The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-05-31

.I''~U ca stuoh"A'oy III iIAs lOIcuSiC cuOTJSs
They all bore the stamp of masculine
common sense; and he had natural
easy mode of illustration, that made
the most ,abstruse subject appear
plain. His success at the bar, however,
did not withdraw his attention from
politics. For many years he was the
"wheel horsen of the Whig party Of
Illinois, and was on the electoral ticket
in several Presidential campaigns. AT
such times he canvassed the State with
his usualsvigor 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 meet
ings daily until near the close of the
campaign, when convinced that his
labors in that field would be unavaiie
ing 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 ques-
ton. Mr. Lincoln on the Wbig side,
and John Calhoun, on the DEMO-
cratic side, were the heads of the op-
posing electoral tickets. Calhoun;
late of Nebraska, now dead, was then
in the fullvigor of his powers, and was
accounted the ablest debater of his
party: They stumped. the State to-
gether, or nearly SO; Making speeches
usually on alternate days at each place,
and each Addressing large audiences
at great length, sometimes four hours
together. Mr.. Lincoln, in these elabo-
rate speeches, = eyinced a thorough
mastery of the principles of political
economy which underlie the tariff ques.
ton, and presented arguments in favor
of the productive policy with power
and conclusiveness rarely equaled, and
at the same time in manner SO lucid
and familiar and SO well interpersed
with happy illustrations and apposite
anecdotes, as to establish a reputation
which he has never since failed to main
tain, as the ablest leader in the Whig
and Republican ranks in the great
West. ~ - - -
In ls46 he was elected to Congress,
and served out his term, and would
have been reelected had he not de-
clined to be a candidate. He steadily,
and earnestly opposed the annexation
of Texas, and labored with all his
powers in behalf of the Wilmot pro.
viso. In the National Convention of
1S4S, of which he was a member, he
advocated the nomination of Genaral
Taylor, and sustained the nomination,
by an active canvass in Illinois and In
diana. nqf rro -r0TF..
From 1S49 to 1854 Mr.. Lincoln was
engaged assiduously in the practice of
his profession, snd being deeply i'm
mersed in business, was beginning to
lose his interest in politics, when the
|, scheming ambition and groveling self.
ishness of an unscrupulous aspirant to
: the Presidency brought about the re-
, peal of the Missouri Compromise. The
act of baseness and perfdy aroused
the sleeping lion, and he prepared for
new efforts. He threw himself at once
! into the contest that followed, and
/ fought the battle of freedom on the
ground of his former conflicts in I'LL.
: nois with more than his accustomed
t energy and zeal. Those who recollect
, the tremendous battle fought in Illi-
nois that year, will award to Abram
Lincoln fully three-fourths of the abili-
: ty and unwearying labor which result
f ed in the mighty victory which gave
: Illinois her first Republican Legisla-
D ture, and placed Lyman Trumbnll in
t the Senate of the United States. The
: first and greatest debate of that year
: came off between Lincoln and Doug
f las at Springfield, during the progress
a of the State Fair, in October. We re.
I member the event as wildly as though
a it occurred yesterday. szLssssAs ss.ll...
e The affair came off on the fourth day
r of October, 1854. The State Fair had
been in progress two days, and the
: Capitol was full of all kinds of men.
: The Nebraska bill had been passed on
: the previous twenty-second of May.
n Mr.. Douglas had returned to Illinois
: to meet an outraged constituency He
1 had made a fragmentary speech in Chi
f cago. the people filing up each hiatus
: in a peculiar and good humored way
! He called the people mob--they
d called him rowdy. The "mobp had
S 1.-THE best of it, both then and at the cleo
A Ition that succeeded. The notorietv o,
e all these events had stirred up the poll
tics of the State from bottom to top
e Hundreds of politicians bad met q
b Springfield expecting a tournament O
!, an unusual character-Doucias, Breese
Kerner, Lincoln, Trumbull, Matterson
s Yates, Codding. John Calhoun, (of th,
: order of the Candle Box,) John N