Lincoln, the unknown

LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN• 35He reached the high-water mark of his career in New Salem,as far as the Clary's Grove Boys were concerned, on the day allthe town gathered under the white-oak trees to see him wrestlewith their leader, Jack Armstrong. When Lincoln laid Armstrongout, he had arrived, he had achieved the ultimate. Fromthat time on the Clary's Grove Boys gave him their friendshipand crowned him with their allegiance. They appointed himjudge of their horse-races and referee of their cock-fights. Andwhen Lincoln was out of work and had no home, they tookhim into their cabins and fed him.Lincoln found here in New Salem an opportunity he had beenseeking for years, an opportunity to conquer his fears andlearn to speak in public. Back in Indiana the only chance thathe had had at this sort of thing had been in talking to littlegroups of laborers in the fields. But here in New Salem there wasan organized "literary society" that met every Saturday night inthe dining-room of the Rutledge tavern. Lincoln joined it withalacrity and took a leading part on its program, telling stories,reading verses that he had written himself, making extemporaneoustalks on such subjects as the navigation of the SangamonRiver, and debating the various questions of the day.This activity was priceless. It widened his mental horizonand awakened his ambition. He discovered that he had an unusualability to influence other men by his speech. That knowledgedeveloped his courage and self-confidence as nothing elsehad ever done.In a few months Offut's store failed and Lincoln was outof a job. An election was coming on, the State was seethingwith politics, and so he proposed to cash in on his ability tospeak.With the aid of Mentor Graham, the local school-teacher,he toiled for weeks over his first address to the public, in whichhe announced that he was a candidate for the State Legislature.He stated that he favored "internal improvements ... the navigationof the Sangamon . . . better education . . . justice," andso on.In closing he said:"I was born and have ever remained in the most humblewalks of life. I have no wealthy or popular relatives or friendsto recommend me." And he concluded with this pathetic sentence:"But if the good people in their wisdom shall see fit to