to which I refer, Lincoln led off, the raciest speakers being reserved for the latter part of the political entertainment.  I am bound to say that Lincoln did not awaken the boisterous applause which some of those who followed him did, but his speech made a more lasting impression.  It was talked about for weeks afterward in the neighborhood, and it probably changed many votes; for that was the time when Free-soil votes were being made in Northern Illinois.”

Mr. Brooks had made Lincoln’s acquaintance early in the day referred to; and after Lincoln had spoken, and while some of the other orators were entertaining the audience, the two drew a little off from the crowd and fell into a discussion over the political situation and prospects.  “We crawled under the pendulous branches of a tree,” says Mr. Brooks, “and Lincoln, lying flat on the ground, with his chin in his hands, talked on, rather gloomily as to the present but absolutely confident as to the future.  I was dismayed to find that he did not believe it possible that Fremont could be elected.  As if half pitying my youthful ignorance, but admiring my enthusiasm, he said, ’Don’t be discouraged if we don’t carry the day this year.  We can’t do it, that’s certain.  We can’t carry Pennsylvania; those old Whigs down there are too strong for us.  But we shall sooner or later elect our President.  I feel confident of that.’  ‘Do you think we shall elect a Free-soil President in 1860?’ I asked.  ’Well, I don’t know.  Everything depends on the course of the Democracy.  There’s a big anti-slavery element in the Democratic party, and if we could get hold of that we might possibly elect our man in 1860.  But it’s doubtful, very doubtful.  Perhaps we shall be able to fetch it by 1864; perhaps not.  As I said before, the Free-soil party is bound to win in the long run.  It may not be in my day; but it will be in yours, I do really believe.’” The defeat of Fremont soon verified Lincoln’s prediction on that score.

A peculiarly interesting episode of Lincoln’s life belongs to this period, though unrelated to political events.  This was the meeting, in a professional way, with Edwin M. Stanton, at that time a prominent lawyer of Pittsburgh, afterwards the great War Secretary of President Lincoln’s cabinet.  The circumstances were briefly these:  Among Lincoln’s law cases was one connected with the patent of the McCormick Reaper; and in the summer of 1857 he visited Cincinnati to argue the case before Judge McLean of the United States Circuit Court.  It was a case of great importance, involving the foundation patent of the machine which was destined to revolutionize the harvesting of grain.  Reverdy Johnson was on one side of the case, and E.M.  Stanton and George Harding on the other.  It became necessary, in addition, to have a lawyer who was a resident of Illinois; and inquiry was made of Hon. E.B.  Washburne, then in Congress, as to whether he knew a suitable man.  The latter replied that “there was a man named