, including Delaware and
Maryland; and eleven States became members of the Confederacy,
including Virginia and Tennessee, which had voted for Mr. Bell.
It all went to show that the Democratic party as represented by
Breckinridge was in fact a secession party first of all. The
division of the Democratic party decided the election in favor of
Mr. Lincoln.

Had that party supported Mr. Douglas in good faith, his election
would probably have been secured; but the South would have been
left without excuse had it persisted in the scheme of secession.

Therefore it came to pass that the Democratic party was disorganized
by its own leaders of the South as a step preliminary to the election
of Mr. Lincoln, and the making of that election a pretext for
disunion. This part of the conspiracy was managed with consummate
skill and eminent success; but the conspirators were perfectly well
aware that ultimate success depended largely on prompt, effective,
and decisive steps which must be taken while their efficient friend
in the Executive Mansion still remained in office.

This allowed them four months of precious time between the election
of Mr. Lincoln and his inauguration as President. The vigilance
and effectiveness of their work is an interesting and familiar
story, but I shall not attempt here a narration of it. This work
eventuated in war, and with the opening of war, Mr. Douglas was
quickly found in the attitude of a leader in the cause of the Union
--the closing and the noblest episode of his whole remarkable
career.

I knew Senator Douglas quite well. Of course, he was considerably
older than I, and was one of the great men of the Nation, when I
was just starting in public life. I knew him before the Civil War.
He was a wonderful man with the people. I do not think there was
ever a man in public life who was more thoroughly loved by the
party to which he belonged than Senator Douglas. His adherents
were devoted to him at all times and under all circumstances. When
he came through the State, the whole Democratic party was alive
and ready to rally to his support. I heard him deliver addresses
on two occasions before the War. I heard one of the Lincoln-Douglas
debates at Ottawa. I heard Lincoln deliver the famous Springfield
address, in which he uttered the immortal sentiment, "A house
divided against itself cannot stand." To this address Douglas
afterwards replied. When Lincoln was inaugurated, Douglas was