Studies in American History 
451 
Democrats elected the state ticket by small majorities, but 
secured only 4 Congressmen, while they lost the legislature. 
In the Illinois elections of 1857 Chicago, Cook County, and 
most of the counties of central and northern Illinois went 
Republican. After receiving news of the Kansas referendum 
of 1857 on the Lecompton constitution, Douglas took his stand 
against the administration. Some Republican leaders viewed 
this move with suspicion and were a bit disconcerted. When 
it became obvious that Douglas was not splitting the Illinois 
Democracy but taking it over bodily with him and threatening 
to win over Anti-Nebraska Democrats as well. Republican 
strategy demanded that the administration Democrats should 
be bolstered that it might be possible to make use of them. In 
endeavoring to encourage the Buchanan followers and at the 
same time agree with the principles of Douglas, but not his 
motives. Republicans were stepping on slippery ground. 
The votes at stake in the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858 
were in central Illinois. The debate among the newspapers 
was no less exciting and probably as influential as that be- 
tween the giants of the stump. Republicans warned of the 
invasion of the Irish whom Douglas, working with the rail- 
road interests, was said to have thrown into strategic counties 
as railroad workers until election day.^^^ Douglas Demo- 
crats won the legislature and the 5 southern congressional 
districts.^^^ Buchanan Democrats made little impression on 
the results.^^^ The population of the four Republican districts 
by the 1855 state census was 697,334 while that of the 5 Demo- 
cratic districts was 609,205. 'Tt took 1,000 inhabitants in 
Canaan to balance 770 in Egypt.” The Republicans carried 
25 legislative districts and elected 35 members. The Demo- 
crats carried 33 and elected 40. Douglas won the senator- 
ship, but Illinois had become a Republican state by a small 
margin. 
Charges in the Weekly Press and Tribune (Chicago), October 28, 1858. Letters 
to the Peoria (111.) Union., Prairie Beacon (Edgar County, 111.), etc. The charges also 
appeared in the Illinois Journal. G. A. Tracy, Uncollected Letters of Abraham Lincoln 
(Boston, 1917), 93-94, The Illinois Central, Douglas, Governor Matteson, and Tam- 
many were all accused of being privy to the scheme. 
The total Republican vote for Congress was 126,084 to 121,940 for the Demo- 
crats and 4,047 for Buchanan candidates. The Republicans carried the 4 northern dis- 
tricts and also elected their state ticket. 
In Johnson County, where Republicanism was regarded as a more serious crime 
than horse-stealing, the Republicans got 10 votes and the Democrats none ; in William- 
son County, 47 votes to their 13. 
