Should Mary have received Abraham's salary?

[Eva Elisabeth]

Thanks much, Roger. According to K. Periano in "Lincoln in the World", Mary signed a pledge in 1864 to avoid buying European "velvets and plushes, satins, white and black thread laces, foreign embroideries, foreign artificial flowers and feather, ermine, camel's hair shawls, French hats, bonnets, caps, and head-dresses."

Alledgedly she "impulsively" agreed to do when she was approached from a group of activists, calling themselves "Ladies's National Covenant", who wanted to boycott these goods mainly due to the ongoing French invasion in Mexico. Abraham Lincoln was "outraged at the First Lady's freelancing on critical trade issues", and told her: "You have no idea what a hornets' nest you are stirring up", and that, considering the delicate "state of our foreign relations", signing the boycott "will never do".

The original source is given as follows: Jane G. Swisshelm letter, n.d., Chicago Journal, copied in "Mrs. Lincoln and Foreign Goods," NY World, May 3, 1865.

Can anyone find this letter?

Mary certainly soon had regretted to sign this anyway - banning her from all her favorite goodies!