howed Lincoln an article in a
Southern paper which most boldly justified slavery whether the slaves
were black or white. Lincoln observed what a good thing it would be if
the pro-slavery papers of Illinois could be led to go this length.
Herndon ingeniously used his acquaintance with the editor to procure
that he should reprint this article with approval. Of course that
promising journalistic venture, the _Conservative_, was at once ruined
by so gross an indiscretion. This was hard on its confiding editor,
and it is not to Lincoln's credit that he suggested or connived at this
trick. But this trumpery tale happens to be a fair illustration of two
things. In the first place a large part of Lincoln's activity went in
the industrious and watchful performance of services to his cause, very
seldom as questionable but constantly as minute as this, and in making
himself as in this case confidant and adviser to a number of less
notable workers. In the second place a biographer must set forth if he
can the materials for the severest judgment on his subject, and in the
case of a man whose fame was built on his honesty, but who certainly
had an aptitude for ingenious tricks and took a humorous delight in
them, this duty might involve a tedious examination of many unimportant
incidents. It may save such discussion hereafter to say, as can safely
be said upon a study of all the transactions in his life of which the
circumstances are known, that this trick on the editor of the
_Conservative_ marks the limit of Lincoln's deviation from the straight
path. Most of us might be very glad if we had really never done
anything much more dishonest.

Our second tale of this period is much more memorable. In 1856 the
term of office of one of the Senators for Illinois came to an end; and
there was a chance of electing an opponent of Douglas. Those of the
Republicans of Illinois who were former Whigs desired the election of
Lincoln, but could only secure it by the adhesion of a sufficient
number of former Democrats and waverers. United States Senators were
elected by the Legislatures of their own States through a procedure
similar to that of the Conclave of Cardinals which elects a Pope; if
there were several candidates and no one of them had an absolute
majority of the votes first cast, the candidate with most votes was not
elected; the voting was repeated, perhaps many times, till some one had
an absolute majority; the final result w