Lincoln, the unknown

LINCOLN THE UNKNOWN•89Whigs had already done: he attacked the President for havingstarted "a war of rapine and murder, a war of robbery and dishonor,"and declared that the God of heaven had "forgotten todefend the weak and innocent, and permitted the strong bandof murderers and demons from hell to kill men, women, andchildren and lay waste and pillage the land of the just."The capital paid no attention whatever to this speech, for Lincolnwas unknown. But back in Springfield, it raised a hurricane.Illinois had sent six thousand men to fight, as they believed, forthe holy cause of liberty; and now their representative wasstanding up in Congress and calling their soldiers demons fromhell, and accusing them of murder. In a rage, excited partizansheld public meetings and denounced Lincoln as "base" . . ."dastardly" . . . "infamous" ... "a reasonable guerilla" ... "asecond Benedict Arnold."At one meeting resolutions were adopted declaring that neveruntil then had they "known disgrace so black." . . . "Such blackodium and infamy heaped upon the living brave and illustriousdead can but excite the indignation of every true Illinoisan."The hatred was so bitter that it smoldered for more than adecade; and when Lincoln was running for the Presidencythirteen years later these denunciations were again hurled at hishead."I have committed political suicide," Lincoln confessed to hislaw partner.He dreaded to go back home now and face his resentfulconstituents; so he tried to secure a position that would keephim in Washington, and maneuvered to secure an appointmentas Commissioner of the Land Office, but he failed.Then he tried to have himself named Governor of the Territoryof Oregon, with the hope that he might be one of the firstsenators when it came into the Union, but he failed in that too.So he returned to Springfield and his dirty law office. Oncemore he hitched up Old Buck to his ramshackle buggy, andagain he started driving over the circuit of the Eighth JudicialDistrict—one of the most dejected men in all Illinois.He was determined now to forget all about politics, and devotehimself to his profession. He realized that he had nomethod in his work, that he lacked mental discipline; and so,to train himself to reason more closely and to demonstrate aproposition, he bought a geometry and carried it with him ashe rode the circuit.