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.

"Very respectfully,

"A. LINCOLN."

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

never heard the last of this pointed allusion to his lightning rods.

In these sentences Lincoln struck a key-note of his life and character. Though often in a position to profit by the tricks of politicians he never descended In politics, as in his private life, he was strictly honest and frank and, where a principle was concerned, as firm and unyielding as a rock.

In this campaign he greatly increased his reputation as a speaker. He excelled especially in original and vigorous thought, and clear, concise and pointed expression. His appearance upon the platform was awkward and unprepossessing, but this was soon forgotten in the interest which he never failed to excite.

The election resulted in a large Whig majority in a county which had hitherto been a Democratic stronghold, and Lincoln's majority was larger than that of any of the other candidates.

The members from Sangamon County were dubbed the "long nine." They were all of great height, averaging over six feet and more than 200 pounds in weight. They probably exerted a greater influence in legislation than any other delegation, and many of the extravagant and vicious laws of this session were traceable to them.

There were many men in the Legislature with whom Lincoln came into more or less intimate association, who afterwards gained national reputations. There were several incipient Members of Congress and Senators and a number who afterwards gained distinguished military reputations. Foremost among them all was Stephen A. Douglas, whose career was only less brilliant than that of his great fellow-mem

ber. Thus Lincoln was thrown into contact with many of the brightest minds of the West, and was much benefited by his association with them.

The principal business, considered during the session, related to a most extravagant system of internal improvements, and many gigantic and reckless schemes were discussed. The people were deeply impressed with the great resources of the State, and believed that, if they developed its natural features, and established easy communication between the different sections, the State would immediately fill up with inhabitants and its prosperity be assured. The population was comparatively small, and the people were too few and poor to bear the heavy financial burdens thus entailed, so they determined to bond the State for a million dollars, which would have been but a small part of the cost of the contemplated improvements. The Legislature represented the extreme of public sentiment and commenced immediately to plan a system of internal improvements, which two generations and a great commonwealth have hardly yet completed.

Many of the small streams, as well as larger rivers, were to be dredged, widened and made navigable. Upon them were to be placed lines of splendid steamers, which were to connect the settlements and develop them into large and bustling cities. There was not a little cross-roads village or scattering hamlet that did not have its visions of metropolitan splendors. Parks and boulevards, churches, city-halls and great business blocks were to spring up, as if by magic.

The State was to be crossed by a net-work of rail