"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this Government cannot permanently endure half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other; either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the belief that it is in course of ultimate extinction, or its advocates will push it forward till it shall become alike lawful in all the States-old as well as new, North as well as South."

These prophetic words cost him the position he so much coveted—a seat in the United States Senate; but in 1860 the people recognised the truth and soundness of the forecast; they determined to stay the spread of slavery, and they made Abraham Lincoln Chief Magistrate of the Republic,

CHAPTER II.

LINCOLN ELECTED PRESIDENT. THE SOUTHERN

CONFEDERACY FORMED.

"The country is approaching a crisis on the greatest question which can be proposed to it; a question not of profit or loss, of tariffs or banks, or any temporary interests, but a question involving the first principles of freedom, morals, and religion."-CHANNING.

HE Presidential campaign of 1860 was prosecuted with great zeal and energy

throughout the United States. The Breckinridge partisans were confident of success in the Cotton States, and in that section of the country they held aloof from coalition with any of the contending parties. In several of the Northern States the supporters of Douglas, Bell, and Breckinridge united their forces for the defeat of Lincoln. It was a humiliating expediency, resorted to by men who foresaw defeat. All political speakers, not members of the Republican party, warned the people against

voting for Lincoln; "for if he were elected," said they, "secession would ensue." Republicans had heard these threats before. We proposed to elect our candidate by lawful, peaceful means, if possible; and we organised, and talked, and worked unremittingly and well from the day upon which Lincoln was nominated until the polls closed on the 6th of November. But the operations of the Republican party were confined to the Free and Border States; no one dared advocate the election of Lincoln in any of the Cotton States. The friends of Breckinridge, on the contrary, prosecuted their campaign unmolested in every State in the Union.

On the night before the election-according to the custom of political organisations in large American towns-the Anti-Slavery party had a grand torchlight procession through the streets of Milwaukee. The different organisations, from town and surrounding country, carrying torches, flags, banners, and transparencies, variously and appropriately inscribed, assembled in the principal street, and were assigned to their respective positions in the Lincoln and Hamlin* demonstration. About nine o'clock the order to "light up" passed along, the band struck up a march, and the immense gathering began to stretch out like an endless telescope. Towards the centre of the procession the Industrial Section moved along.

* Hannibal Hamlin was the Republican candidate for the VicePresidency.

This novelty was composed of artizans, representing several of the branches of labour, dressed in their working-clothes, mounted upon large and suitably fitted-up wagons, and actually working at stonecutting, bricklaying, rivetting, and other handicrafts. Then came vehicles of all descriptions, from a sulkey to a hay-rack, with flags and transparencies. More marching torch-bearers followed; and the rear was brought up by a squadron of horse. Bands played at suitable distances from each other. The houses of many of the more prominent Republicans, situated upon the hills divided by the Milwaukee river, were beautifully illuminated. Their grounds were lighted up by Chinese lanterns; fireworks added to the attraction of the scene; rockets went rushing through the air until midnight, while the sound of cannon was continually ascending from the river bank. The procession was nearly four miles long; and as the advance reached Spring Street Hill, with the centre in the valley through which the river runs, and the rear of the column still on the Seventh Ward heights, the sight of this immense chain of burning lamps was magnificent and imposing. The programme of the night being at last finished, the organisations marched to their respective headquarters to deposit their torches, and dispersed to their homes.

I participated in this party demonstration. While on my way home, I overtook Mr. H., a personal friend, whose residence was near to where I lived.

Mr. H. was considerably my senior, and when I came up, he asked :—

"Evan! Do you know what you've been doing?" "Yes," I answered, "I think I do. I have been carrying a torch for several hours, and spoiling a good coat through spilling Kerosene oil upon it."

"You have been contributing to create an impression that Lincoln is to be elected to-morrow," said Mr. H., not heeding my story. "I suspect you have gained to your side many doubtful voters by your torches, your cannons, and other nonsense. you do elect this Black Republican to be President over this country, mark my words, we shall have war! the South won't stand it."

If

"We shall endeavour to elect Lincoln and Hamlin to-morrow by fair and constitutional means," I replied. "If we succeed, I have no doubt but the South will accept the situation good-naturedly, as we have always done when defeated. Certainly we do not propose to allow South Carolina's threats of secession to influence us in the slightest degree." On reaching my friend's home we bade each other "Good night,” and parted. It was a cold, crisp, clear night; the stars twinkled cheerfully in the peaceful heavens; and, as I turned to my door, "Clang!" went the cathedral bell on the hill: it was one o'clock on the morning of the 6th of November-the day of election.

The Legislature of South Carolina had been convened on the previous day. In his annual message,