In the Illinois campaign of 1858 the _Sun_ was slow to recognize Abraham Lincoln’s prowess as a speaker, although Lincoln was then recognized as the leading exponent of Whig doctrine in his State. Referring to the debates between Lincoln and Douglas in their struggle for the Senatorship, the _Sun_ said: An extraordinary interest is attached by the leading men of all parties to the campaign which Senator Douglas is conducting in the State of Illinois. His rival for the Senatorial nomination, Mr. Lincoln, being no match for the Little Giant in campaign oratory, Senator Trumbull has taken the stump on the Republican side. Two years later, when Lincoln was nominated for President, the _Sun_ saw him in a somewhat different light: Mr. Lincoln is an active State politician and a good stump orator. As to the chances of his election, that is a matter upon which we need not at present speculate. But the time for the _Sun_ to speculate came only three days later (May 22, 1860), when it frankly stated: It is now admitted that Mr. Lincoln’s nomination is a strong one.... He is, emphatically, a man of the people.... That he would, if elected, make a good President, we do not entertain a doubt. His chances of election are certainly good. The people are tired of being ruled by professional politicians. That was written before the Democratic national convention. The _Sun_ wanted the Democrats to nominate Sam Houston. It saw that Douglas had estranged the anti-slavery Democrats of the North. When Douglas was nominated, the _Sun_ remarked: Of the six candidates in the field--Lincoln, Bell, Houston, Douglas, Breckinridge, and Gerrit Smith--Lincoln has unquestionably the best chance of an election by the people. The _Sun_ had no illusions as to the candidacy of John C. Breckinridge, the Vice-President under Buchanan, when he was nominated for President by the Democrats of the South, who refused to flock to the colours of Douglas: The secessionists do not expect that Breckinridge will be elected. Should Lincoln and Hamlin be elected by the votes of the free States, then the design of the conspirators is to come out openly for a disruption of the Union and the erection of a Southern confederacy. “The Union cannot be dissolved,” the _Sun_ declared on August 4, “whosoever shall be elected President!” And on the morning of Election Day the _Sun_, which had taken little part except to criticise the conduct of the Democratic campaign, said prophetically: “History turns a leaf to-day.” Its comment on the morning after the election was characteristic of its attitude during the canvass: Mr. Lincoln appears to have been elected, and yet the country is safe. In a paragraph of political gossip printed a week later the _Sun_ said that Horace Greeley could have the collectorship of the port of New York if he resigned his claims to a seat in the Cabinet, and that--