luence and aid of the government for the
gradual prohibition of slavery in the states. "Liberty is National,
Slavery is Sectional," was their motto.

The strong controlling feeling of the great body of the Whigs and
of the Democrats of the north, who opposed the Nebraska and Kansas
law was that the law was a violation of existing compromises,
designed to extend slavery over free territory, that it ought to
be repealed, but, if repeal was impracticable, organized effort
should be made to make both territories free states. "Slavery
shall gain no advantage over freedom by violating compromises,"
was the cry of a new party, as yet without a name.

It was on this basis in the summer of 1854, I became a candidate
for Congress. Jacob Brinkerhoff and Thomas H. Ford, both residents
of Richland county, Ohio, and gentlemen of experience and ability,
were also candidates, but we agreed to submit our pretensions to
a convention in that county, and I was selected by a very large
majority. A district convention was held at Shelby, in July. Mr.
James M. Root, for several terms a Member of Congress, was my chief
competitor, but I was nominated, chiefly because I had been less
connected with old parties and would encounter less prejudice with
the discordant element of a new party.

I made a thorough canvass through the district, composed of the
counties of Huron, Erie, Richland and Morrow. I visited and spoke
in every town and township in the district. William D. Linsley,
a Member of the 33rd Congress, was my competitor. He was a farmer,
of popular manners, but defective education. When first a candidate
a letter of his was published in which he spelled the word "corn"
"korne." The Whig newspapers ridiculed him for his faulty spelling,
but Democrats, who were offended at this criticism, said they would
show the Whigs how to plant corn, and the incident proved a benefit
rather than an injury to Lindsley. He had been elected to Congress
in 1852 against a popular Whig by a majority of 754. He had voted
against the Nebraska bill, but had cast one vote that opened the
way to the consideration of that bill, which action was made the
subject of criticism. This did not enter as a national element in
the canvass. The real issue was whether the Democrats and Free
Soilers would vote for a Whig. Among the Free Soilers I was regarded
as too conservative on the slavery question. They were not content
with the repeal of the offensiv