‘pettifogged’ before the justice of the peace; but in all this he was only trying himself, and never charged a penny for his services.”

In 1838 he was elected, for a third term, to the House of Representatives, by a larger majority than ever. He was candidate for Speaker at this term; but the Democrats being largely in the ascendency elected their candidate. An incident is related by Mr. Wilson, connected with the campaign that preceded the election of 1838, illustrative of Lincoln’s decided temperance principles. Mr. Wilson accompanied him in his stumping tours, and he says: “At that time it was the universal custom to keep some whiskey in the house, for private use and to treat friends. The subject was always mentioned as a matter of etiquette, but with the remark to Mr. Lincoln: ‘You never drink, but may be your friend would like to take a little.’ I never saw Mr. Lincoln drink. He often told me that he never drank; had no desire to drink, nor for the companionship of drinking men.”

During that campaign, a dinner was tendered to the “Long Nine” at Athens; where, in response to the toast, “Abraham Lincoln, one of Nature’s Noblemen,” he delivered one of his ablest speeches. It was universally agreed that the toast was a deserved compliment.

Before Lincoln removed to Springfield, he was invited by the “Young Men’s Lyceum” of that town to deliver a literary lecture before them. The invitation shows that he had won a wide reputation, although he was only twenty-eight years of age, and only six years removed from the log-cabin that he built for his father in Macon County. His subject, on that occasion, was, “The Perpetuation of Our Free Institutions.” He handled it in a manner that showed that familiarity of a statesman with the genius and history of Republican institutions.

Lincoln was re-elected once more to the House of Representatives in 1840. The campaign was a very hot one, the Democrats in several localities making violent demonstrations. Colonel E. D. Baker was making a speech to a promiscuous assembly in the court-room at Springfield, when the Democrats proposed “to pull him off the stage.” A riot was impending, when Lincoln threw himself between his friend and the audience, exclaiming,—

“Gentlemen! let us not disgrace the age and country in which we live. This is a land where freedom of speech is guaranteed. Mr. Baker has a right to speak, and ought to be permitted to do so. I am here to protect him, and no man shall take him from this stand, if I can prevent it.” Mr. Baker proceeded without interruption thereafter.

There was a very troublesome member in that Legislature from Wabash County. He was frequently upon his feet opposing measures on the ground of “unconstitutionality.” His stereotyped cry against this and that measure was “unconstitutional.” Lincoln was deputed to silence him, and he soon enjoyed the opportunity. A measure was introduced, in which Lincoln’s constituents were specially interested. The member from Wabash immediately arose, and expended his utmost energies upon its “unconstitutional” features, although others could not discover them. Mr. Lincoln arose and said,—

“Mr. Speaker, the attack of the member from Wabash upon the unconstitutionality of this measure reminds me of an old friend of mine. He is a peculiar-looking old fellow, with shaggy, overhanging eyebrows, and a pair of spectacles under them.” (Here every member turned to the man from Wabash, and recognized a personal description.) “One morning, just after the old man got up, he imagined he saw a squirrel on a tree near his house. So he took down his rifle and fired at the squirrel, but the squirrel paid no attention to the shot. He loaded and fired again and again, until, at the thirteenth shot, he set down his gun impatiently, and said to his boy, who was looking on, ‘Boy, there’s something wrong about this rifle.’ ‘Rifle’s all right, I know ’tis,’ responded the boy, ‘but where’s your squirrel?’ ‘Don’t you see him, humped up about half-way up the tree?’ inquired the old man, peering over his spectacles and getting mystified. ‘No, I don’t,’ responded the boy; and then, turning and looking into his father’s face, he exclaimed, ‘I see your squirrel. You’ve been firing at a louse on your eyebrow!’ ”