special legislation, and the government of the United States in the exercise of its powers, whether executive, legislative or judicial, is bound to adhere in substance and form to the generous and noble spirit of these important maxims.

"Resolved, that we pledge our unremitting efforts to prevent the reopening of the African slave trade so arrogantly demanded by many Democratic papers and politicians.

"Resolved, that we are opposed to the self-styled Democracy which allows the public lands to be monopolized by speculators and capitalists, and are in favor of their free occupation by actual settlers in limited quantities, as proposed by the Republicans in the last congress, and voted down by the so-called Democracy.

"Resolved, that the reckless disregard of the rights of naturalized citizens, by the administration of James Buchanan, as exhibited in the letter of General Cass to Mr. LeClerc, calls for our unqualified reprobation, and that we claim for every citizen, whether native or adopted, from whom we exact allegiance, protection at home and abroad."

On the day before the Republican convention met, the Democratic convention had assembled and nominated Colonel (now General) John A. McClernand for the same office. The fact of my nomination was communicated to me on the following day (30th), and as there was no possibility of an election I accepted the nomination.

General McClernand had been one of the original opponents of the test proposed by Mr. Douglas of party orthodoxy. I immediately proceeded to make a canvass, and think I visited every county in the district.

I spoke at Winchester, Scott county, on October 11th; on the 12th, at Petersburg; on the 13th, at Jacksonville; at Jerseyville on the 14th; Carrollton on the 15th, and at Shelbyville on the 19th, where I received information that John Brown had invaded Virginia at Harper's Ferry, which produced such a sensation as cannot be understood, and reversed the vote of the district.

I had expected to be beaten by one or two thousand votes. I reminded the people of Shelby county that the compromise measure of 1850, to which all were pledged, fully justified my prediction that the repeal of the compromise of 1820 would endanger the perpetuity and peace of the Union.

By this time Colonel McClernand was fully committed to the doctrine of popular sovereignty, under which slavery was to be introduced into all the territories, and I made some impression on my hearers, but still I failed to carry one county in the district. Colonel McClernand beat me more than four thousand votes. My fellowcitizens still retained their confidence in me as a lawyer, and my republicanism did not injure me professionally.

The Republican State Convention was held in Decatur on May 9, 1860; I attended the convention as a delegate from Macoupin county. After a spirited contest between Richard Yates, Leonard Swett, and Norman B. Judd for candidate for governor, Richard Yates received the nomination, and Francis A. Hoffman for lieutenant-governor; Ozias M. Hatch, for secretary of state; Jesse K. Du Bois, for auditor, and William Butler, for treasurer, and Newton Bateman, for superintendent of public instruction.

On June 13th of the same year, the Democratic State Convention was held in Springfield, at which James C. Allen was nominated as a candidate for governor, Lewis W. Ross, for lieutenant-governor. The canvass was conducted by the candidates for governor and lieutenant-governor, and the Republicans succeeded in the election, Mr. Yates having received one hundred and seventy-two thousand one hundred and ninety-six (172,196) and Mr. Allen one hundred and fifty-nine thousand two hundred and fifty-eight (159,258) votes. It is noticeable that my old friend, Major B. T. Burke, was nominated by the Buchanan Democracy of the state and received two thousand and twenty-two (2,022) votes.

The Seward men in the Decatur convention resisted

instructions to the delegates to the national convention for Mr. Lincoln, but finally consented that they be instructed to vote as a unit for him.

The National Republican Convention was held in Chicago, on May 16th, and resulted in the nomination of Lincoln for president on the third ballot, and Hannibal Hamlin for vice-president. Undoubtedly, Judge David Davis and Norman B. Judd contributed most to the nomination of Mr. Lincoln; they were indefatigable in their efforts to secure his nomination. In one instance, Judge Davis visited the New Jersey delegation, and reported to me that he had found that the New Jersey delegation were insisting that Seward should have the first place on the ticket and Lincoln the second, and asked me to go and see them. I did not know what I could do to aid the judge, but determined upon my line of conversation while on the way. When introduced to the delegation, they suggested that Mr. Seward be nominated for the presidency, and Mr. Lincoln be given the vice-presidency, when I told them that there were forty thousand Democrats who would vote the Republican ticket, but who would not consent to do so if two old Whigs were placed upon the ticket. Judge Davis was asked if there was as much party feeling, as much prejudice, in the minds of the Democratic-Republicans as I had represented. And he replied, "Oh! Oh! these old Loco-focos will do anything!" I said to them, "You must take a Democrat for one of these offices." And in that way we escaped the responsibility of two old Whig party men being placed upon the ticket; and thus Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Seward were brought face to face as candidates for the presidency. Lincoln succeeded, and Hannibal Hamlin, of Maine, originally a Democrat, was nominated for the vice-presidency.

The convention adopted the following platform: "Resolved, that we, the delegated representatives of the Republican electors of the United States in convention as