LLINOIS DAIRYMEN'S ASSOCIATION. 165 



night who is not married, but expects to be, I would not deceive 

 him by trying to make him believe that all questions of difference 

 between man and wife were settled that way. In fact, I think 

 I would feel that I had slandered somebody if I did not warn 

 you that ordinarily the compromise in the above case would have 

 been on linen. 



Although forty years and more have elapsed since the 

 memorable political campaign of 1860, it is still fresh in the 

 memory of many who are here, and the result will never be for- 

 gotten. It was an unusual campiagn. It stands out single and 

 alone of all political efforts, from the time of the establishment 

 of a Republican form of government until the present. It was 

 a conflict between two giant intellects. It was a fight for supre- 

 macy between two great men. Every inch of ground was con- 

 tested and the seat of the conflict was here. Every school house 

 was visited, every town celebrated, every village and hamlet had 

 a meeting, and oratory was heard from every stump. Grave 

 questions were discussed and intimations were made that alarmed 

 the people. Occasionally a little cloud appeared in the political 

 sky that we were told indicated a storm. The atmosphere was 

 close and oppressive which seemed to threaten a cyclone. Fin- 

 ally in this Democratic form of government, which is for the 

 people and by the people, they decided the question, and that 

 illustrious citizen of yours, the Illinois rail splitter, was placed 

 at the head of the government. The fulfillment of prophecy 

 came like a clap of thunder from a clear sky. It came to us in 

 the shape of war, the like of which was never known. It came to 

 us with the report of military guns on the field of battle. It 

 came to us with the horrors of prison, with rivers of blood and 

 with the devastation and desolation of a beautiful country. It 

 came with acres of cemeteries, with thousands of unknown graves, 

 and with an army of crippled men. It came with the shrieks and 

 lamentations of those who were left. It came with a legion of 

 iwidows and an army of orphants and the breaking up of fami- 

 lies, and the destruction of property and all the horrible inci- 

 4ents of war. It came to us through thousands of happy men 



