justice of the peace of the county a writ directed to Jane Bryant and her children to appear before him forthwith and answer the claim of Robert Matson that their service was due to him, etc.  This action produced great excitement in this county.  Practically the entire community divided, largely on the lines of pro-slavery and anti-slavery.  Usher F. Linder, the most eloquent lawyer in this vicinity, appeared for Matson, and Orlando B. Ficklin, twice a member of Congress, appeared for the negroes.  Under the practice the defendant obtained a hearing from three justices instead of one, and a trial ensued lasting several days, and attended by great excitement.  Armed men made demonstrations and bloodshed was narrowly averted.  Two of the justices were pro-slavery, and one anti-slavery.  The trial was held in Charleston.  The decision of the justice was discreet.  It was held that the court had no jurisdiction to determine the right of property, but that Jane and her children were of African descent and found in the state of Illinois without a certificate of freedom, and that they be committed to the county jail to be advertised and sold to pay the jail fees.

“At the next term of the circuit court, Ficklin obtained an order staying proceedings until the further order of the court.  Finally when the case was heard in the circuit court Linder and Abraham Lincoln appeared for Matson, who was insisting upon the execution of the judgment of the three justices of the peace so that he could buy them at the proposed sale, and Ficklin and Charles Constable, afterward a circuit judge of this circuit, appeared for the negroes.  The judgment was in favor of the negroes and they were discharged.

“The above is a much abbreviated account of this occurrence, stripped of its local coloring, giving however its salient points, and I have no doubt of its substantial accuracy.”

3.  Lincoln, II, 185.

4.  Lincoln, II, 186.

5.  Lamon, 347.

6.  Lincoln, II, 232-233.

7.  Lincoln, II, 190-262.

8.  Lincoln, 274-277.

IX.  The literary statesman.

1.  Herndon, 371-372.

2.  Lincoln, II, 329-330.

3.  Lincoln, III, 1-2.

4.  Herndon, 405-408.

5.  Lincoln.  II, 279.

6.  Lamon, 416.

X. The dark horse.

1.  Lincoln, V, 127.

2.  Tarbell, I, 335.

3.  Lincoln, V, 127,138, 257-258.

4.  Lincoln, V, 290-291.  He never entirely shook off his erratic use of negatives.  See, also, Lamon, 424; Tarbell, I, 338.

5.  Lincoln, V, 293-32&6.  McClure, 23-29; Field, 126,137-138; Tarbell, I, 342-357.

XII.  THE CRISIS

1.  Letters, 172.

2.  Lincoln, VI, 77, 78, 79, 93.

3.  Bancroft, 11,10; Letters, 111.

XIII.  Eclipse.