CHAPTER X.

Mr. Lincoln takes his seat in the Legislature.--Schemes of internal improvement.--Mr. Lincoln a silent member.--Meets Stephen A. Douglas.--Log-rolling.--Mr. Lincoln a candidate for re-election.--The canvass.--"The Long Nine."--Speech at Mechanicsburg.--Fight.--Reply to Dr. Early.--Reply to George Forquer.--Trick on Dick Taylor.--Attempts to create a third party.--Mr. Lincoln elected.--Federal and State politics.--The Bank of the United States.--Suspension of specie payments.--Mr. Lincoln wishes to be the De Witt Clinton of Illinois.--The internal-improvement system.--Capital located at Springfield.--Mr. Lincoln's conception of the duty of a representative.--His part in passing the "system."--Begins his antislavery record.--Public sentiment against the Abolitionists.--History of antislavery in Illinois.--The Covenanters.--Struggle to amend the Constitution.--The "black code."--Death of Elijah P. Lovejoy.--Protest against proslavery resolutions.--No sympathy with extremists.--Suspension of specie payments.--Mr. Lincoln re-elected in 1838.--Candidate for Speaker.--Finances.--Utter failure of the internal-improvement "system."--Mr. Lincoln re-elected in 1840.--He introduces a bill.--His speech.--Financial expedients.--Bitterness of feeling.--Democrats seek to hold a quorum.--Mr. Lincoln jumps out of a window.--Speech by Mr. Lincoln.--The alien question.--The Democrats undertake to "reform" the judiciary.--Mr. Douglas a leader.--Protest of Mr. Lincoln and other Whigs.--Reminiscences of a colleague.--Dinner to "The Long Nine."--"Abraham Lincoln one of nature's noblemen."..........184