Frontier Politician.  Announces himself a candidate for the legislature; a “Clay man”; his campaign and defeat; enters grocery store, fails; pays off debt; studies law; postmaster at New Salem; settles account with government; surveyor; elected to legislature; borrows money to ride to capital; his career in legislature; love affair with Ann Rutledge; his gloom; its inexplicable character; affair with Mary Owens; again a candidate, his platform; calms excitement in campaign; his fairness; his retort to Forquer; elected as one of “Long Nine”; favors unlimited internal improvements; acknowledges his blunder; his skill as log-roller; gains popularity in county; protests against anti-abolition resolutions; admitted to bar, settles in Springfield; partnership with Stuart; studies debating; political ambitions; shows evidences of high ideals; incidents of his canvass in 1838; opposes repudiation, in legislature; reflected in 1840, unsuccessful candidate for speaker; jumps out of window to break a quorum; in campaign of 1840; his courtship of Mary Todd; fails to appear on wedding day; married; character of his married life; quarrels with Shields; later ashamed of it; improves prospects by a partnership with Logan; later joins with Herndon; his competitors at the bar; considers law secondary to politics; his legal ability; a “case lawyer”; his ability as jury lawyer; refuses to conduct a bad case; on Whig electoral ticket in 1844; later disillusioned with Clay; fails to get nomination to Congress; alleged understanding with Baker and others; renews candidacy in 1846; nominated; elected, his vote.

In Congress.  Agrees with Whig programme on Mexican war; introduces “Spot Resolutions” against Polk; his speech; his doctrine of right of revolution; votes for Ashmun’s amendment condemning war; defends himself from charge of lack of patriotism; his honesty; damages Whigs in Illinois; favors candidacy of Taylor; his speech in House for Taylor against Cass; votes for Wilmot Proviso; his bill to prohibit slave trade in District of Columbia; obtains support of Giddings; fails to obtain commissionership in Land Office; declines governorship of Oregon.

Candidate for Senate.  Accepts compromise although recognizing its futility; favors Scott in 1852; answers Douglas’s defense of Nebraska bill; escapes connection with Abolitionists; renews attack upon Douglas; candidate for Senate; leads in first ballots; injured by Abolitionist praise; urges friends to secure election of Trumbull; his alleged bargain with Trumbull; receives vote for Vice-President in Republican National Convention; his surprise; his opinion of Kansas question; delivers speech at organization of Republican party; meets disapproval at Springfield; in campaign of 1856; encounters hostility of Greeley in the East; journey of Herndon in his behalf; nominated by State Convention for senatorship; damaged by Whig support of Douglas; prepares letter of acceptance;