Box 1A

Scope and Contents

Five clippings, and an envelope.

"Joseph Medill's recollections of Lincoln" (3 parts)

"A reminiscence of Lincoln" by Joseph Medill

"Nation's fate. Hung upon an excursion on Lake Michigan. Curtin's story of Lincoln's nomination in 1960"

Scope and Contents Four clippings:"Letter of the war. President Lincoln's famous missive to James C. Conkling" (Chicago Tribunem 1895-02-04)"History and biography" (Quincy Daily ..., 1895-04-19)"Abraham Lincoln's famous letter. How it came to be written and why it assumed the form it did" (Chicago Tribune, no date)"Wanted second place. Lincoln at first afraid to run for President. Medill figures how he might capture the...

Scope and Contents From the File:

This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 50: "Your presentation [in a letter of 1897-06-22] of certain phases of the financial question I have discussed with Secretary Gage and if I am able to attend the ceremonies on the 22nd instant connnected with the unveiling of General Logan's statue, it will be a pleasure to me to see and talk with you further concerning this important subject."

Scope and Contents From the File:

This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 51: "The President is very sorry that he could not get to Chicago on the occasion referred to, but the pressure of public business did not permit it. Thanking you for sending the President the editorial page of the Tribune, the marked articles of which he has noted with pleasure ..."

Scope and Contents From the File: This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 52: "I thank you for your letter of the 6th instant, with enclosures, and would have acknowledged it sooner but for the many urgent matters requiring my immediate attention. Suggestions from one so well informed as yourself are of very great value to me. I appreciate your interest in this subject and shall give to your statement careful consideration in connection with the matters to which it...

Scope and Contents From the File:

This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 53: "I have your letter of the 31st ultimo, enclosing editorial page from The Tribune, and have read with interest your article on the Interstate Commerce Commission."

Scope and Contents From the File:

This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 54: "The President and Mrs. McKinley request me to say that they will be pleased to have you come over for dinner this, Tuesday, evening at seven o'clock."

Scope and Contents "The political battle is now open all along the line. There is one weak place in the enemy's lines which I think can be turned by a proper flank attack, and there is no time to be lost in doing it. The object of this letter is to call the attention of the Republican Commander in chief to it. I have read nearly all of Mr. [William Jennings] Bryan's campaign speeches ... and I observe that his main contention is that in consequent of demonitizing silver in 1873, and thereby taking away from...

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"The foregoing is as far as I have ventured to offer suggestions for incorporation into your inaugural."

Scope and Contents Lettter from B.F. Tracy to Joseph Medill (New York, 1897-01-06 [i.e., 1898-01-06]. "I want permission from you to tell the story which you told me about the preparation of Lincoln's New York speech [at the Cooper Union]."Letter from Joseph Medill (letterhead: Chicago Tribune, editorial rooms) to B.F. Tracy, 1898-01-18. Medill relates the anecdote in full. The story concerns changes to the speech suggested by Medill and Charles H. Ray, which Lincoln...

Scope and Contents "I had the pleasure ... of talking with you about our proposed series of articles on Abraham Lincoln. ... I remember we talked of the famous Bloomington speech of Mr. Lincoln and you kindly gave me your impressions of it. Since then I have fround a man, Mr. H.C. Whitney ... who has made an attempt to reproduce the speech. He was at Bloomington and took notes. ... I trust, my dear Mr. Medill, that I am not imposing on your generosity in asking that you examine the report of Dr. Whitney and...

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"I have received your letter of May 11, giving your judgment about the second version of Mr. Whitney's speech [i.e., Whitney's reconstruction of Abraham Lincoln's speech at Bloomington."

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"I have had a card from Mr. Whitney, in which hesays that he has submitted his revised version of the Bloomington speech [by Abraham Lincoln] to you; that you have made some suggestions which he wishes to adopt. ... I feel particularly anxious that the version we publish should be perfectly satisfactory to you, since you have been so good as to take so much interest in the matter, and since your letter will be the chief support of the speech."

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Tarbell asks for Medill's opinion of an anecdote concerning counterfit tickets to the Republic Convention of 1860, at which Abraham Lincoln was nominated.

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"I am now preparing my second series of articles [about Abraham Lincoln] for the magazine. ... I am very anxious to talk over the whole subject of the War and Mr. Lincoln's place in it with you. ... I want to run through the files of the Tribune from beginning to end of the War, to study Chicago's relation to the War, and to get particularly your point of view on the men and events of that time."

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"An executive order was promulgated on the 17th of January 1873 against the holding of state or municipal offices by federal appointees after the 4th of March 1873. Under this order it would be illegal for me to continue to hold the office of commissioner of the Civil Service Board, unless I resign the Mayoralty of Chicago. Not feeling that it would be expedient to do the latter at present, I therefore tender my resignation of the appointment ..."

Scope and Contents From the File: This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 13: "Upon my return to Washington I find your letter of the 1st instant, resigning the position of Commissioner of the Civil Service Board on account of your inability to hold that position together with your responsible office of Mayor of Chicago. I appreciate your reason while I regret that the Board will lose your valuable services. And in accepting your resignation I beg to thank you for your...

Scope and Contents From the Collection: The Eleanor Medill (Cissy) Patterson Papers consist chiefly of Medill, McCormick and Patterson family correspondence, Joseph Medill business and political letters, Chicago Tribune historical material, and a collection of letters of Joseph Medill and others to and from important people. The papers cover the years 1846-1910, approximately, with most of the material falling in the 1850-1899 period. The name of the collection reflects its provenance, not its...

Scope and Contents From the File:

This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 72: "I am very much in a hurry now, but I shall write a letter directly to the Czar as soon as I reach Augusta, and get settled in quarters where I can begin my correspondence."

Scope and Contents From the File:

This letter is replaced by a photocopy. The original letter is in series IX-63, box 1, folder 73: "I was very glad to write the letter to the Czar as requested by Raymond, but I am not at all certain that it will be effective."