o fame and leadership in his State, and now to fame and leadership in
the nation, they grew quickly into symbols of a faith and trust destined
to play no small part in a political revolution of which the people at
large were not as yet even dreaming.

Another feature of the campaign also quickly developed itself. On the
preceding 5th of March, one of Mr. Lincoln's New England speeches had
been made at Hartford, Connecticut; and at its close he was escorted to
his hotel by a procession of the local Republican club, at the head of
which marched a few of its members bearing torches and wearing caps and
capes of glazed oilcloth, the primary purpose of which was to shield
their clothes from the dripping oil of their torches. Both the
simplicity and the efficiency of the uniform caught the popular eye, as
did also the name, "Wide-Awakes," applied to them by the "Hartford
Courant." The example found quick imitation in Hartford and adjoining
towns, and when Mr. Lincoln was made candidate for President, every
city, town, and nearly every village in the North, within a brief space,
had its organized Wide-Awake club, with their half-military uniform and
drill; and these clubs were often, later in the campaign, gathered into
imposing torch-light processions, miles in length, on occasions of
important party meetings and speech-making. It was the revived spirit of
the Harrison campaign of twenty years before; but now, shorn of its fun
and frolic, it was strengthened by the power of organization and the
tremendous impetus of earnest devotion to a high principle.

It was a noteworthy feature of the campaign that the letters of
acceptance of all the candidates, either in distinct words or
unmistakable implication, declared devotion to the Union, while at the
same time the adherents of each were charging disunion sentiments and
intentions upon the other three parties. Douglas himself made a tour of
speech-making through the Southern States, in which, while denouncing
the political views of both Lincoln and Breckinridge, he nevertheless
openly declared, in response to direct questions, that no grievance
could justify disunion, and that he was ready "to put the hemp around
the neck and hang any man who would raise the arm of resistance to the
constituted authorities of the country."

During the early part of the campaign the more extreme Southern
fire-eaters abated somewhat of their violent menaces of disunion.
Between the Charleston and