"In 1846, General Cass was for the (Wilmot) Proviso [Footnote: Wilmot
Proviso: that money to buy Mexican land should not go toward
slave-buying.] at once; in March, 1846, he was still for it, but not
just then; and in December, 1847, he was against it altogether. When
the question was raised in 1846, he was in a blustering hurry to take
ground for it. He sought to be in advance, and to avoid the
uninteresting position of a mere follower; but soon he began to see a
glimpse of the great Democratic ox-gad waving in his face, and to hear
indistinctly a voice saying:
"'Back, back, sir; back a little!'
"He shakes his head and bats his eyes, and blunders back to his
position of March, 1847; and still the gad waves and the voice grows
more distinct and sharper still:
"'Back, sir! back, I say! farther back!' And back he goes to the
position of December, 1847, at which the gad is still, and the voice
soothingly says:
"'So! stand still at that!'"--(Speech by A. Lincoln, House of
Representatives, Washington, July 27, 1848.)
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