Lincoln, the unknown

LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN•97earthly power were given me, I should not know what to dowith the existing institution."For more than three hours, with the perspiration rollingdown his face, he continued to answer Douglas, revealing thesenator's sophistry, showing the utter falseness of his position.It was a profound speech, and it made a profound impression.Douglas winced and writhed under it. Time after time herose to his feet and interrupted Lincoln.The election wasn't far off. Progressive young Democratswere already bolting the ticket and attacking Douglas, and whenthe voters of Illinois cast their ballots, the Douglas Democratswere overwhelmed.Senators were chosen in those days by the State legislatures;and the Illinois Legislature met in Springfield on February 8,1855, for that purpose. Mrs. Lincoln had bought a new dressand hat for the occasion and her brother-in-law, Ninian W. Edwards,had with sanguine anticipation arranged for a receptionto be given that night in Senator Lincoln's honor.On the first ballot, Lincoln led all the other candidates, andcame within six votes of victory. But he steadily lost after that;and on the tenth ballot he was definitely defeated, and LymanW. Trumbull was elected.Lyman Trumbull had married Julia Jayne, a young womanwho had been bridesmaid at Mary Lincoln's wedding and probablyhad been the most intimate friend that Mrs. Lincoln everhad. Mary and Julia sat side by side in the balcony of the Hallof Representatives that afternoon, watching the senatorial election;and when the victory of Julia's husband was announced,Mrs. Lincoln turned in a temper and walked out of the building.Her anger was so fierce, and her jealousy was so galling,that from that day on, to the end of her life, she never againspoke to Julia Trumbull.Saddened and depressed, Lincoln returned to his dingy lawoffice with the ink-stain on the wall and the garden seeds sproutingin the dust on top of the bookcase.A week later he hitched up Old Buck and once more starteddriving over the unsettled prairies, from one country courthouseto another. But his heart was no longer in the law. Hetalked now of little else but politics and slavery. He said that thethought of millions of people held in bondage continually madehim miserable. His periods of melancholy returned now more