him to change it or to leave it out altogether, but that he believed he had studied this subject more deeply than they had, and that he was going to stick to that text whatever happened.
[Daily Chicago Times, June 22, 1858]
ALL FOR LINCOLN
During the progress of the convention on yesterday, the Chicago delegation brought in a banner with the motto upon it "Cook County is for Abraham Lincoln." It was received with shouts and hurrahs of the most vociferous character. On motion of one of the Peoria delegates, the motto was amended to read—"Illinois Is for Abraham Lincoln," which brought down the House with three times three and three extra.—Springfield Journal.
The Republican enemies of Long John in Chicago thought they had put a nail in his coffin by preparing this banner, and the result is that they think they have effectually killed off his Senatorial aspirations by the above proceeding. Another move is to nominate E. Peck and Kriessman for the legislature from North Chicago, and Meech and Scripps from South Chicago. We'll see if Long John is to be beaten or not.
It was now less than two years until the Republicans would nominate a candidate for the presidency. That Lincoln was not regarded as a possibility even in Illinois is shown by the following:
[Missouri Republican, St. Louis, June 24, 1858]
Vote on the Presidency.—The vote among the Republican Delegates to the Illinois State Convention and passengers on the morning train, indicating their preference for the Presidency, stood as follows:
| William H. Seward | 139 | S. P. Chase | 6 |
| John C. Freemont | 32 | W. H. Bissell | 2 |
| John McLean | 13 | Scattering | 26 |
| Lyman Trumbull | 7 |
The speech in which Lincoln acknowledged the courtesy of the convention was thought out in advance and every sentence carefully weighed. It marked the new lines upon which Lincoln proposed to argue the situation and which ultimately won success. Boldly casting aside the long-prevalent idea that the Union could be saved by
