She is described as being exceedingly attractive, both in appearance and character. Lincoln's love for her was deep and lasting, and she finally yielded to his suit, though never fully reciprocating his passion.

Not long after their engagement she was taken ill, and died after a short sickness. For a time, Lincoln seemed like one demented, and his friends feared, and apparently with good reason, that he would become insane and take his own life. But after his violent grief subsided he returned to his labors, though the blow had left a lasting impression upon him. His life was saddened, and the gloom induced by this bereavement never departed. Like a minor chord, it ran through all the harmony of his life, and at times became dominant.

CHAPTER V.

IN 1836 he was again a candidate for the Legislature. He had now become well known through the district, and had secured the good-will and confidence of his constituents. In the last session the Legislature, in a reapportionment bill, had increased the delegation from Sangamon County to seven Representatives and two Senators.

The days of convention rule had not then come. If a man was desirous of becoming a candidate for any local position, he issued handbills, boldly defining his views, and suing for the support of the people. In accordance with this custom Lincoln issued the following circular, which was printed in the county paper and scattered broadcast :

"NEW SALEM, June 13, 1836.

"To the Editor of the Journal:

"In your paper of last Saturday I see a communication over the signature of Many Voters,' in which the candidates who are announced in the Journal are called upon to show their hands.' Agreed. Here is mine. I go for all, sharing the privileges of the Government, who assist in bearing its burdens; consequently I go for admitting all whites to the right of suffrage who pay taxes or bear arms (by no means excluding females). If elected I shall consider the whole people of the Sangamon district my constituents, as well those that oppose as those that support me. While acting as their representative I shall be governed by their will on all subjects upon which

I have the means of knowing what their will is, and upon all others I shall do what my own judgment teaches me will best advance their interests. Whether elected or not, I go for distributing the proceeds of sales of public lands to the several States, to enable our State, in common with others, to dig canals and construct railroads, without borrowing money and paying the interest on it. If alive on the first Monday in November, I shall vote for Hugh L. White for President.

The whole manifesto, so remarkable for its boldness and independence, was characteristic of the times. His radical utterances upon the question of suffrage derive added significance from the fact that, through his instrumentality, the right of suffrage was afterwards extended to four millions of people who were at this time in bondage.

The canvass upon which he now entered was more than usually exciting. There were numerous candidates, many of whom were men of well-known ability and address. Political meetings were held in different parts of the county, which were attended by great crowds of people, who assembled to hear debates or discussions by the rival candidates. Although appearing upon the platform with, and in opposition to, many old and skilled orators, Lincoln was nowhere worsted. His opponents soon learned that they could not attack him with impunity, and that in an argument he was the equal of the most adroit debater.

Among the Democrats who were stumping the county was one Dick Taylor, a pompous and selfconceited fellow, who dressed in a most gaudy manner, with ruffled shirts, embroidered vests and a large

amount of flashy jewelry. Notwithstanding this he made great pretensions of being one of the yeomanry, the oppressed lower class, and ridiculed the "RagBarons" and "Manufacturing Lords" of the Whig party.

One day he was indulging in an unusually prolonged tirade against the Whigs, and accusing the opposing candidates of being the representatives of the aristocracy. Lincoln went up behind him, and suddenly threw his coat open, disclosing a bewildering display of ruffles and velvet and jewels. The crowd shouted with delight and Lincoln said:

"While he (Col. Taylor) was making these charges against the Whigs over the country, riding in carriages, wearing ruffled shirts, kid gloves, massive gold watch-chains and flourishing a heavy goldheaded cane, I was a poor boy hired on a flat-boat at eight dollars a month, and had only one pair of breeches to my name, and they were buckskin—and if you know the nature of buckskin, when wet and dried by the sun it will shrink-and mine kept shrinking until they left several inches of my legs bare between the tops of my socks and the lower part of my breeches; and while I was growing taller, they were becoming shorter, and so much tighter that they left a blue streak around my legs that can be seen to this day. If you call this aristocracy, I plead guilty to the charge." 1

As the campaign was drawing to a close he made an unusually brilliant speech at Springfield, which produced a profound impression upon the minds of

1 Brown's "Life of Lincoln."

the audience. At its close a man by the name of Forquer, who was well known in the community as a man of no little ability, arose to reply to him. He had formerly been a Whig, but for some reason had seen fit to change his political faith and become a staunch Democrat. He had recently had his buildings protected from the lightning by numerous rods, which were the first ever seen in the vicinity, and were the objects of considerable curiosity and much unfavorable comment. In the beginning of his speech, he said:

"This young man must be taken down and I am sorry that the duty devolves upon me."

He then took up Lincoln's points, one by one, and answered them in a fair and logical manner, although frequently indulging in coarse personalities and an assumption of superiority that was intensely annoying to Lincoln, who stood by becoming more and more wrought up as the speaker continued. When he had closed, Lincoln stepped upon the platform to reply. His answer was dignified, forcible and convincing, and concluded as follows:

"It is for you, fellow-citizens, and not for me to say whether I am up or down. The gentleman has seen fit to allude to my being a young man, but he forgets that I am older in years than I am in the tricks and trades of politicians. I desire to live and desire place and distinction; but I would rather die now than, like the gentleman, live to see the day that I would change my politics for an office worth $3,000 a year, and then feel compelled to erect a lightning rod to protect a guilty conscience from an offended God."

Forquer was completely answered and probably