The weekly pioneer and Democrat. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1855-1865, 1860-07-13
The Herald on Abe Lincoln.

position to the Democratic party. 1t would
be fair, if they regard the Herald as sort
of political textbook, if they would favor
US with its news of their own party and
candidate. DOUGLAS, the Herald pronoun-
ces, one of the leading statesmen of the ma
ton, able, eloquent and experienced. 1t
don't like his opposition to "old BUCK" it
is true; but that is one of the little giants
greatest elements of strength. Here, how
ever, is what the Herald says OF LINCOLN,
which we commend to the attentive perusal
of our friends in the opposition ranks. 1t
is review of old ABEs political career:
Lincoln's Official Record-His legislative Ca.
reer-Is Leader of the Party Of "L0ng
Nine'--His Course as a Congressman-Be-
Third Political Experiment End, &c., &c.
We have no wish to abuse Abraham Lin
coin we desire to guard against any mis-
representation of his character as man. or
as politician. We have repeatedly spoken
of him as gentleman of unblemished NOR
al character, and as an amiable and agreea-
BILE member of society. But as politician,
little can be said in his praise. His official
record is next to nothing, and what little
there is of it is not much to his credit.
He was, number of years ago, two or
three times elected member of the lower
branch Of the legislature of Illinois; but
the fact that he never, after that service in
the lower house, rose to the dignity of
Senator in his state, but was allowed to re-
main in the shades of private life for years,
earning bare subsistence from year to year
by the most Industrious application to the
duties of his profession of the law, is, to say
the least, a strong presumptive proof that
| his career in politics was neither brilliant
nor popular one But we are not left to
inference, for there is positive proof that be
went out of Office, at the expiration of his
| legislative term, clothed with the distrust
and odium of his constituency, to degree
which we'll enough accounts for the fact that
he was so long dismissed to the obscurity of
a really unsuccessful country lawyer. Dur.
ing bis legislative term he was leader of
the "Long Nine" as the nine members of
Sangamon county were called, on account of
their haypole length, and it will be term
of reproach in Illinois so long as the men,
DRY of their corrupt and selfish deeds shall
survive. Those nine tall members of San
canon county banded together for war,
offensive and defensive, upon the treasury Of
the state, very much as parties and cliques
were banded together in our last legislature
to plunder the treasury of the city of New
York.
Governor Ford, in his history of Illinois,
says :-"This delegation, from the beginning
of the session, threw itself as unit in sup
port of, or in opposition to, every local
measure of interest, but never without q
bargain for votes in return" In another
place, Governor Fords history says, " the
long nine rolled along like q SNOWFALL, gath.
ering accessions of strength at every turn,
until they swelled up considerable party
If we did not know to the contrary, we
should think that this language referred to
corrupt vote-buying party which disgraced
the last legislature of the state of New
York. Of this "long nine," we repeat, Mr..
Lincoln was leading member; and it was
to prevent defeat of the corrupt schemes
of this faction that he jumped from the back
window OF the legislative room, so as to rob
the house of quorum. The brief term of
his legislative career was distinguished by
no sign of ability, and is remembered only
to his discredit and to the lasting disgrace
of the whole vote buying faction with which
he was identified.
Nor was bis Congressional career less un-
fortunate. He was elected to Congress in
lS47, when our war with Mexico had been
nearly two years in progress. The district
in which Lincoln was candidate had sent
many volunteers to that war, and the hopes
and pride of large number of the best fam.
lilies in the district were profoundly inter-
ested in its vigorous prosecution and suc>
cessful termination. Of course no man
could have the remotest chance for an cleo
ton, under these circumstances, who did not
thoroughly pledge and bind himself to give
his utmost support to the war, in Congress.
And Mr.. Lincoln did pledge and bind him
self to do this. He went through the dis
trict everywhere pledging himself, il elected,
"to support vigorous prosecution of the
war" and by this means carried the election
by more than 1900 majority. He took his
seat on the 9th of December, and on the
22d day of the same month he introduced
eight Infamous resolutions designed to dis
grace the war, and if possible cut off the
supplies of our brave and suffering army in
Mexico. He made speeches against the
war, and every time voted with the besotted
and traitorous enemies of the war, until such
storm of indignation came Kissing into bis
ears from his betrayed and insulted constit-
uency that he was frightened into taking
the back track; and, like the unnatural
swine which devOur their own offspring. he
eat his own resolutions and speeches, and
voted at last for the supplies. Never be-
fore, in the Congress of the United States,
was any man so whipped and scourged into
humiliation by the indignation of bis con.
stituency as was Abraham Lincoln. But
no repentance could save him from the doom
he had so well earned. He not only de-
ceived and betrayed his constituency, but
he insulted the whole American people, and
so disgraced himself that his own party re-
fused to renOminate him, and at the expira-
ton of his first term he sank back into the
obscurity of the bar in Sangamon county.
But the odium he brought upon himself fell
upon his party; and, although they put
their strongest man, Judge Logan, in the
field, he suffered most inglorious defeat by
a returned volunteer from the battle-6elds
of Mexico, who, we believe, was the first
Democrat ever elected to (Ion0rooo T,om