The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-07-18

Delivered an the United States House OF
Representatives, Nay %, 1860.
The House being in Committee of the
Whole on the state of the Union
Mr.. WASHBURNE, of Illinois, said:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN: The Republican party,
through its proper organization, has placed
in nomination for President of the United
States, ABRAHAM LINCOLN, of Illinois. The
people, who will be called upon to pass upon
that nomination, have right to inquire in
to the life, the character, and the political
opinions, of the man who is commended to
their SURFACES for the highest Office in their
gift. The State which in part represent on
this floor, having been honored by this NOM
nation, l come here to-day to speak Of the
personal and political history of the candi-
date. l have known Mr.. Lincoln well for
twenty years. have known him in pri-
vate life, have known him at the bar, and
have been associated with him in every po-
litieal contest in our State since the advent
of ''Tippecanoe and Tyler too2" in ls4O
While may speak with the accents of a
strong personal friendship, shall speak
with the frankness of conscious truth, and,
! trust without exaggeration.
Springing from the humblest ranks in life,
and unaided by the adventitous supports of
his present exalted position by the strength
of his will, the power of his intellect, and
the honesty of his heart. He was born in
Hardin county, Kentucky, February IL,
1908; his family removed 10 Spencer coun-
ty, Indiana, in 1916, where be passed his
boyhood amid the toughest hardships and
the most trying experiences Of frontier
life. Without schools, and, almost without
books, he spent his time amid the wild and
romantic scenes of the border, alternating
the hard labors of the farm by the sport of
the huntsman. OF fine physical develop
ment, with a vigorous intellect quick inteli-
gence, ready wit, and genial character, he
gave early evidences of the superiority he
has since attained. His first advent into
the great world, from the comparative Sc
clusion of his frontier home, vas down the
Wabash and Ohio rivers in charge of fat
boat of a class known to all the old
river men of the West as I" 5roadhorns. p
These boats, laden with the productions of
the farmers, hoated down stream until a
market was found tor the cargo; and when
that was disposed of, the boat itself was
sold, and those in charge made their way
back, in the best manner they could TO their
homes A great many persons have heard
Mr.. Lincoln relate, with inimitable effect,
the anecdotes of his experience of that por-
ton of his life.
In 1880, Mr.. Lincoln emigrated to that
State, with which his great name has now
become historically connected. He passed
the first year in Macon county, and actively
labored on a farm, where be and a fellow
laborer, by the name of John Hanks, split
three thousand rails. This portion of the
history of Mr.. Lincoln's life gave rise to the
incident in the late Republican State Con-
vention at Decatur, in Macon county, which
awakened the intensest enthusiasm of that
vast concourse of citizens from all parts of
the State. Mr. Lincoln was present as a
spectator in that Convention, and was in
vited to take seat upon the PLATFORM
When he had taken his seat, it was an
nouncsd to the Convention that John Hanks,
an old Democrat, who had grown grey in the
service of hatparty, desired to make a con :
trlonuon TO the Convention; and the offer
being accepted forthwith two old-tine fence
rails, decorated With flags and streamers
were borne through the crowd into the Con-
vention, bearing the inscription:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
The Rail Candidate
FoR EsIDENT IN 1850
Two rails from a lot of 5000 made in
1880 by John Hanks aud Abe Lin
coin.
The effect was electrical. One spoutane-
Gus burst of applause went up from all parts
of the "wigwam." Of course Mr. Lin
coin was called out, and made an explana-
ton of the matter. He stated that, some
thirty years ago, then just emigrating to
the State, be stopped with his mothers fam
lily, for one season, in what is now Macon
county; that he built cabin, split raiEs
and cultivated a small farm down on ,b a
sangamon river, some six or eight miles
from Decatur. These, he was informed,
we're taken from that fence; but whether
they were or not, he had 4nauled many, and
better ones, since he had grown to man
hood.