The Writings of Abraham Lincoln, vol 3 | Page 8

introduced by C. L. Wilson, Esq., and as he made
his appearance he was greeted with a perfect storm of applause. For
some moments the enthusiasm continued unabated. At last, when by a
wave of his hand partial silence was restored, Mr. LINCOLN said,]
MY FELLOW-CITIZENS:--On yesterday evening, upon the occasion
of the reception given to Senator Douglas, I was furnished with a seat
very convenient for hearing him, and was otherwise very courteously
treated by him and his friends, and for which I thank him and them.
During the course of his remarks my name was mentioned in such a
way as, I suppose, renders it at least not improper that I should make
some sort of reply to him. I shall not attempt to follow him in the
precise order in which he addressed the assembled multitude upon that
occasion, though I shall perhaps do so in the main.
There was one question to which he asked the attention of the crowd,
which I deem of somewhat less importance--at least of propriety--for
me to dwell upon than the others, which he brought in near the close of
his speech, and which I think it would not be entirely proper for me to
omit attending to, and yet if I were not to give some attention to it now,
I should probably forget it altogether. While I am upon this subject,

allow me to say that I do not intend to indulge in that inconvenient
mode sometimes adopted in public speaking, of reading from
documents; but I shall depart from that rule so far as to read a little
scrap from his speech, which notices this first topic of which I shall
speak,--that is, provided I can find it in the paper:
"I have made up my mind to appeal to the people against the
combination that has been made against me; the Republican leaders
having formed an alliance, an unholy and unnatural alliance, with a
portion of unscrupulous Federal office-holders. I intend to fight that
allied army wherever I meet them. I know they deny the alliance; but
yet these men who are trying to divide the Democratic party for the
purpose of electing a Republican Senator in my place are just as much
the agents and tools of the supporters of Mr. Lincoln. Hence I shall deal
with this allied army just as the Russians dealt with the Allies at
Sebastopol,-- that is, the Russians did not stop to inquire, when they
fired a broadside, whether it hit an Englishman, a Frenchman, or a Turk.
Nor will I stop to inquire, nor shall I hesitate, whether my blows shall
hit the Republican leaders or their allies, who are holding the Federal
offices, and yet acting in concert with them."
Well, now, gentlemen, is not that very alarming? Just to think of it!
right at the outset of his canvass, I, a poor, kind, amiable, intelligent
gentleman,--I am to be slain in this way! Why, my friend the Judge is
not only, as it turns out, not a dead lion, nor even a living one,--he is
the rugged Russian Bear!
But if they will have it--for he says that we deny it--that there is any
such alliance, as he says there is,--and I don't propose hanging very
much upon this question of veracity,--but if he will have it that there is
such an alliance, that the Administration men and we are allied, and we
stand in the attitude of English, French, and Turk, he occupying the
position of the Russian, in that case I beg that he will indulge us while
we barely suggest to him that these allies took Sebastopol.
Gentlemen, only a few more words as to this alliance. For my part, I
have to say that whether there be such an alliance depends, so far as I
know, upon what may be a right definition of the term alliance. If for
the Republican party to see the other great party to which they are
opposed divided among themselves, and not try to stop the division,
and rather be glad of it,--if that is an alliance, I confess I am in; but if it

is meant to be said that the Republicans had formed an alliance going
beyond that, by which there is contribution of money or sacrifice of
principle on the one side or the other, so far as the Republican party is
concerned,--if there be any such thing, I protest that I neither know
anything of it, nor do I believe it. I will, however, say,--as I think this
branch of the argument is lugged in,--I would before I leave it state, for
the benefit of those concerned, that one of those same Buchanan men
did once tell me of an argument that he made for