February 19, 1860
Fellow-Citizens:—I see that you are providing a platform for me. I shall have to decline standing upon it, because the president of the company tells me that I shall not have time to wait until it is brought to me. As I said yesterday, under similar circumstances at another gathering, you must not draw the inference that I have any intention of deserting any platform with which I have a legitimate connection because I do not stand on yours. Allow me to thank you for this splendid reception, and I now bid you farewell.
The Papers And Writings Of Abraham Lincoln, Volume 2: 1860 – 1865;
By Abraham Lincoln, Lamb Publishing Company, 1923