Coles returned Hubbard declined to give up the office, asserting
that the Governor had vacated it. He based his contention upon
that clause of the Constitution that provided that the Lieutenant-
Governor should exercise all the power and authority appertaining
to the office of Governor, in case of the latter's absence from
the State, until the time provided by the Constitution for the
election of Governor should arrive. He claimed that the Governor
had vacated the office until the time of the election of a new
Governor, and declined to surrender. The result was, the Governor
had to get a decision of the Supreme Court, which was to the effect
that there was no ground on which to award the writ. Coles was
obliged to submit, but not until he had appealed to the Legislature,
where his contention was equally unsuccessful.

At one time, after repeated and annoying application, Hubbard
obtained from Governor Edwards what he had reason to believe was
a recommendation for a certain office. He became a little suspicious
that the letter was not very strong in his behalf, and in speaking
of it afterwards, in his lisping manner, said: "Contrary to the
uthage amongst gentlemen, he thealed it up; and contrary to the
uthage amongst gentlemen, I broke it open; and what do you think
I found? Instead of recommending me, the old rathcal abuthed me
like a pickpocket."

( 1) Moses, page 334.

( 2) Ford, page 61.

CHAPTER III
ELECTION TO THE ILLINOIS LEGISLATURE: LINCOLN-DOUGLAS DEBATES
1856 to 1858

In the year 1856 I had rather unusual experiences of both victory
and defeat in one and the same political campaign. As candidate
for the Legislature I won out, being elected; as the chosen elector
on the Fillmore ticket, I went down in the party's defeat. The
Whig party was in its expiring days, and what was called the "Know-
Nothing" party was apparently a temporary substitute for it.
Fillmore carried one solitary state--Maryland. Buchanan was elected
by quite a large majority over both Fremont and Fillmore combined.

The administration of President Buchanan has been so frequently
and fully described that there is little, if anything, new to say
about it; but such were the fearful responsibilities incurred by
it for the subsequent bloodshed, that its shortcomings cannot be
entirely ignored in the intelligible presentation of the course of
events which gave direction to my observations and activities.

The campaign of 1856