The figure of the "forest of giant oaks," and the effects upon it of time and tempest is a very striking one. That is also a curious passage in which he speaks of the ambitious man, who will seek glory and distinction, and who will have it by "the emancipating of slaves," or "enslaving freemen." Was that intense ambition of his, of which there exists so many evidences, and that mysterious presentiment that in some unknown way he was to be the deliverer of the slaves, the inspiration of the language quoted?

There is another very remarkable speech of his, made in the Hall of the House of Representatives, in December, 1839, in reply to Douglas, Lamborn, and Calhoun.' A joint discussion was arranged between the democratic and whig parties. Stephen A. Douglas, John Calhoun, Josiah Lamborn, and Jesse B. Thomas spoke for the democrats, and Stephen T. Logan, Edward D. Baker, Orville H. Browning, and Lincoln for the whigs. It was continued from evening to evening, an advocate of each party speaking alternately, until Lincoln's turn came to close the discussion. In reply to Mr. Lamborn, who taunted the opponents of Van Buren with the hopelessness of their struggle, Lincoln exclaimed:

"Address that argument to cowards, and knaves. With the free and the brave it will effect nothing. It may be true; if it must, let it. Many free countries have lost their liberties, and ours may lose hers, but if she shall, let it be my proudest plume, not that I was the last to desert, but that I never deserted her."

Alluding to the denunciation and persecution heaped upon those who opposed the administration, he says: "Bow to it I never will," and then in a prophetic spirit, with impassioned eloquence, he dedicated himself to the cause of his country:

Here, before Heaven, and in the face of the world, I swear eternal fidelity to the just cause of the land of my life, my liberty, and my love." The cause approved of our judgment and our hearts, in disaster, in chains, in death, we never faltered in defending."

* * * 64

On the 22d of February, 1842, he delivered before the Washingtonian Temperance Society, at Springfield, an

1. See Weekly Journai, at Springfield.

address upon temperance. It is calm, earnest, judicious, and it is difficult to find anywhere the subject treated with more ability,' or with a finer spirit. "When," says he, "the victory shall be complete, when there shall be neither a slave nor a drunkard on the earth, how proud the title of that land which may claim to be the birth-place and cradle of those resolutions that shall have ended in that victory." He was already dreaming, it would seem, of the time when there should be no slave in the republic.

Wishing to devote his time exclusively to his profession, he did not, as has already been stated, seek in 1840 re-election to the Legislature. He had been associated as partner with one of the most prominent lawyers at the capital of the state, and he himself was the leader of his party, and altogether the most popular man in Central Illinois. In August, 1837, Stuart, his partner, was elected to Congress over Stephen A. Douglas, after one of the severest contests which ever occurred in the state. The district then extended from Springfield to Chicago, and embraced nearly all the northern part of Illinois. Stuart was re-elected in 1839. Their partnership terminated on the 14th day of April, 1841, and on the same day Lincoln entered into a new partnership with Judge Stephen T. Logan, one of the ablest and most successful lawyers of the state, and at that time universally recognized as at the head of the bar at the capital.

In 1840, Lincoln was on the "Whig Electoral Ticket," as candidate for state presidential elector. This was the presidential canvass known as the "Log Cabin " campaign, which resulted in the election of General Harrison. It was one of the most exciting since the organization of the government. Log cabins for political meetings, with the traditional gourd in place of the mug for cider, hanging on one side of the door, and the coon-skin nailed to the logs on the other, sprang up like magic, not only on the frontier and over all the West, but in every city, town, village and hamlet at the

1. Published in the Springfield Journal, and re-published in full in the Lincoln Memorial Album, pp. 84-97.

East. Lincoln entered into the contest with great ardor, and stumped" the state for his party, and in many parts of it he and Douglas held joint political discussions. In this way they traveled the large circuit of Judge Treat, speaking together at every county seat in the circuit.

A great whig meeting was held at the capital in June, to which the people came in throngs from every part of Illinois. Chicago sent a large delegation, which brought as a representative of the commercial capital, a full rigged ship on wheels. The delegation were supplied with tents and provisions, and plenty of cider, and at night, camped out like an army on the prairies. Their camp-fires illuminated the groves, and their campaign songs echoed and resounded all the way from Lake Michigan to the Illinois and the SangaAt this great meeting, all the leading whig orators spoke. Among them were Lincoln, Baker, and Logan, of Springfield; Harden, of Morgan; Browning, of Quincy, and Butterfield and Lisle Smith, of Chicago. For argument and apt illustration, the palm was generally given to Lincoln, but he himself said that no one could be compared to a young lawyer from Chicago, whose name was Lisle Smith.'

mon.

