The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1860-05-31
;,;tv He vas an ardent friend Of

and ability. He vas an ardent friend Of
Henry Clay, and exerted himself power
fullv in his behalf in 1914, traversinG
the entire State of Illinois, and address
ing public meetings daily until near the
close of the campaign, when becoming
convinced that his labors in that field
would be uuavailing. 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 Whis
side, and John Calhoun, on the Demo
cratic side, were the heads of the oppos.
ing electoral tickets. Calhoun, late Of
Nebraska, now dead, was then in the full
vigor of his powers, aud was accounted
the ablest debater of his 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, some.
times four hours together. NJ LinoOin,
in these elaborate speeches, evinced
-thorough mastery Of the principles of
political economy which underlic the
tariff question, aud presented arguments
in favor Of the protective policy with
power and conclusiveness rarely equaled,
and at the same time in manner SO lu-
cid and familiar and so we'll interspersed
with happy illustrations and opposite
anecdotes, as to establish reputation
which he has never since failed to main
tain, as the abest 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 have
been re elected had he not declined to be
a candidate. He steadily and earnestly
opposed the annexation of Texas, and Ia
bored with all his powers in behalf Of the
Wimot Proviso. In the National Con-
yention of 1913, Of which he was mem
ber. he advocated the nomination of Gen.
Taylor, and sustained the nomination by
an active cansass in Illinois aud Indiana.
From 1S49 to 1854 Mr. Lincoln was
engaged assiduously in the practice Of
his profession, and being deeply immers-
ed in business, was beginning to lose his
interest in politics, when the scheming
ambition and groveling selfishness of an
unscrupulous aspirant to the Presidency
brough about the repeal Of the Missouri
Compromise That act Of baseuess and
pcrfi1y aroused the sleeping lion, and he
prepared for new efforts. He threw him
self at once into the contest 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 recollcct the tire
mendous battle fought in Illinois in that
year, will award to ABRAHAM LINCOLN
fully three fourths of the ability and un-
wearying labor which resulted in the
mighty victory which give Illinois hcr
first Republican Legislature, and placed
LYMAN TRUMBULL in the Senate of the
United States. The first and greatest
debate of that year came off between
Lincoln and Douglas at Springfield, dur
ing the progress Of the State Fair, IN
October.
During this exciting campaign Mr..
Lincoln pressed the slavery issue upon
the people of Central and Southern Hi
nois, who were largely made up of the
emigration from Kentucky, Tennessee,
Virginia and North Carolina, with all
the powers of his mind. A revolution
swept the State. For the first time a
majority of the Legislature Of Illinois
was opposed to the Democratic Admins
taation of the Federal Government. A
United States Senator was to be elected
in the place of Gen Shields who had
yielded to the influence of his less scru.
pulous colleague, and, against his owr
etter Judgment, had voted for the Kan
sas Nebaaska act. The election came on,
and number of ballots were taken, the
almost united opposition voting steadily
for Lincoln, but the anti Nebraska Dem
ocrats for Trumbull. Mr.. Lincoln be
came apprehensive that those men who
had been elected as Democrats, though
opposed to Judge Douglas, would turn
upon some third candidate, of less deci
ded convictions than Judge Trumbull
and possibly elect Senator who had lit
tie 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 FIR Trumbull. HI
thus secured, by an act of generous sell
sacrifice, triumph for the cause OF right
and an advocate of it on the floor Of tn
Senate, not inferior, in earnest zeal fo
the principles of Republicanism, to an.
member of that body.
From his thorough conviction of tn
growing magnitude of the slave question
and of the need of strong effort to pre-
serve the Territories to freedom, Mr.
Lincoln was among the first to join in tn
formation ofa Republican party, although
the public opinion around him wa
strongly adverse to that movement HI
everted himself for the organization o
the Republican forces in Illinois, and at
tended the first Republican Convention
held in the State. This was in Bloom
ington in May, 1856. His speech il
that Convention was of surprising power
and eloquence and produced great ef
feet. In the contest of that year, Mr.
Lincoln was at the head of the Illinoi
electoral ticket and labored earnestly
though vainly, to wrcst that State from
the grasp of the pro slavery Democracy
with the walking magazine of mischief,
as Douglas has been appropriately called
at its head
We need not refer to the great cam
paign of 1853, SO fresh in the recollec
ton of all leaders, farther than to subjoi,
the result of the vote on the members O
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