Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1921-02-06

Illinois resulted in the election OF
Trumbull for senator. Lincoln was
the idol of the wings. They had lack.
ed Ave votes of enough to elect Lin
coin. There were FIVE free-soil demo-
Gratis who would not vote for him
and. upon the advice of Lincoln. they
elected Trumbull. Lincoln cared but
little for political preferment," MIR
Cannon explains. He saw the great
contest coming. Two years later the
great canvass was made betweenL Lin
coin and Douglass in Illinois, Of which
canvass the whole country took note
Lincoln was nominated by a popular
convention and he announced his
platform on which to make that con-
test with Senator Douglas, as fol.
lows:
IA house divided against itself can
not stand. 1 believe this government
cannot endure permanently half slave
and half free. I do not expect the
Union to be dissolved. l do not ex.
pect the house to fall, but I expect il
will cease to be divided. Il will be
come all one thing or all the other
Either the opponents of slavery vii
arrest the further spread Of it ant
place it where the public mind shal
rest in the belief that it is in th'
course of ultimate extinction. or i'll
advocates will push it forward TIL i
shall become alike lawful in al
states, old as well as new, north al
well as south
I'm 1858 l went to Illinois from In
diana" reminisces "Uncle joe.
was not long journey-about si1t!
miles. 1 settled in the new county O
Douglas. The prairie stretched away
In the little county town there wer'
not over a dozen houses. and beyond
on the prairie. as far as eye coui<
reach, there was but single house.
II heard two of those great debates
probably the hardest fought ant
most personal clashes in the entsr'
history of national politices--one a
Sullivan, Ill.,, and one at Charleston
Ill. I think I should have journeyet
over the state to hear the others i
the walking had not been poor.
was a wonderful contest between
giants. Douglas, born in Vermont. j:
politician Of national and Worldwide
reputation. was remarkably stront
and resourceful. Lincoln was a strik
ing opposate-tau. angularly rugged
plain and simple Of speech. but un
swerving in argument. Lincoln faile'
to reach the Senate, but he had be
come the. great man of his time.
X 4 + X
tOHyITHIN two years-in 1S60.-1ni
w nois concluded to present hin
as her candidate for the nomination
, for the presidency. We met in Deca
tur. Ill. / was a delegate TO that con
vention-drove there in farm wag
on. sixty miles across the prairie
The convention was held in struc
ture erected between two brick build
ings, with posts cut from the forest
with stringers cut from the fores
and covered with boughs cut from tn,
forest and the ends open. The multi
piled thousands gathered. Just abou
the time the convention. was organ
lied a vocie called out: Make wa.
for Dick Oglesby and John Hanks.
After much OF effort a narrow pas
sage was made. and they passet
Through it bearing two old walnu
rails. The rails were set up and fas
tened to them was a legend on a stri]
of cotton: These two rails wer'
made by John Hanks and Abraham
Lincoln in 1890 No..
There was great enthusiasm. Lin
coin was a great lawyer. had won hi
spurs in the famous debate which at
tracted the attention of the Who'll,
country: but the American people. al
ways reaching out for something tina
Twin touch the popular heart, found i
There The crowd closed up and TIL
cry came for Lincoln" He could no