Three Lincoln documents donated to the Lincoln's Presidential Library

[David Lockmiller]

My sister sent to me an email this morning containing an undated article from The [Illinois] State Journal-Register reporting on the gift of “3 Lincoln documents given to his presidential library” (title of article). They were donated by a Central Illinois collector who wishes to remain anonymous.

One document is a letter from Lincoln regarding an 1851 libel case. Another, a note on White House stationery, apologizes for not being able to review troops. The third proclaims a new treaty between the United States and Belgium.

The libel case involved two men who built competing schools in Danville. George W. Cassedy wrote an article accusing his rival of abandoning his dead wife’s body to be buried by other people. William Fithian was outraged and hired Lincoln to sue for libel.

In the letter, Lincoln explains his client did leave his wife to be buried by someone else, but only because he needed to be at the side of his son, who was seriously ill in a town 40 miles away. Lincoln’s client won and was awarded $547.90. Details of the case can be found by searching “Fithian v. Casseday at http://www.LawPracticeOfAbrahamLincoln.org.

The other Lincoln documents are an 1863 note to a general in which the president apologizes for not having time to review an New York military unit and an 1864 letter instructing the secretary of state to “affix the seal of the United States to my proclamation of the Treaty” with Belgium.

Alan Lowe, executive director of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, said: “I am especially excited about the document related to the treaty with Belgium. Lincoln’s foreign policy genius is an often-overlooked topic, and this document will allow us to better tell that important story.”

I should like to thank the anonymous person who donated to the public these items of Lincoln history, especially the Lincoln “libel” letter.

I would have liked to have read the entire letter in order to see exactly how attorney Lincoln expressed himself on the subject of libel in this case. The letter is not in “Fithian v. Casseday at http://www.LawPracticeOfAbrahamLincoln.org. There were four letters listed in the documents file of 14 items, but not this letter.

However, the following information is provided:

Fithian was outraged by the article's accusation and retained Lincoln to sue Casseday for libel, seeking $25,000 in damages. Casseday pleaded justification, saying that the alleged libel was the truth, but the jury found for Fithian and awarded him $547.90 in damages. Casseday promptly paid the judgment and for years thereafter listed on his personal property tax schedule, "The character of Dr. Fithian, $547.90, which I bought and paid for."