The Kenosha telegraph and tribune. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1859-1860, 1860-05-31

s meetings daily, untll near the close
the campaign, when becoming convi
ced that his labors in the field would |
unaVailing, he crossed over into 1ndi
ma, and continued his efforts up to tt
day of election.
The contest OF that year in Illino
was mainly on the tai question. N
Lincoln, on the Wing side, and JOB
Calhoun, on the Democratic side, wei
the heads of the opposing electoral ticl
cts. Calhoun, late of Nebraska, no
| dead, was then in the full vigor of h
Ipowers, and was accounted the able.
debater of his party. They stumpe
the State together, or nearly so, ma
king speeches usually on alternate day
at each place, and each addressing larg
audiences at great length, sometime
four hours together. Mr.. Lincoln, i
these elaborate speeches, evinced the
rough mastery of of the principles G
political economy which underlie tn
tariff question, and presented argumen
In favor of the protective policy with
lpower and conclusiveness rarely equal
ed, and at the same time in manner
so lucid and familiar, and so we'll inter
spersed with happy illustrations anC
opposite anecdotes whic he has never
since failed to maintain, as the ables
leader in the Wing and Republican
ranks in the great West.
In 1916 he was elected to Congress
and served out his term, and would
hnnn no al lo1 j.
clined to be candidate. He steadily
and earnestly opposed the annexation
OF Texas, and labored with all his pow
ers in behalf of the Wilmot Proviso.-
In the National Convention of 1848, o.
which he was member, he advocated
the nomination of General Taylor, and
sustained the nomination by an active
canvass in Illinois and Indiana.
From 1847 to 1854 Mr.. Lincoln was
engaged assiduously in the practice of
his profession, and being deeply MINERS
ed IN business, was beginning to lose
his interest in politics, when the sche-
ming ambition and groveling selfshness
OF an INSCRIPTIONS aspirant to the Pres
ldency brought about the repeal of the
Missouri Compromise. That act of
baseness and perjury aroused the sleep
ing lion, and he prepared for new eff
orts. He threw himself at once into
the contest that followed, and fought
the b. lie of freedom on the ground of
his TO- Aaer conflicts in Illinois with more
than his accustomed energy and zeal
Those who recolleet the tremendous
battle fought in Illinois that year, will
award to Abraham Lincoln fully three
tourths of the ability and unwearying
labor which resulted in the mighty VIC
tory which gave Illinois her first Repub-
lican Legislature, and placed Lyman
trumDuii IN the Senate of tfIe United
States. The first and greatest debate
OF that year came off between Lincoln
and Douglas at Springfield, during the
progress of the State Fair, in October.
We remember the event as wildly as
though 1t TRANSFERRED yesterday, and in
view OF the prominence now given to
the chief actor in that exciting event, it
cannot fail to be interesting to all.
The affair came off on the fourth day
OF October, 1854. The State Fair had
been IN progress two days, and the cap
ltal was full of all manner Of men. The
Nebraska bill had been passed on the
previous twenty of May. Mr..
Douglas had returned to Illinois to meet
an outraged constituency. He had
made tragmentary speech in Chicago,
the people filling up each hiatus in Pc
culiar good humored way. He called
the people a mob-they called him
rowdy. The ''mob" had the best of it,
both then and at the election which
succeeded. The notoriety Of all these
events had stirred up the politics of the
State from bottom to top. Hundreds
OF politicians had met at Springfield
expecting a tournament of an unusual
character-Douglas, Breese, Koerner,
Lincoln, Trumbull, Matteson, Yates,
Codding, John Calhoun, (of the order
OF the Candle Box,) John III. Palmer,
the whole house Of McConnells, Single
ton, known to fame in the Mormon W ar)
Thos. /. Harris, and a host of others.
Several speeches were made before, and
several after, the passage between LIN
COLIN and DOUGLAS, but that was justly
held to be the event Of the season.
We do not remember whether chal-
Ienge to debate passed between the
friends of the speakers or not, but there
was perfectly amicable understanding
between Lincoln and Douglas, that the
former should speak two or three hours
and the latter reply in just as little or as
much time as he choose. Mr.. Lincoln
took the stand at two o'clock-a large
crowd in attendance, and Douglas seat
ed on small platform in front Of the
desk. The first half hour of Mr.. Lin
coins speech was taken up with COM
pliments to his distinguished friend Mr.
Douglas, and dry illusions to the polit-
zeal events of the past few years. His
distinguished friend Judge Douglas had
taken his seat, as solemn as the Cock
Lane ghost, evidently with the intention
of not moving muscle till it came his
turn to speak. The laughter provoked
by Lincoln's exordium, however, soon
began to make him uneasy and when
Mr.. L. arrived at Douglas speech pro-
nouncing the Missouri Compromise "a
sacred thing which no ruthless hand
would ever be reckless enough to dis
Lurb, " he opened his lips far enough to
remark, ga first rate speech" This
was the beginning of an amusing collo-
guy.
Eyes," continued Lincoln, $50 afec-
Lionate was my friends regard for this
line, that when Texas was
admitted into the Union, and it was
found that strip extended north of SO
deg: 30 min, he actually introduced a
bill extending the line and prohibiting
slavery in the northern edge of the new
State.