[Mr. James Brown (Douglas postmaster):  “What does Ford’s History say about him?”]

Some gentleman asks me what Ford’s History says about him.  My own recollection is that Ford speaks of Trumbull in very disrespectful terms in several portions of his book, and that he talks a great deal worse of Judge Douglas.  I refer you, sir, to the History for examination.

Judge Douglas complains at considerable length about a disposition on the part of Trumbull and myself to attack him personally.  I want to attend to that suggestion a moment.  I don’t want to be unjustly accused of dealing illiberally or unfairly with an adversary, either in court or in a political canvass or anywhere else.  I would despise myself if I supposed myself ready to deal less liberally with an adversary than I was willing to be treated myself.  Judge Douglas in a general way, without putting it in a direct shape, revives the old charge against me in reference to the Mexican War.  He does not take the responsibility of putting it in a very definite form, but makes a general reference to it.  That charge is more than ten years old.  He complains of Trumbull and myself because he says we bring charges against him one or two years old.  He knows, too, that in regard to the Mexican War story the more respectable papers of his own party throughout the State have been compelled to take it back and acknowledge that it was a lie.

[Here Mr. Lincoln turned to the crowd on the platform, and, selecting Hon.  Orlando B. Ficklin, led him forward and said:]

I do not mean to do anything with Mr. Ficklin except to present his face and tell you that he personally knows it to be a lie!  He was a member of Congress at the only time I was in Congress, and [Ficklin] knows that whenever there was an attempt to procure a vote of mine which would indorse the origin and justice of the war, I refused to give such indorsement and voted against it; but I never voted against the supplies for the army, and he knows, as well as Judge Douglas, that whenever a dollar was asked by way of compensation or otherwise for the benefit of the soldiers I gave all the votes that Ficklin or Douglas did, and perhaps more.

[Mr. Ficklin:  My friends, I wish to say this in reference to the matter:  Mr. Lincoln and myself are just as good personal friends as Judge Douglas and myself.  In reference to this Mexican War, my recollection is that when Ashmun’s resolution [amendment] was offered by Mr. Ashmun of Massachusetts, in which he declared that the Mexican War was unnecessary and unconstitutionally commenced by the President-my recollection is that Mr. Lincoln voted for that resolution.]