“You have spoken of the tendency of political life in Washington to debase the moral convictions of our representatives there, by the admixture of considerations of mere political expediency. You have become, by the controversy with Mr. Douglas, one of our leaders in this great struggle with slavery, which is undoubtedly _the_ struggle of the nation and the age. What I would like to say is this, and I say it with a full heart: _Be true to your principles, and we will be true to you, and God will be true to us all!_” “I say amen to that! amen to that!” answered Mr. Lincoln, taking his hand in both his own, while his face lighted up sympathetically. I may as well mention here the first public occasion on which Mr. Lincoln’s name was mentioned for the Presidency. On the 9th and 10th of May the Republican State Convention met at Decatur. Mr. Lincoln was present as a spectator, but he attracted the attention of Gov. Oglesby, who rose, and said: “I am informed that a distinguished citizen of Illinois, and one whom Illinois will ever delight to honor, is present; and I wish to move that this body invite him to a seat on the stand.” Public interest and curiosity were aroused. Who was this distinguished citizen? The Governor paused a moment, and then uttered the name of Abraham Lincoln. Instantly there was a roar of applause, there was a rush to where the astonished Lincoln sat, he was seized, and the crowd being too dense to press through, he was literally passed over the heads and shoulders of the great throng until breathless he found himself on the platform. Willing or unwilling he was literally for the time being “in the hands of his friends.” Later on Gov. Oglesby rose once more and said: “There is an old Democrat outside who has something which he wishes to present to the Convention.” “What is it?” “What is it?” “Receive it!” shouts the crowd. The door of the wigwam opens, and an old man, bluff and hearty, comes forward, bearing on his shoulder two small rails, surmounted by a banner, with this inscription:-- TWO RAILS From a lot made by Abraham Lincoln and John Hanks, in the Sangamon Bottom, in the year 1830. This old man was John Hanks himself! His entrance was greeted with tumultuous applause. “Lincoln! Lincoln! A speech!” shouts the crowd. Mr. Lincoln seemed amused. He rose at length and said: “Gentlemen, I suppose you want to know something about those things,” (the rails). “Well, the truth is, John Hanks and I did make rails in the Sangamon Bottom. I don’t know whether we made those rails or not; fact is, I don’t think they are a credit to the makers,” (laughing as he spoke). “But I do know this: I made rails then, and I think I could make better ones than these now.”