It was during the canvass of 1840 that Lincoln protected Baker from a mob which threatened to drag him off the stand. Baker was speaking in a large room, rented and used for the court sessions, and Lincoln's office was in an apartment over the court room, and communicating with it by a trap-door. Lincoln was in his office, listening to Baker through the open trap-door, when Baker, becoming excited, abused the democrats, many of whom were present. A cry was raised," Pull him off the stand!" The instant Lincoln heard the cry, knowing a general fight was imminent, his athletic form was seen descending from above through the

1. This young man died in early life. I have heard the silver-tongued Baker, the vehement, passionate, and tempestuous Lovejoy, the great actor Clay, the majestic Webster, but within a certain narrow range, I never heard the equal of Smith. At a public dinner speech, a commemorative oration, or an eulogy, he was unequaled. For a union of music and poetry, beauty of language, and felicity of illustration, I have never heard his equal. He was an early friend, and that must be my excuse for this digression.-Author.

opening of the trap-door, and springing to the side of Baker, and waving his hand for silence, he said with dignity: "Gentlemen, let us not disgrace the age and country in which we live. This is a land where freedom of speech is guaranteed. Baker has a right to speak, and a right to be permitted to do so. I am here to protect him, and no man shall take him from this stand if I can prevent it." Quiet was restored, and Baker finished his speech without further interruption.

In 1839, Miss Mary Todd came from Lexington, Kentucky, to Springfield, on a visit to her sister, Mrs. Ninian W. Edwards, who was the daughter of the Hon. Robert S. Todd, of Kentucky. In 1778, John Todd, the great-uncle of Mary Todd, accompanied General George Rogers Clark to Illinois, and was present at the capture of Kaskaskia and Vincennes,1 On the 12th of December, 1778, he was appointed by the Governor of Virginia, Patrick Henry, County Lieutenant, or commandant of the county of Illinois, in the state of Virginia. In 1779, John Todd arrived at Kaskaskia and organized civil government under the authority of Virginia. It is a curious and interesting fact that the great-uncle of Mary Todd, afterwards wife of President Lincoln, should, in 1779, have been acting Governor of Illinois. He may be justly regarded as the founder of the state, a pioneer of progress, education, and liberty. He was killed at the battle of Blue Licks, on the 18th of August, 1782. His two brothers, Levi and Robert, settled in Lexington, Kentucky. Levi was the grandfather of Mary Todd, afterwards Mrs. Lincoln, and he was the only field officer at the battle of Blue Licks who was not killed. Such was the family

2

1. Manuscript Letter of Ninian W. Edwards, also "Illinois in the Eighteenth Century." by Edward G. Mason-a paper read before the Chicago Historical Society. 2. See the manuscript "Records of the County of Illinois," with Todd's appointment, in the Chicago Historical Society.

3. The original records of his administration, in manuscript, were presented to the Chicago Historical Society by Edward G. Mason.

While encamped on its site and named his infant settlement

4. Manuscript Letter of Ninian W. Edwards. Col. John Todd pre-empted a large tract of land in and near the present city of Lexington. he heard of the battle of Lexington, in the far East, in its honor."

came to visit her

Her mother died

and lineage of Mary Todd. When she sister she was twenty-one years of age. when she was a child, and she had been educated and well taught at a boarding school for young ladies at Lexington. She was intelligent and bright, full of life and animation, with ready wit, and quick at repartee and satire. Her eyes were a grayish blue, her hair abundant, and dark brown in color. She was a brunette, with a rosy tinge in her cheeks, of medium height, and form rather full and round.

The Edwards and the Stuarts were among the leading families in social life at the capital. Ninian W. Edwards was a lawyer of distinction. His father had been Chief Justice of Kentucky, and was the first Governor of the Territory of Illinois, holding the position from 1809 to 1818. He was the first senator from Illinois after its admission into the Union, and afterwards Governor of the State.

When Miss Todd came to Springfield, nearly all ambitious young men sought distinction at the bar and in public life. Young ladies sympathized with this ambition to an extent scarcely appreciated at the present day. This young Lexington belle was very ambitious, and is said to have declared on leaving Kentucky that she meant to marry some one who would be President. On her arrival at Springfield she met in Lincoln a man of bright political prospects, already popular, and the leader of his party; one who was regarded by her relations and connections as an intellectual prodigy.' Lincoln, who had had his fancies, and his romantic passion for Anne Rutledge, now became the suitor of Miss Todd. His courtship was distinguished with the somewhat novel incident of a challenge to fight a duel.

At this time there was living at Springfield, James Shields, a gallant hot-headed bachelor, from Tyrone County, Ireland.

1. It is noteworthy that those who heard Lincoln talk, even at that early day, were impressed with his ability I have heard old settlers in Springfield say, "every lady wanted to get near Lincoln to hear him talk" An old gentleman told me that when dining one day at the same table with Miss Todd and Lincoln, he said to her after dinner, half in jest and half in earnest: Mary, I have heard that you have said you want to marry a man who will be President. If so, Abe Lincoln is your man."—

Author.