The life and public services of Abraham Lincoln ... together with his state papers, including his speeches, addresses, messages, letters, and proclamations, and the closing scenes connected with his life and death. By Henry J. Raymond. To which are added anecdotes and personal reminiscences of President Lincoln, by Frank B. Carpenter.

STATE PAPERS OF.ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

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Tlhey knew that he was not in any sense a Republican.
They knew that on the cardinal principle of the Republican party, opposition to the spread of Slavery into the
Territories, he was not with them'; for he had declared
in the most positive way that lie "did not care whether
Slavery was voted down or up." And they therefore
determined, in opposition to the views of some influential
Republicans, at home as well as in other States, to fight
the battle through against him, with all the en:ery that
they could bring to the work. And to this end, on the
17th of June, 1858, at their State Convention at Springfield, they nominated Mr. Lincoln as their candidate for
the Senate of the United States.
The circumstances we have briefly sketchled invested
the campaign about to open with national importance.
The people of the whole Union saw that tll struggle then
initiated in Illinois must ultimately extend to otllhe States,
and they knew that they would soon be compelled themselves to pass upon the questions there to be decided.
None doubted that the principle of "'Popular Sovereignty'
would be thoroughly examined, for the reputation of the
two combatants as men of extraordinary ability was established. It was the universal expectation that each
aspirant for senatorial honors would display peculiar
caution in opening the struggle, in order to prevent the
other from gaining any undue advantage; but Mr. Lincoln scorned every appearance of subterfuge or evasion.
His opinions had become sharply defined and clearly
crystallized during the contests through which h, liad
passed in the years preceding, and in his speech to tle
Convention which nominated him, signifying his acceptance of the honor conferred upon him, he expressed himself so unreservedly and frankly that even his supporters
were for the moment startled.
In a speech delivered at Chicago, July 9,-the first
after Mr. Lincoln' s nomination,-Senator Dougjas alluded
to this address as having been "well prepared and carefully written." In reply, Mr. Lincoln said, " Gentlemen.
Judge Douglas informed you that this speech of mine