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

paigns. At such times he canvassed the
State with his usual vigor and ability
He was an ardent friend of Henry Clay
and exerted himself powerfully in his be
half in 1914, traversing the entire State
of Illinois, and addressing public meeting;
daily until near the close of the campaign
when becoming convinced that his labor;
in that field would be unavailing, he crossed
over into Indiana, and continued his efforts
up to the day of election. The contest
of that year in Illinois was mainly on the
tariff question. Mr.. Lincoln, on the Whig
side, and John Calhoun, on the Democrat
ic side, were the heads of the opposing
electoral tickets. Calhoun late Of Nebras-
ks, now dead, was then in the full vigor
of his powers, and was accounted the ablesi
debater of bis party. They stumped the
State together, or nearly so, making
speeches, usually on alternate days at each
place, and each addressing large audiences
at great length, sometimes four hours to-
gether. In these elaborated speeches,
evinced thorough mastery of the princi-
Piles of political economy, which underlie
the tariff question, and presented argu-
ments in favor of the protective policy with
a power and conclusiveness rarely equaled,
and at the same time in manner so lucid
and familiar and well inspersed with happy
illustration and opposite anecdotes. as TO
establish reputation which he has never
since failed to maintain, as the ablest lead
er in the Wing and Republican ranks in
the great West.
In 1s46 he was elected to Congress, and
served out his term, and would have been
reelected had he not declined to be a can
didate. He steadily and earnestly op-
posed the annexation of Texas, and labor
ed with ali his powers in behalf of the
Wilmot Proviso. In the National Con-
vention of 1S4s, of which he was men,
Der, he advocated the nomination of Gen
eral Taylor, and sustained the nomination
BY an active canvass in Illinois and In
diana.
From 1s49 to 1854 Mr.. Lincoln was
engaged assiduously in the practice of his
profession, and being deeply immersed in
business, was beginning to lose his interest
in politics, when the scheming ambition
and groveling selfshness of an unscrupu-
lous aspirant to the Presidency brought
about the repeal of the Missouri Compro-
mise. That act of baseness and peridy
aroused the sleeping lion, and he prepared
for new efforts. He threw himself at once
into the ntest that followed, and fought
the battle of freedom on the ground of
his former conflicts in Illinois with more
than his accustomed energy and ZEAL
Those who recollect the tremendous bat
tie fought in Illinois that year, will award
20 Abraham Lincoln fully three-fourths of
the ability and unwearying labor which re-
suited in the mighty victory which gave
Illinois her first Republican Legislature,
and placed Lyman Trumbull in the Senate
of the United States. The first and great
est 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 it transpired 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 capital was
full of all manner of men. The Nebraska
bill had been passed on the previous twen-
ty-second of May. Mr.. Douglas had re-
turned to Illinois to meet an outraged con-
stituency. He had made a fragmentary
speech in Chicago the people filling each
hiatus in peculiar and good-humored way.
He called the people a mob-they called
him a 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
active politicians had met at Springfield
pecting tournament of an unusal charac-
ter-Douglas, Breese, Koerner, Lincoln,
Trumbull, Matteson, Yates, Codding, John
Calhou (of the order of the Candle Box,
Joon M. Palmer, the whole house of the
McConuells, Singleton, (known to fame in
the Mormon War; Thos. L. Harris, and
host of others. Several speeches wers
made before and several after the passage
between Lincoln and Douglas, but that
was justly held to be the event of the sea-
son.
We do not know whether challenge 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 attendace, and Mr..
Douglas seated upon a small platform in
front of the desk. The FIRST halfhour of Mr..
Lincoln's speech was taken up with COM
pliments to his distinguished friend Judge
Douglas, and dry illusions to the political
events of the past few years. His distin-
guished friend Judge Douglas had taken
his seat, as solemn as the Cock-Lane ghost,
evidently with the design 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 his (Douglas0
speech pronouncing the Missouri Compro-
mise "a sacred thing which no ruthless
hand would ever be reckless enough to dis
turb," be opened his lips far enough to re-
mark. GA first-rate speech !" This was the