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213. William Jayne (William H. Herndon Interview).

August 15th 1866

Wm Jayne —

I took the names of Judge Logan & Abrm Lincoln to the Sangamon Journal Office and had them published as candidates for the H.R of the Ills Legislature — This was in the Mo of _________ 1854. Mrs Lincoln saw Francis the Editor and had Lincolns name taken out. Lincoln was absent. When L. came home I went to see him in order to get him to consent to run. This was at his house: he was then the saddest man I Ever Saw — the gloomiest: he walked up and down the floor — almost crying and to all my persuasions to let his name stand in the papers — he said "No — I can't — you don't Know all — I Say you don't begin to Know one half and that's Enough". I did however go and have his name re-instated and there it stood. He and Logan were Elected by about 600 majority — see Journal

Lincoln resigned his seat, finding out that the Republicans — the Anti Nebraska men had Carried the Legislature. N M. Broadwell ran as whig — Anti Nebraska man — was badly beaten — . The People of Sangamon County was down on Lincoln — hated him — Had Lincoln Kept his seat he would have been the Senator at that time. McDaniel, who beat Broadwell was a Democrat of the Douglas School.

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Butler Hon Wm Butler — Secry of the Treasurer of this State — who clothed and boarded Lincoln for years — paid his debts — L's — debts & obligations, because L would not give him Butler in 1848 the land office swore he would be revenged on Lincoln. Butler pretended however to be L's friend. He was for Trumbull — got into Lincolns good graces — in Lincolns camp — heard all and revealed to Trumbull & his camp. Judd & Palmer in the Legislature heard all and Stuck to Trumbull, Knowing what L's plans were &c. Trumbull was Elected — they were good friends — had no fuss — no words or misunderstanding — Matheny to the Contrary notwithstanding — his whole story was a lie — Judge Logan pretended as I think to be a friend of Lincoln but I have a notion that he was not, but was for Trumbull, my brother in Law —

When I was a boy Mrs Lincoln and Mrs Trumbull, both girls at that time got me to drop the Satiracle poetry against Shields — Gen Jas Shields — which in part caused the challeng by Shields —

I saw Judd at the late Republican Convention (Aug 1866) and he and I got to speaking about Lincoln's Speech in 1858. After the Speech was delivered & printed Judd met Lincoln one day and said to Lincoln — "Well Lincoln had I seen that Speech I would have made you Strike out that house divided part" — "You would — would you Judd — " I guess you wouldn't — replied Lincoln

Library of Congress: Herndon-Weik Collection. Manuscript Division. Library of Congress. Washington, D.C. 2599 — 2600; Huntington Library: LN2408, 2:179 — 81

nts

Notes.

1. The date is given at the end of the manuscript, followed by: in Doct. Jaynes office — .

2. Jayne presumably refers to delivering the satirical poem on James Shields written by his sister, Julia Jayne (later Trumbull), and Mary Todd (later Lincoln) to the Sangamo Journal, where it was published on September 16, 1842. See MTL's reference to this poem in §§252, 254.