Holmes County Republican. [volume] (Millersburg, Holmes County, Ohio) 1856-1865, 1860-05-31

me to particular friend of his, one David
Wilmot, of Pennsylvany." Laughter.
81 thought" said Douglas. "you would
find him congenial company"
$50 l did, replied Lincoln. 81 had
the pleasure of voting for his one Pro-
viso, in one way and another about forty
times. 1t was Democratic measure then,
l believe. AT any rate Gen. Cass scolded
Honest John Davis of Massachusetts sound
ly for talking away the last hours of the
session so that he (Cass) couldn't crowd it
through. Apropos of Gen. Cass; if l am
not greatly mistaken be has prior claim
to my distinguished friend, to the autho-
ship of Popular Sovereignty. The old
General has an infrmity for writing letters.
Shortly after the scolding he gave John
Davis he wrote bis Nicholson letter
Douglas (solemnly)-"God Almighty
placed man on earth, and told him to
choose between good and evil. That was
the Origin of the Nebraska bill!"
Lincoln-"Well, the priority of inven-
tion being settled, let us award all credit
to Judge Douglas for being the first to dis
cover it."
1t would be impossible, in these limits,
to give an idea of the strength of Mr.. Lin
coins argument. We deemed it by far
the ablest effort of the campaign-from
whatever source. The occasion was a
great one, and the speaker was every way
equal to it. The effect produced on the
listeners was magnetic. No one who was
present will ever forget the power and ve-
hemence of the following passage.
"My distinguished friend says it is an
insult to the emigrants to Kansas and Ne
braska to suppose that they are no. able
to govern themselves. We must not slur
over an argument of this kind because it
happens to tickle the ear. 1t must be
met and answered. admit that the en-
igrant TO Kansas and Nebraska is compe-
tent to govern himself but" the speaker
rising to his full height, ~ deny his right
to govern any other person WITHOUT THAT
PERSON scoNsENr." The applause which
followed this triuphant refutation Of cum
ming falsehood, was but an earnest of the vic
tory at the polls which followed just one
month from that day.
When Mr.. Lincoln had concluded Mr..
Douglas strobe hastily to the stand. As
usula, he employed ten minutes in telling
how grossly he had been abused, but recol-
lecting bimself he added, "though in per-
fectly courteous manner"-abused in per-
fectlycorteous manner! He then devoted
half an hour to showing that it was indis-
pensably ecessary to California emigrants,
Santa Fe trader and others, to have organ
ic acts provided for the Territory of Kan
sas and Nebraska-that being precisely
the point which nobody disputes. Hav-
ing established this premises to his salts
faction, Mr.. Douglas launched forth into
an argument wholly apart from the po-
sitions taken by Mr.. Lincoln. He had
about half finished at six o'clock, when an
adjournment to tea was effected. The
speaker insisted strenuousy upon his right
to resume in the evening, but we believe
the second part of that speech has not been
delivered to this day. After the Spring
field passage, the two speakers went to
Peoria and tried it again with identically
the same result. A friend who listened
to the Peoria debate informed us that after
Lincoln had finished, Douglas, "hadn't
much to say"-which we presume to have
been Mr.. Douglas view of the case also,
for the reason that he ran away from his
antagonist and kept out Of his way during
the remainder of the campaign.
During this exciting campaign Mr.. Lin
coin pressed the slavery issue upon the
people of Central and Southern Illinois,
who were largely made up of the emigra-
ton from Tennessee, Virginia and North
Carolina. with all the powers of his mind.
He felt the force of the moral causes that
must influence the question, and he never
failed to appeal 10 the moral sentiment of
the people in aid of the argument drawn
from political sources, and to illuminate
his theme with the lofty inspirations of an
eloquence pleadidg for the rights of bumani-
ty. A revolution swept the State. For
the first time majority of the legislature
of Illinois was opposed to the Democratic
administration or the Federal Government.
A United States Senator was to be elected
in the place of General Shields who had
Yielded to the influence of his less scrpu-
lous colleague, and against his own and
better judgment, bad voted for the Kansas
Nebraska act. The election came on, and
a number of ballots were taken, the almost
united opposition voting steadily for Lin
coin, but the anti-Nebraska Democrats for
Trumbull. Mr.. Lincoln became apprehen-
sive that those men who had been elected
as Democrats, though opposed to Judge
Douglas, would turn upon some third can
didate, of less decided convictions than
Judge Trumbull, and possibly elect SEN
ator who had little or nothing in common
with the then inchoate Republican party.
To prevent such consummation, he went
personally to his friends, and by strong
persuasion, induced them to vote for Trum-
bull. He thus secured, by an act of self
sacrifice, a triumph for the cause of right,
and an advocate of it on the floor of the
Senate, not Inferior in earnest Zeal for the
principles of Republcanism, to any men,
Der of that body.
Some of his friends on the floor of the
Legislature wept like children when con-
strained by Mr.. Lincoln's pesonal appeals
to desert him and unite on Trumbull 1t
is proper to say in this connection, that be-
tween Trumbull and Lincoln the most
cordial relations have alwovs existed and