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some say he threw it away; and some others, who ought to know, say nothing about it. Perhaps it would be a fair historical compromise to say, if he did not break it, he did not do anything else with it.

By the way, Mr. Speaker, did you know I am a military hero? Yes, sir; in the days of the Black Hawk war I fought, bled, and came away. Speaking of General Cass's career reminds me of my own. I was not at Stillman's defeat, but I was about as near it as Cass was to Hull's surrender; and, like him, I saw the place very soon afterward. It is quite certain I did not break my sword, for I had none to break; but I bent a musket pretty badly on one occasion. If Cass broke his sword, the idea is he broke it in desperation; I bent the musket by accident. If General Cass went in advance of me in picking whortleberries, I guess I surpassed him in charges upon the wild onions. If he saw any live, fighting Indians, it was more than I did; but I had a good many bloody struggles with the mosquitoes; and although I never fainted from the loss of blood, I can truly say I was often very hungry.

Mr. Speaker, if I should ever conclude to doff whatever our Democratic friends may suppose there is of black-cockade Federalism about me, and therefore they shall take me up as their candidate for the Presidency, I protest they shall not make fun of me, as they have of General Cass, by attempting to write me into a military hero.

August 8th. I am remaining here [Washington] for two weeks to frank documents.

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28th. The news we are receiving here now from all parts is on the look-up. We have had several letters from Ohio today, all encouraging. The tone of the letters-free from despondency-full of hope-is what particularly encourages me. If a man is scared when he writes, I think I can detect it, when I see what he writes.

September. During the adjournment of Congress Lincoln makes a number of speeches in New England.

He began by

September 12th. (Report of Speech Delivered at Worcester, Massachusetts.) Mr. Lincoln has a very tall and thin figure, with an intellectual face, showing a searching mind and a cool judgment. He spoke in a clear, cool and very eloquent manner, for an hour and a half, carrying the audience with him in his able arguments and brilliant illustrations-only interrupted by warm and frequent applause. expressing a real feeling of modesty in addressing an audience "this side of the mountains," a part of the country where, in the opinion of the people of his section, everybody was supposed to be instructed and wise. But he had devoted his attention to the question of the coming presidential election, and was not unwilling to exchange with all whom he might the ideas to which he had arrived. He then began to show the fallacy of some of the arguments against General Taylor, making his chief theme the fashionable statement of all those who oppose him ("the old Loco focos as well as the new"), that he has no principles, and that the Whig party have abandoned their principles by adopting him as their candidate.

Mr. Lincoln then passed to the subject of slavery in the States, saying that the people of Illinois agreed entirely with the people of Massachusetts on this subject, except perhaps that they did not keep so constantly thinking about it. All agreed that slavery was an evil, but that we were not responsible for it and can not affect it in states of this Union where we do not live. But the question of the extension of slavery to new territories of this country is a part of our responsibility and care, and is under our control.

The "Free Soil" then in claiming that name indirectly attempt a deception by implying that Whigs were not Free Soil men. In declaring that they would "do their duty and leave

the consequences to God," merely gave an excuse for taking a course they were not able to maintain by a fair and full argument. To make this declaration did not show what their duty was. If it did we should have no use for judgment, we might as well be made without intellect, and when divine or human law does not clearly point out what is our duty, we have no means of finding out what it is by using our most intelligent judgment of the consequences.

22nd. (To William H. Seward, following the meeting at Tremont Temple, Boston, where both were speakers.)

Governor Seward, I have been thinking about what you said in your speech. I reckon you are right. We have got to deal with this slavery question and got to give much more attention to it hereafter than we have been doing.

Visits Niagara Falls while on the way home to Illinois.

The thing that struck me most forcibly when I saw the Falls was, where in the world did all that water come from?

At Springfield, finds that the younger Whigs do not like his course in Congress and that the older Whigs are losing influence. No chance for him to be renominated. He returns to Washington.

His father with whom he corresponded so little writes him a singular letter which causes the son to feel misgivings.

December 24th, Washington.

(To Thomas Lincoln.) Your letter of the 7th was received night before last. I very cheerfully send you the twenty dollars, which sum you say is necessary to save your land from sale. It is singular that you should have forgotten a judgment against you; and it is more singular that the plaintiff should

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