Nebraska meeting at the court house in Rock Island. John W. Spencer was president, Capt. T. J. Robinson and S. S. Guyer vice presidents, and O. P. Wharton secretary. J. J. Beardsley was the first speaker and the press reports say: "He responded in a speech of probably an hour in length of great power-logical, historical, truthful, eloquent-convincing.

"George W. Pleasants upon call of the audience followed Mr. Beardsley in a speech of about one hour and a half, embodying one of the most eloquent and searching appeals to the common sense and patriotism of the people to which we have ever had the pleasure of listening."

THE GERMANS.

The German-American citizens of this county like their brothers all over the country were abolitionists, and this was a source of considerable annoyance to the democrats. As an example, I quote from the Rock Island Argus of April 15th 1856:

'It is a singular fact that the German adherents to the nigger worshippers are mostly anti-Christians and devoted followers of King Gambrinus; and the Americans (Know-Nothings) are mostly Puritans and Maine lawites. Yet both join hand in hand, under the misapplied name of 'republican' to beat the democracy, the only national party and true friends of liberty. Les extremes se touchent."

THE NATIONAL ELECTION.

James Buchanan was the democratic candidate for president in 1856. Millard Fillmore was the native American, and on June 17th at Philadelphia the anti-slavery democrats and whigs of the north met and organized the national republican party, and nominated John C. Fremont for president. While Buchanan carried the state by a plurality of 9164 over Fremont, the entire republican state ticket of Illinois was elected, Bissell receiving a majority of 4697 over W. A. Richardson, the democratic candidate.

Rock Island county in 1850 had only 6937 people and in 1856 our population was 16,217. The county gave Fremont 1308 votes; Buchanan 955; Fillmore 251. For governor Bissell received 1359; Richardson 958; Morris 230. For congress J. F. Farnsworth received 1302 votes, a majority of 340 over J. Van Nortwick. Thomas J Henderson was elected to the state senate, receiving 1304 votes. J. B. Hawley was elected state's attorney.

The Camden (now Milan) precinct poll books were thrown out by the judges on account of informalities, the judges not being sworn. This precinct gave a majority of from 28 to 55 democratic.

SOME ILLINOIS EDITORS.

O. P. Wharton, the editor of the Rock Island Advertiser, was an Ohio man, coming to Rock Island in September, 1853, when he purchased a half interest in this paper. He continued in its publication until the spring of 1858 when the paper suspended. Mr. Wharton then left Rock Island. Mr. Wharton was a pronounced anti-slavery man and did much to strengthen the cause. In 1900 he was editor of the Journal and Local of Sandusky, Ohio.

From August, 1854, to February, 1857, Amos Smith published in Moline, The Moline Workman. Mr. Smith was a native of New Jersey, and was one of Parson Hitchcock's most ardent admirers. His paper fairly bristled with abolition arguments, and he had much to do with forming the anti-slavery sentiment in Moline. One of his contemporary editors in this county, in speaking of his paper in 1870, said: "The Workman in its political tone was decidedly Anti-Slavery."

T. J. Pickett, who was editor of the Peoria Republican, one of the newspapers to sign the call in February, 1856, was born in Kentucky and became in February, 1859, a citizen of the city of Rock Island where he started the Rock Island Register. He was in 1860 elected state senator from this county. His term extended through the 22d and 23d general assemblies, and in 1861 he was government agent at the island of Rock Island. In 1862 Mr. Pickett enlisted in the civil war and was afterward elected lieutenant colonel of the 69th Illinois infantry, and afterward promoted to the colonelcy of the 132d Illinois infantry. After the war he came to Rock Island and in 1866 was government agent on the island. In 1866 he returned to Paducah, Kentucky.

LINCOLN'S ADDRESS.

On December 10th, 1856, the republicans of Illinois celebrated their victory with a banquet in Chicago. Among the speakers was Abraham Lincoln. The concluding portion of his address is worthy of wider dissemination Mr. Lincoln said:

"All of us who did not vote for Mr. Buchanan, taken together, are a majority of 400,000. But in the late contest we were divided between Fremont and Fillmore. Can we not come together for the future? Let everyone who really believes, and is resolved, that free society is not, and shall not be, a failure, and who conscientiously declares that in the past contest he has done only what he thought best-let every such an one have charity to believe that every one can say as much. Thus let by-gones be by-gones. Let past differences as nothing be, and with steady eye on the real issue, let us re-inaugurate the good old 'central ideas' of the republic. We can do it. The human heart is with us-God is with us. We shall again be able, not to declare that 'all States, as States, are equal,' nor yet that 'all citizens, as citizens, are equal,' but to renew the broader, better declaration, including both these and much more, that 'all men are created equal.'

ANNIVERSARY OF THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.

The republican party dates its birth from the republican national convention held at Philadelphia on June 17th, 1856. Yet the republican party in Illinois was born May 29th, 1856, at Bloomington, and as well said by Mr. Benjamin F. Shaw: "No human agency in all the tide of times has accomplished more in modifying 'Man's inhumanity to man, which makes countless thousands mourn,' than the republican party. Its efforts have been in a spirit of pure patriotism and the universal brotherhood of man."

CHAPTER III.

THE NATIONAL REPUBLICAN CONVENTION AT CHICAGO-HORACE GREELEY, THURLOW WEED, EDWARD BATES, WILLIAM M. EVARTS, JOSHUA R. GIDDINGS, CARL SCHURZ, AND OTHER HISTORICAL CHARACTERS PRESENT-STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS.

I remember the Wigwam, and the great Republican convention held in Chicago on May 16, 1860. The Republican state convention was held in Decatur on the 10th of May. I was studying law in the office of James C. Conkling of Springfield and I had read Kent and was reading Blackstone, two volumes of which I had already finished. When Mr. Conkling went to New York to deliver speeches for Mr. Lincoln, I was left in charge of his office. Lincoln remained at home during the canvass, but kept strict watch concerning the events of the presidential campaign. Mr. Elihu B. Washburne in his reminiscences of Lincoln says: "The most thrilling event was the monster Republican mass meeting held at Springfield during the canvass. It was a meeting in which the whole state participated and was more in the nature of a personal ovation to Lincoln than a political gathering. Mr. Lincoln, surrounded by some intimate friends, sat on the balcony of his modest home and was deeply touched by the manifestations of personal and political friendship."

Lincoln went down to Decatur and was present when the two old rails were brought into the convention hall with the inscription, now famous, "Abraham Lincoln, the rail candidate for the Presidency in 1860. Two rails from a lot of 3,000, made in 1830 by Thomas Hanks and Abe Lincoln, whose father was the first pioneer of Macon county."

The Republican Convention met in Chicago May 16, 1860, and nominated Abraham Lincoln as President, and Hannibal Hamlin Vice-President. William H. Seward, who received on the first ballot 1732 votes, to Lincoln's 102, was afterwards made Secretary of State, and Mr. S. T. Chase, who received 49 votes on the first ballot, was made Secretary of the Treasury, and Simon Cameron, who received 602 votes upon the first ballot, was made Secretary of War.

The number necessary for a choice was 233. On the third ballot Lincoln had 2312, and before figures were removed a dele