''Abe'' Lincoln's Yarns and Stories - University of Macau Library

Yarns and Stories, by Alexander K. McClure 405Missouri, and they no doubt influenced Mr. Lincoln to take a more radicalstand against the slavery question.An incident occurred at this time which had great effect in this direction.The negro son of a colored woman in Springfield had gone South to work.He was born free, but did not have his free papers with him. He wasarrested and would have been sold into slavery to pay his prison expenses,had not Mr. Lincoln and some friends purchased his liberty. Previous tothis Mr. Lincoln had tried to secure the boy's release through the Governorof Illinois, but the Governor informed him that nothing could be done.Then it was that Mr. Lincoln rose to his full height and exclaimed:"Governor, I'll make the ground in this country too hot for the foot of aslave, whether you have the legal power to secure the release of this boy ornot."HELPS TO ORGANIZE THE REPUBLICAN PARTY.The year after Mr. Trumbull's election to the Senate the Republican partywas formally organized. A state convention of that party was called to meetat Bloomington May 29, 1856. The call for this convention was signed bymany Springfield Whigs, and among the names was that of AbrahamLincoln. Mr. Lincoln's name had been signed to the call by his law partner,but when he was informed of this action he endorsed it fully. Among thefamous men who took part in this convention were Abraham Lincoln,Lyman Trumbull, David Davis, Leonard Swett, Richard Yates, Norman, B.Judd and Owen Lovejoy, the Alton editor, whose life, like Lincoln's, finallypaid the penalty for his Abolition views. The party nominated forGovernor, Wm. H. Bissell, a veteran of the Mexican War, and adopted aplatform ringing with anti-slavery sentiment.Mr. Lincoln was the greatest power in the campaign that followed. He wasone of the Fremont Presidential electors, and he went to work with all hismight to spread the new party gospel and make votes for the old"Path-Finder of the Rocky Mountains."