action. These were his opinions to his death, and he never veered from them for a moment.

Giddings on the other hand was an uncompromising abolitionist. To him slavery was such a monstrous evil that he was for its riddance regardless of law or constitution. Every method, lawful or unlawful, was to him justifiable, whether it was the Underground Railroad or the John Brown Raid. The Whig party was too slow for him, likewise was the Republican. But he recognized that they were the best practical anti-slavery agencies of their time. Notwithstanding that Lincoln could not follow him in his abolitionism, Giddings had a high regard for his integrity of mind and purpose. Sometimes he seemed that he bent his vigorous abolitionism for him. Lincoln's bill for the gradual abolition or slavery in the District of Columbia, which he introduced January 16, 1849, provided for full compensation to the owners of the slaves, but provided that the law should not go into effect until it had been favorably voted upon by the inhabitants of the District. Queerly enough, Giddings approved this, and had evidently talked it over with Lincoln before he introduced it. In his Journal of January 11, 1849, Giddings gives his reasons for his support: "This evening our whole mess remained in the dining-room after tea and conversed upon the subject of Mr. Lincoln's bill to abolish slavery. It was approved by all; I believe it is as good a bill as we could get at this time, and I was willing to pay for slaves in order to save them from the southern market, as I suppose every man in the District would sell his slaves if he saw that slavery was to be abolished."

After Lincoln was nominated for President there came to him many letters; there was one that may be

anticipated here as indicating an estimate formed in › congressional days:

DEAR LINCOLN: You're nominated. You will be elected. After your election, thousands will crowd around, claiming rewards for services rendered. I, too, have my claims upon you. I have not worked for your nomination, nor for that of any other man. I have labored for the establishment of principles; and when men came to me asking my opinion of you, I only told them "Lincoln is an honest man." All I ask of you in return for my services is, make my statement good through your administration.

Yours,

GIDDINGS.

Lincoln's short congressional career, although he had no realization of it at the time, was the climacteric of his political life. If he had followed any other course on the Mexican War he would have made his future impossible. As it was, some of his friends at home regretted his attitude. But he followed his own counsel, and time demonstrated the wisdom of his judgment. Ten years later in his first debate with Senator Douglas, he had the satisfaction of presenting his record. Douglas charged him with "opposition to the Mexican War, taking the side of the common enemy against his own country." Lincoln's reply was thorough:

The Judge charges me with having, while in Congress, opposed our soldiers who were fighting in the Mexican War. I will tell you what I can prove by referring to the record. You remember I was an old Whig, and whenever the Democratic party tried to get me to vote that the war had been righteously begun by the President I would not do it. But whenever they asked for any money or landwarrants, or anything to pay the soldiers, I gave the same vote that Douglas did. Such is the truth, and the Judge has a right to make all he can out of it.

If Abraham Lincoln had agreed and associated politically with Corwin and Giddings on the Mexican War,

he would never have been able to make such a reply to Douglas. Neither would he have been nominated for senator, nor would he have been heard of for the presidency.

CHAPTER II

SOME PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS IN OHIO

When Congress adjourned March 3, 1849, Lincoln returned to his home to resume the practice of law. He was a successful lawyer, for he had a mind calculated to bring him success. He was analytical, thorough, logical and industrious. Added to these mental qualities, he was a good talker before a jury. When he attained the presidency he ranked among the leading lawyers of his state. His business extended beyond

Illinois.

On Christmas eve, 1849, he was in Cincinnati, and wrote to the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Ohio the following letter:

Mr. Fox informed me this morning that I had better write to you in reference to the case of Linus Logan and the Steamboat Clipper now on the docket. We have been ready at any time to take up the case but have waited for the brief of the other side. We have not yet received it, but it is promised us today.

Judge Coffin left here yesterday saying that he would have the case put down for Friday. If I get the brief today or to

Peter Hitchcock born in Cheshire, Connecticut, October 19, 1781; died in Painesville, Ohio, May 11, 1853; graduated from Yale, 1801; removed to Geauga county, Ohio, 1806; served in the Ohio Legislature, 1810-1816; elected to Congress, 1816; served as judge of the Supreme Court twenty-eight years, retiring in 1852; delegate to Constitutional Convention in 1850.

morrow we can be ready to hear it then and will be in Columbus for that purpose.

We are very anxious to have it heard on account of our clients in this case and because the same question presented in the record is now before the courts of this country in several cases. Some cause, I am not fully aware what, has prevented counsel from furnishing the brief, etc. I hope the case will not be continued.

The case to which Lincoln referred was, in itself, of not unusual importance, but because it marks his first professional association with the Ohio courts, it becomes of more than passing interest.

The original action was for trespass brought by Logan, who was Lincoln's client, against the steamboat Clipper for wrongfully running into and damaging the steamboat Mail while navigating the Ohio River near Manchester, Ohio, on the 20th day of March, 1844. The case was tried at the June term, 1848, of the Superior Court of Cincinnati, when Logan got a verdict for $3760; it was taken in error to the Supreme Court of Ohio, in bank, at Columbus, on the question of certain testimony, and was again decided in favor of Lincoln's client. The case - Steamboat Clipper vs. Linus Logan -will be found in the 18th Ohio Reports, pages 375-399, reported in full. We are deprived of further and more definite knowledge of Lincoln's connection with this case for the reason that the records of the Superior Court of Cincinnati, and the Supreme Court at Columbus were destroyed by fire, the former in the riots of 1884. Whether he tried the case in the Superior Court, or argued it in the Supreme Court we have no means of knowing. The brief for his client in the Ohio Reports