The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1860-08-01
Did He Split Rails +:

Certain classes Of newspapers, ignorant OF thu
true nature and principle of Republican institu
tons, such for instance as Canadians, Locofocos
English Aris;ocrats and Tories, are filed with
CONSERVATION, because the Republican party o
the United States is running a candidate for the
Presidency, who more than once took a aat.boa
from Indiana, down the Ohio and Mississippi tt
New Orleans. loaded with pork, beef and corn
sold the cargo, and footed it back-a man who
once split rails, and made worm-fence, mar
Who kept a country store, man in short, who
whatever he is now, was once poor, humble, and
obscure. These false reasoners argue, that be-
cause Abraham Lincoln once did all these things
for livelihood, that he is only fit to do them
now. IN this consists their fallacy. The PEG.
pie Of the United States, admire Abraham Lin
con, because he has raised himself from mar.
row to wide circle Of usefulness, by industry,
virtue, and application. He was honorable when
he split rails and rowed fiat boat, making the
best use Of his powers, as they then stood but
he did much more good, and consequently be.
came much more honorable, when having disci-
plined his mind by the hardest, as he had done
his body, he caused that to labor, for the benefit
Of his race, and his own. The truth is, and that
truth exposes their falacy, and foils their sneers
that Lincoln is admired and supported not be.
cause he was once rail.spitter, and fatboat.
man, because, owing to his own determination
and principle, he is to-day statesman, and a
practical philanthropist. "You was once cob
ler." said sneering Englishman, to wealthy
and benevolent manufacturer. ~ was," said
he, "and if you had been a cobler once, you
would have been so still!'
Honor and shame, from condition rise,
Act well your part, there all the honor lies
Abraham Lincoln perhaps read this trite say.
ing in his copy-book, but to him it was no emp.
ty jingle of words. but a principle to live by,
and up to, and so he adopted it. and has and will
follow it.
The adoption OF the second principle to do
with diligence, whatever he found to do, has
made the path Of Mr.. Lincoln an upward path
through life. He was put toward, without soil.
citation Of his own for the Legislature of Illinois
In 1882, "a, So, IS and 40. He entered the
Legislature an awkward, difident, obscure young
man-hc left it six years afterwards, its acknowl.
edged leader.
No sooner did I.incoln's qualities become
known, than they were in prompt demand,
and he was constantly urged to 60 up higher.
He became a surveyor, because John Calhoun,
of Kansas memory, saw his quickness and capa.
city, and needed his services at time when q
Sudden rush to enter wild lands, made such ser.
vices indispensable. No man could be more as.
tonished than Lincoln, when John T. Stuart,
seeing his strength, insisted that he should read
Law. Lincoln urged his lack of early opportuni.
ties in vain. Law he must read, and law he did
read, in the intervals between field service as a
surveyor and his political duties in the Legisla.
ture-oiten by fre-light, in crowded Lighthouses,
or wherever he happened to be, and lawyer he
became, not in name, but in fact-not in medioc.
rity, but in success and excellence, and soon he
saw that Stuart was right. and left the LesisIa.
ture for law.study, practice, and discipline.
1t is popular error that Mr.. Lincoln encoun.
tered Douglas for the FIRST time, in the Senatorial
canvass Of 1858. This is not so. Mr.. Lincoln
was one Of the Harrison Electoral candidates in
lsAo, and stumped the State, meeting Mr.. Doug.
las face to face on the stump, time and again.
and no man better knew what he Wa sayine.
than did Douglas two years ago, when he said
on the stump, " Lineoln Is one Of those peculiar
mon sho perform xith admirable sEM erery.
thing they undertake"
In ls44, Mr.. Lincoln was again upon the
Electoral ticket and again was pitted against the
best talent Of Illinois, and did yeomans service
90 the stump, at the time when his legal business