that Lincoln, if he had been a candidate, could have changed the result, yet the prize was one which he would then have considered worth contending for; and if the nomination could have been tendered him without doing injustice to his friend, he would undoubtedly have accepted it gladly and thrown all the earnestness and ability which he possessed into the contest.  This instance only illustrates a feature of his character which has so often been recognized and commented upon—­his generosity toward those among his political friends who might be regarded as occupying the position of rivals.”

In 1854, during Lincoln’s absence from Springfield, he was nominated as a candidate for the State Legislature.  It was in one of Lincoln’s periods of profound depression, and it was with the greatest difficulty that he could be persuaded to accept the nomination.  “I went to see him,” says one of his close political friends, Mr. William Jayne, “in order to get his consent to run.  This was at his house.  He was then the saddest man I ever saw—­the gloomiest.  He walked up and down the floor, almost crying; and to all my persuasions to let his name stand in the paper, he said, ’No, I can’t.  You don’t know all.  I say you don’t begin to know one-half; and that’s enough.’” His name, however, was allowed to stand, and he was elected by about 600 majority.  But Lincoln was then extremely desirous of succeeding General James Shields, whose term in the United States Senate was to expire the following March.  The Senate Chamber had long been the goal of his ambition.  He summed up his feelings in a letter to Hon. N.B.  Judd, some years after, saying, “I would rather have a full term in the United States Senate than the Presidency.”  He therefore resigned his seat in the Legislature—­the fact that a majority in both houses was opposed to the Nebraska Bill allowing him to do so without injury to his party—­and became a candidate for the Senate.  But the act was futile.  When the Legislature met, in February, 1855, to make choice of a Senator, a clique of anti-Nebraska Democrats held out so firmly against the nomination of Lincoln that there was danger of the Whigs leaving their candidate altogether.  In this dilemma Lincoln was consulted.  Mr. Lamon thus describes the incident:  “Lincoln said, unhesitatingly, ’You ought to drop me and go for Trumbull; that is the only way you can defeat Matteson.’  Judge Logan came up about that time, and insisted on running Lincoln still; but the latter said, ’If you do, you will lose both Trumbull and myself; and I think the cause in this case is to be preferred to men.’  We adopted his suggestion, and took up Trumbull and elected him, although it grieved us to the heart to give up Lincoln.”  Mr. Parks, a member of the Legislature at this time, and one of Lincoln’s intimate friends, said:  “Mr. Lincoln was very much disappointed, for I think it was the height of his ambition to get into the United States Senate.  Yet he manifested no bitterness toward Mr. Judd or the other anti-Nebraska Democrats by whom politically he was beaten, but evidently thought their motives were right.  He told me several times afterwards that the election of Trumbull was the best thing that could have happened.”