ves. I was present
and saw something of Mr. Lincoln during the early part of the session,
before the vote for Senator was taken. He was around among the members
much of the time. His manner was agreeable and unassuming; he was not
forward in pressing his case upon the attention of members, yet before
the interview would come to a close some allusion to the Senatorship
would generally occur, when he would respond in some such way as this:
'Gentlemen, that is rather a delicate subject for me to talk upon; but I
must confess that I would be glad of your support for the office, if you
shall conclude that I am the proper person for it.' When he had
finished, he would generally take occasion to withdraw before any
discussion on the subject arose. When the election of Senator occurred,
in February, Lincoln received 45 votes--the highest number of any of
the candidates, and within six votes of enough to secure his election.
This was on the first ballot, after which Lincoln's votes declined.
After the ninth ballot, Mr. Lincoln stepped forward--or, as Mr. Richmond
expresses it, _leaned_ forward from his position in the lobby--and
requested the committee to withdraw his name. On the tenth ballot Judge
Trumbull received fifty-one votes and was declared elected." Thus were
Lincoln's political ambitions again frustrated. But their realization
was only delayed for the far grander triumph that was so soon to come,
although no man then foresaw its coming.

CHAPTER X

Birth of the Republican Party--Lincoln One of Its Fathers--Takes
His Stand with the Abolitionists--The Bloomington
Convention--Lincoln's Great Anti-Slavery Speech--A Ratification
Meeting of Three--The First National Republican
Convention--Lincoln's Name Presented for the
Vice-Presidency--Nomination of Fremont and Dayton--Lincoln in the
Campaign of 1856--His Appearance and Influence on the
Stump--Regarded as a Dangerous Man--His Views on the Politics of
the Future--First Visit to Cincinnati--Meeting with Edwin M.
Stanton--Stanton's First Impressions of Lincoln--Regards Him as a
"Giraffe"--A Visit to Cincinnati.

The year 1856 saw the dissolution of the old Whig party. It had become
too narrow and restricted to answer the needs of the hour. A new
platform was demanded, one that would admit the great principles and
issues growing out of the slavery agitation. A convention of the Whig
leaders throughout the coun