The moderation of this speech, coming from an Illinois politician, did much to draw attention to him as a possible future candidate for the presidency, to which, by this time, he undoubtedly aspired.  And why not?  He was the leader of his party in Illinois, a great speech-maker, who had defeated Douglas himself in debate, a shrewd, cool, far-sighted man, looking to the future rather than the present; and political friends had already gathered about him as a strong political factor.

Mr. Lincoln after his great speech in New York returned to his home.  He had a few years before given some political speeches in Boston and the adjacent towns, which were well received, but made no deep impression,—­from no fault of his, but simply because he had not the right material to work upon, where culture was more in demand than vigor of intellect.

Indeed, one result of the election of Lincoln, and of the war which followed, was to open the eyes of Eastern people to the intellect and intelligence of the West.  Western lawyers and politicians might not have the culture of Sumner, the polished elocution of Everett, the urbanity of Van Buren, and the courtly manners of Winthrop, but they had brain-power, a faculty for speech-making, and great political sagacity.  And they were generally more in sympathy with the people, having mostly sprung from their ranks.  Their hard and rugged intellects told on the floor of Congress, where every one is soon judged according to his merits, and not according to his clothes.  And the East saw that thereafter political power would centre in the West, and dominate the whole country,—­against which it was useless to complain or rebel, since, according to all political axioms, the majority will rule, and ought to rule.  And the more the East saw of the leading men of the West, the more it respected their force of mind, their broad and comprehensive views, and their fitness for high place under the government.

It was not the people of the United States who called for the nomination of Lincoln, as in the case of General Jackson.  He was not much known outside of Illinois, except as a skilful debater and stump orator.  He had filled no high office to bring him before the eyes of the nation.  He was not a general covered with military laurels, nor a Senator in Congress, nor governor of a large State, nor a cabinet officer.  No man had thus far been nominated for President unless he was a military success, or was in the line of party promotion.  Though a party leader in Illinois, Lincoln was simply a private citizen, with no antecedents which marked him out for such exalted position.  But he was “available,”—­a man who could be trusted, moderate in his views, a Whig and yet committed to antislavery views, of great logical powers, and well-informed on all the political issues of the day.  He was not likely to be rash, or impulsive, or hasty, or to stand in the way of political aspirants.  He was eminently a safe man in an approaching