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while perfect in its construction, a marvel of logical force, was not so stirring as that delivered at Springfield. It was, however, distinguished above all others for its manifestation of a full and exhaustive knowledge of the slavery question and of all that had at that time grown out of it. Probably no other man then living could have produced so complete and comprehensive a view of the subject presented, both as to itself and its collateral branches.

At the close of this speech, Douglas said to Lincoln: "You understand this question of prohibiting slavery in the Territories better than all the opposition in the Senate of the United States. I cannot make anything by debating it with you. You, Lincoln, have, here and at Springfield, given me more trouble than all the opposition in the Senate combined." He then appealed to Lincoln's magnanimity, as we are told by at least one historian (Mr. W. H. Herndon), to agree that there should be no more joint discussions, and to this Lincoln assented. It is likely, however, that some other motive was presented to move Lincoln's mind to this agreement. At any rate, although they had appointed one more joint debate, it was not held, and both withdrew for the time being.

The Legislature elected that year was to choose a successor to James Shields, then a Senator from Illinois, a Democratic colleague with Douglas. This was the same belligerent Shields who, some years before, had proposed to fight a duel with the young lawyer Lincoln. He was a candidate for re-election, but Lincoln's bout with Douglas, and the fierce

excitement that swept the country, had endangered his chances. It is not certain, perhaps, whether the friendship of Douglas or the opposition of Lincoln was the more destructive of Shields's chances for a renewal of his term in the Senate of the United States. Fortunately for the Democrats, they had several senators in the Legislature of the State whose terms would not expire until the following year; otherwise, the Legislature would have been revolutionized; but, in the various composite elements in the Legislature, there was a clear majority of two against Douglas, or, rather, against any man. that had Douglas's advocacy. Lincoln led the opposition, and, by general consent, was selected as candidate for the Senate against Shields. The two old-time antagonists had met again. When the Legislature came together the anti-Douglas men were not united. Lyman Trumbull, an able lawyer and accomplished debater, was one of the candidates of the opponents of Douglas men; Lincoln was the other. On the first ballot Lincoln received fortyfive votes, Trumbull five, and Shields forty-one, and there were some scattering votes. Repeated ballotings produced no other result, until Joel A. Matteson, Democrat, had been substituted for Shields, who was withdrawn. On the tenth ballot, Lincoln having besought his friends to go for Trumbull, or Matteson would assuredly be elected, Trumbull received fiftyone votes, Matteson forty-seven, and one vote was cast for a man who was not a candidate. Thus the contest terminated by the election of a man who was inflexibly opposed to the Douglas policy, and who,

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later on, was to be a conspicuous figure in the Senate during Lincoln's Presidential term. To Lincoln's unselfish devotion to principle was this triumphant success of the new spirit of the freemen of Illinois largely due. He ardently desired the senatorial office, for he felt that in it he could accomplish great things for free government. He relinquished all his chances, and implored his friends, who were many and steadfast, to leave him and vote for Trumbull, rather than endanger the cause in which they were all so deeply concerned. This generous concession solidified the jarring elements of the new party and made its after-successes possible. Nor is this generosity lessened by the fact that Judge Trumbull had never been the political friend of Lincoln, but his opponent, and sometimes his unfriendly critic.

CHAPTER XI.

THE KANSAS STRUGGLE.

Freedom and Slavery Wrestle with Each Other-"Bleeding Kansas" -The Troubler of Slave-Owners-The Irrepressible ConflictLincoln's Slowness and Reticence.

MEANWHILE, immigrants from free States and

slave States were pouring into Kansas. In spite of the incursions of the proslavery men, the hardy immigrants from Iowa, northern Illinois, and New England were clearly in the majority. Something must be done to stem this tide and to turn it back upon the free States. Violence was readily resorted to. The swashbucklers who trooped over the border from Missouri and Arkansas were as ready to stuff ballot-boxes with fraudulent votes and mob

free-State men as they were to vote. One thing they would not do-work. The free-State men were indeed actual settlers. They took up land, planted crops, and built log cabins for their families, evidently intending to stay. The borderers, on the other hand, were rough riders, sportsmen, gamblers. They spent their time in drinking, shooting, scouring the country for prey, and terrifying helpless women and children. One of their favorite expressions was that they "would make it hot for any Abolitionist," and another was that they "would cut the heart out of any man who voted the Abolition ticket." Ag

gressiveness like this soon engendered hatreds. The proslavery men were known as "border ruffians," and the free-State men were commonly called

"Abolitioners."

; Under the lead of the notorious "Dave" Atchison of Missouri, a Senator of the United States, secret societies, known as "Blue Lodges," were formed for the purpose of ridding the country of the hated freeState men. Steamers bound up the Missouri River, laden with free-State immigrants and their movable property, were stopped by these ruffians, who swarmed on board, drove off the immigrants, put their cattle and goods ashore, and compelled the officers of the steamers, who were only too willing to be an unresisting party to this outrage, to go on and leave their passengers behind. The border ruffians had on their side the influence of the United States officials, the Missouri State government, and the State militia. They rode across the border, burning fields of grain and cabins of the free-State men, killing or running off their animals, and devastating the country for miles around. Under the leadership of Atchison and another of his kidney, one Stringfellow, raids were planned for long forays into the Territory, the raiders returning into Missouri under the cover of the night, or camping in secluded places along the border, ready for another excursion. On the free-State side were such men as "Jim" Lane, afterward a Senator from Kansas, and a redoubtable fighter; John Brown, then called Ossawattomie Brown, from his pitching his tent on the Kansas stream of that name; Charles Robinson, afterward

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