Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1900-1909, 1907-04-02
CHAPTER XIV.
Lincoln Aspires Higher and Goes to


<A> HA room and boarding for man
and wife for the moderate sum of 81
per week; but. Notwithstanding cheap
living. he was still as poor as ever and
gave poverty" as one of his reasons
for not paying a friendly visit which
seemed to be expected of him.
at the bar and in political affairs he
continued to work with as much ener-
gy as before. although his political
prospects seem just now to have suf
fered an unexpected eclipse. In 1S43
Lincoln. Hardin and Baker We're can
didates for the Whig congressional
nomination. but between Hardin and
Baker there was "bitter hostility" and
between Baker and Lincoln suspicion
and dislike" The contest was long
and fierce. but before it was over Lin
coin reluctantly withdrew in favor of
Baker. He had had Il hard time of it
and had been compelled to meet accu-
sations of a very strange character.
Among other things. he was charged
with being an aristocrat. with having
deserted his old friends. the people, by
marrying q proud woman ON account
of her blood and family. This hurt
him keenly. and he took great pains to
Gisprove it. But this was not all He
was called an infidel by some. a Pres
byterian here. an Episcopalian there.
SO that by turns he incurred the hos
tility of all the most powerful religious
societies in the district.
On the 24th of March he wrote to
Mr.. Speed as follows:
Springfield. March "a, 1S43.
Dear Speed" y We had n meeting OF
the Wings Of the county here on last
Monday to appoint delegates to a district
convention. and Baker beat me and got
the delegation instructed to go for him
The meeting, in spite of my attempt to
decline 1t, appointed me one of the dele
gates, so that in getting Baker the noni-
nation I shall be fixed a good deal like
fellow who is made Il groorlsman to a
rlan that has cut him out and is marry
ing his own dear gal About the pros
poets of your having Z namesake at our
A. LINCOLN.
He was now Baker delegate,
pledged to get him the nomination If
he could. and yet he was far from Civ
ing up the contest in his own behalf.
Only two days after the letter to
Speed he wrote to Mr.. Morris:
Springfield. H.. March &C. 1S43.
Friend Morris-Your letter of the 23d
was received on yesterday morning. and
for which dnstead of an excuse. which
you thought proper to ask) 1 tender you
my sincere thanks. 1t is truly gratifying
to me to learn that, while the people of
SanSafnon have cast me of. my old
friends Of Menard, who have known me
longest and best, stick to me. 1t woufc
astonish if not amuse, the older citizens
Ga stranger, friendess, uneducated, penni-
less boy, working on a flatboat at $40 per
month"; to learn that l have been put
down here as the candidate of pride,
wealth and aristocratic family distinction.
Yet so chiefly it was. There was. tco,
the strangest combination of church in
fluence against me. Baker IS n Campbell
lite and therefore, as l suppose, with few
exceptions got all that church.
Ny wife has some relations in the Pres
byterian churches and some with the
Episcopal churches. and therefore wher-
ever it would tell 1 was set down as either
the one the other. while it was every
where contended that no Christian ought
to go for me, because 1 belonged to no
church. was suspected of being a dest
and had talked about fighting a duel.
With all these things Baker of course
had nothing to do. nor do l complain of
him, l think that was right enough, and
as to the influences l have spoken of in
the other. though they were very strong.
1t would be grossly untrue and unjust to
charge that they acted upon them in q
body or were very near So 1 only mean
that those influences levied a tax of a
considerable per cent upon my strength
throughout the religious controversy. But
enough of this.
You say that in choosing a candidate
for congress you have an equal right
with SanGamon. and in this you are un-
doubtedly earnest. In agreeing to with
draw If the Wings of Sangamon should
go against me l did not mean that they
alone were worth consulting. but that If
she with her heavy delegation should be
against me it would be impossible for
me to succeed. and therefore I had as
well decline. And in relation to Menard
having rights, permit me fully to recog-
nize them and to express the opinion that
II she and Mason act circumspectly they
will in the convention be able so far to
enforce their rights as to decide abso-
lutely which one of the candidates shall
be successful. Let me show the reason
Of this. Hardin or some other Morgan
candidate will get Putnam. Marshall.
Woodford. Tazewell and Logan - make
sixteen. Then YOU and Mason. having
three. can give the victory to either side.
You say you shall instruct your dele
gates TOT me unless OD1eCt. GER
tainly shall not object That would
be too pleasant compliment for me to
tread in the dust. And besides. If any,
thing should happen (Which. however. is
not probable) by which Baker should be
thrown out of the fight I would be at
liberty to accept the nomination If I
could get 1t. I do. however. feel myself
bound not to hinder him in any way from
getting the nomination. 1 should despise
myself We're I to attempt 1t. I think.
then. it would be proper for your meet
ing to appoint three delegates and to in
struct them to go for some one as a first
choice, some one else as a second and
perhaps some one as third and If in
those instructions were named as the
first choice it would crafty me very
much.
II you wish to hold the balance of
power 1t is important for you to attend to
and secure the vote of Mason also. You
should be sure to have men appointed
delagafeS that Won kpoU xro,r ran SafAIv