192 THE PORTRAIT GALLERY 



ture of Illinois, and was thrice re-elected, resigning when he had 

 served eight years. By this time he had attained some proficiency 

 in law, and he formed a partnership with J. T. Stuart of Spring- 

 field, to which place the state capitol had been removed due to 

 his efforts while in the legislature. 



In 1846 he was elected to congress. His first bill provided for 

 the emancipation of the slaves in the District of Columbia, but 

 was beaten. He was not a candidate for re-election and returned 

 to Illinois to his practice and to take up the leadership of the 

 Whig party in his state. He regarded the repeal of the Missouri 

 compromise as most treacherous, and began a series of discussions 

 against slave rights in territories, that made him one of the lead- 

 ing figures of the anti-slavery party. The conservative element 

 of the Whigs was led by Senator Douglass, while the new or 

 Republican party was led by Lincoln. In 1858 when Mr. Doug- 

 lass sought re-election, the Republicans selected Lincoln as his 

 antagonist. Lincoln challenged the senator to a series of joint 

 discussions, which challenge the senator accepted. From this 

 arose that remarkable series of arguments that have lived in 

 American history. Senator Douglass defended popular sover- 

 eignty (derisively called "squatter sovereignty") with great adroit- 

 ness, but Mr. Lincoln's higher ethical and moral standards ulti-, 

 mately won the popular favor. It was in the course of these de- 

 bates that he uttered the prophetic and pregnant words : "A house 

 divi-ded against itself cannot stand. I believe this government 

 cannot endure permanently half slave and half free. I do not 

 expect the Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to 

 fall ; but I do expect it will cease to be divided." 



This debate established Mr. Lincoln's reputation as an orator 

 and statesman, and he was nominated on the third ballot in the 

 Republican convention of 1860, over Wm. H. Seward. As soon 

 as the extreme partisans of the south learned of this, they began 

 preparations for an insurrection, and a provisional government 



