After the close of this canvass, Mr. Lincoln again devoted himself to
the practice of his profession, but he was destined to remain but a
short time in retirement. In the fall of 1859 Mr. Douglas went to Ohio
to stump the state for his friend, Mr. Pugh, the Democratic candidate
for Governor. The Ohio Republicans at once asked Mr. Lincoln to come to
the state and reply to the “Little Giant.” He accepted the invitation
and made two masterly speeches in the campaign. In one of them,
delivered at Cincinnati, he prophesied the outcome of the rebellion if
the Southern people attempted to divide the Union by force.
Addressing himself particularly to the Kentuckians in the audience, he
said:
“I have told you what we mean to do. I want to know, now, when that
thing takes place, what do you mean to do? I often hear it intimated
that you mean to divide the Union whenever a Republican, or anything
like it, is elected President of the United States. [A Voice--“That is
so.”] ‘That is so,’ one of them says; I wonder if he is a Kentuckian? [A
Voice--“He is a Douglas man.”] Well, then, I want to know what you are
going to do with your half of it?
“Are you going to split the Ohio down through, and push your half off
a piece? Or are you going to keep it right alongside of us outrageous
fellows? Or are you going to build up a wall some way between your
country, and ours, by which that movable property of yours can’t come
over here any more, to the danger of your losing it? Do you think
you can better yourselves on that subject by leaving us here under no
obligation whatever to return those specimens of your movable property
that come hither?
“You have divided the Union because we would not do right with you, as
you think, upon that subject; when we cease to be under obligations to
do anything for you, how much better off do you think you will be? Will
you make war upon us and kill us all? Why, gentlemen, I think you are
as gallant and as brave men as live; that you can fight as bravely in a
good cause, man for man, as any other people living; that you have shown
yourselves capable of this upon various occasions; but, man for man, you
are not better than we are, and there are not so many of you as there
are of us.
“You will never make much of a hand at whipping us. If we were fewer in
numbers than you, I think that you could whip us; if we were equal, it
would likely be a drawn battle; but, being inferior in numbers, you will
make nothing by attempting to master us.
“But perhaps I have addressed myself as long, or longer, to the
Kentuckians than I ought to have done, inasmuch as I have said that,
whatever course you take, we intend in the end to beat you.”