“Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound!"’

This set the audience fairly wild with delight, and at once brought them into full confidence with the speaker.”

Hating slavery though he did, Lincoln was steadily opposed to all forms of unlawful or violent opposition to it.  At about the time of which we are speaking a party of Abolitionists in Illinois had become so excited over the Kansas struggle that they were determined to go to the aid of the Free-State men in that territory.  As soon as Lincoln learned of this project, he opposed it strongly.  When they spoke to him of “Liberty, Justice, and God’s higher law,” he replied in this temperate and judicious strain: 

Friends, you are in the minority—­in a sad minority; and you can’t hope to succeed, reasoning from all human experience.  You would rebel against the Government, and redden your hands in the blood of your countrymen.  If you have the majority, as some of you say you have, you can succeed with the ballot, throwing away the bullet.  You can peaceably, then, redeem the Government and preserve the liberties of mankind, through your votes and voice and moral influence. Let there be peace.  In a democracy, where the majority rule by the ballot through the forms of law, these physical rebellions and bloody resistances are radically wrong, unconstitutional, and are treason.  Better bear the ills you have than fly to those you know not of.  Our own Declaration of Independence says that governments long established should not be resisted for trivial causes.  Revolutionize through the ballot-box, and restore the Government once more to the affection and hearts of men, by making it express, as it was intended to do, the highest spirit of justice and liberty.  Your attempt, if there be such, to resist the laws of Kansas by force, will be criminal and wicked; and all your feeble attempts will be follies, and end in bringing sorrow on your heads, and ruin the cause you would freely die to preserve.

No doubt was felt of Lincoln’s sympathies; indeed, he is known to have contributed money to the Free-State cause.  But it is noticeable that in this exciting episode he showed the same coolness, wisdom, moderation, love of law and order that so strongly characterized his conduct in the stormier period of the Civil War, and without which it is doubtful if he would have been able to save the nation.

Some interesting recollections of the events of this stirring period, and of Lincoln’s part in them, are given by Mr. Paul Selby, for a long time editor of the “State Journal” at Springfield, and one of Lincoln’s old-time friends and political associates.  “While Abraham Lincoln had the reputation of being inspired by an almost unbounded ambition,” says Mr. Selby, “it was of that generous quality which characterized his other attributes, and often led him voluntarily to restrain its gratification in deference to the conflicting aspirations of his