, December 22, 1847
Remarks in the United States House of Representatives, January 5, 1848.
Desire for Second Term in Congress to William H. Herndon.
Speech on Declaration of War on Mexico
Report in the House of Representatives
To William H. Herndon--Legal Work
Regarding Speech on Mexican War
To William H. Herndon.
On the Mexican War
Report in the House of Representatives, March 9, 1848.
Report in the House of Representatives, March 9, 1848.
To Archibald Williams.
Remarks in the House of REpresentatives, May 11, 1848.
On Taylor's Nomination
Defense of Mexican War Position
On Zachary Taylor Nomination
Speech in the House of Representatives, June 20, 1848.
Opportunities for Young Politicians
Salary of Judge in Western Virginia
National Bank
Young v.s. Old--Political Jealousy
General Taylor and the Veto
Speech Delivered at Worcester, Mass., on Sept. 12, 1848.
His Father's Request for Money
Bill to Abolish Slavery in the District of Columbia
Bill Granting Lands to the States to Make Railways and Canals
On Federal Political Appointments
More Political Patronage Requests
To the Secretary of the Interior
To the Secretary of the Interior.
To the Postmaster-General.
To the Secretary of the Interior.
To the Secretary of the Interior.
To J. Gillespie.
Request for General Land-Office Appointment
Request for a Patent
To the Secretary of Interior.
To W. H. Herndon.
To J. Gillespie.
Resolutions of Sympathy with the Cause of Hungarian Freedom, September [12??], 1849.
To Dr. William Fithian.
Springfield, Dec. 15, 1849.
Resolutions on the Death of Judge Nathaniel Pope.
Notes for Law Lecture
Letters to Family Members
To C. Hoyt.
To John D. Johnston.
Petition on Behalf of One Joshua Gipson
To J. D. Johnston.
To J. D. Johnston.
Nov. 4, 1851
To John D. Johnston.
To John D. Johnston.
Eulogy on Henry Clay, Delivered in the State House at Springfield, Illinois, July 16, 1852.
Challenged Voters
Legal Office Work
To O. L. Davis.
Nebraska Measure
To A. B. Moreau.
Reply to Senator Douglas--Peoria Speech
Request for Senate Support
To T. J. Henderson.
To J. Gillespie.
Political References
To T. J. Henderson.
Loss of Primary for Senator
Return to Law Profession
To O. H. Browning.
To H. C. Whitney.
Response to a Pro-Slavery Friend
Request for a Railway Pass
Speech Delivered Before the First Republican State Convention of Illinois, Held at Bloomington, on May 29, 1856.
Political Correspondence
On Out-of-State Campaigners
Republican Campaign Speech
On the Danger of Third-Parties
To Jesse K. Dubois.
To Harrison Maltby.
To Dr. R. Boal.
To Henry O'Conner, Muscatine, Iowa.
After the Democratic Victory of Buchanan
To Dr. R. Boal.
To John E. Rosette. Private.
Response to a Douglas Speech
To William Grimes.
Argument in the Rock Island Bridge Case.
To Jesse K. Dubois.
To Joseph Gillespie.
To J. Gillespie.
To H. C. Whitney.
Another Political Patronage Reference
Political Communication
Brief Autobiography