When Lincoln was a candidate for re-election to the Illinois Legislature
in 1836, a meeting was advertised to be held in the court-house in
Springfield, at which candidates of opposing parties were to speak. This
gave men of spirit and capacity a fine opportunity to show the stuff of
which they were made.
George Forquer was one of the most prominent citizens; he had been a
Whig, but became a Democrat--possibly for the reason that by means of
the change he secured the position of Government land register, from
President Andrew Jackson. He had the largest and finest house in
the city, and there was a new and striking appendage to it, called
a lightning-rod! The meeting was very large. Seven Whig and seven
Democratic candidates spoke.
Lincoln closed the discussion. A Kentuckian (Joshua F. Speed), who had
heard Henry Clay and other distinguished Kentucky orators, stood near
Lincoln, and stated afterward that he “never heard a more effective
speaker;... the crowd seemed to be swayed by him as he pleased.” What
occurred during the closing portion of this meeting must be given in
full, from Judge Arnold’s book:
“Forquer, although not a candidate, asked to be heard for the Democrats,
in reply to Lincoln. He was a good speaker, and well known throughout
the county. His special task that day was to attack and ridicule the
young countryman from Salem.
“Turning to Lincoln, who stood within a few feet of him, he said:
‘This young man must be taken down, and I am truly sorry that the task
devolves upon me.’ He then proceeded, in a very overbearing way, and
with an assumption of great superiority, to attack Lincoln and his
speech. He was fluent and ready with the rough sarcasm of the stump, and
he went on to ridicule the person, dress and arguments of Lincoln
with so much success that Lincoln’s friends feared that he would be
embarrassed and overthrown.”
“The Clary’s Grove boys were present, and were restrained with difficulty
from ‘getting up a fight’ in behalf of their favorite (Lincoln), they
and all his friends feeling that the attack was ungenerous and unmanly.
“Lincoln, however, stood calm, but his flashing eye and pale cheek
indicated his indignation. As soon as Forquer had closed he took
the stand, and first answered his opponent’s arguments fully and
triumphantly. So impressive were his words and manner that a hearer
(Joshua F. Speed) believes that he can remember to this day and repeat
some of the expressions.
“Among other things he said: ‘The gentleman commenced his speech by
saying that “this young man,” alluding to me, “must be taken down.” I
am not so young in years as I am in the tricks and the trades of a
politician, but,’ said he, pointing to Forquer, ‘live long or die young,
I would rather die now than, like the gentleman, change my politics,
and with the change receive an office worth $3,000 a year, and then,’
continued he, ‘feel obliged to erect a lightning-rod over my house, to
protect a guilty conscience from an offended God!’”