licy: "for all
sharing the privileges of the government who assist in bearing its
burdens; for admitting all whites to the right of suffrage who pay taxes
or bear arms (by no means excluding females). If elected, I shall
consider the whole people of Sangamon as my constituents, as well those
that oppose as those that support me. While acting as their
representative I shall be governed by their will upon all subjects upon
which I have the means of knowing what their will is; and upon all
others I shall do what my own judgment teaches me will best advance
their interests." He was always fundamentally democratic, was so close
to the heart of humanity that he felt its mighty pulsations and knew
intuitively what his people were thinking. His contemporaries thought
that he had a dependable occult sense of public opinion.

One incident of this campaign shows Lincoln's versatility at repartee.
George Forquer, who had been a Whig, changed over to be a Democrat and
was appointed Register of the Land Office. His house, the finest in
Springfield, had a lightning rod, the only one that Springfield had ever
seen. At a meeting near Springfield, Lincoln spoke, and when he had
finished, Forquer replied with some condescension, calling Lincoln the
"young man." Lincoln listened to the attack with folded arms and then
made a spirited reply ending with the words: "The gentleman calls me a
young man. I am older in years than I am in the tricks and trades of
politicians. I desire to live and I desire place and distinction, but I
would rather die now than, like the gentleman, live to see the day that
I would change my politics for an office worth three thousand dollars
per year, and then feel compelled to erect a lightning rod to protect a
guilty conscience from an offended God."

The Whig ticket was elected, Lincoln leading, and the Sangamon
delegation, seven representatives and two senators all over six feet
tall were called the "Long Nine." At Vandalia Lincoln was the leader of
the Long Nine and labored to advance legislation for public improvements
to be financed by the sale of public lands. He confided to a friend that
he was dreaming of the Governorship and was ambitious to become the
"DeWitt Clinton of Illinois."

The Assembly voted for a colossal scheme of railroads and canals, and
authorized a loan of twelve millions. These vast projects afforded
unlimited opportunities for special legislation and in all this
atmosphere of manoeuvr