Those who heard Mr. Douglas, recollect that
he indulged himself in a contemptuous expression of pity for
me. 'Now he's got me,' thought I. But when he went on to say
that five millions of the expenditure of 1838 were payments of
the French indemnities, which I knew to be untrue; that five
millions had been for the post-office, which I knew to be
untrue; that ten millions had been for the Maine boundary war,
which I not only knew to be untrue, but supremely ridiculous
also; and when I saw that he was stupid enough to hope that
I would permit such groundless and audacious assertions to
go unexposed,--I readily consented that, on the score both of
veracity and sagacity, the audience should judge whether he or
I were the more deserving of the world's contempt."
[Illustration: LINCOLN IN 1860.--NOW FIRST PUBLISHED.
From a first-state proof of an engraving of the Cooper Institute
picture of Lincoln (see McCLURE'S MAGAZINE for February, 1896, first
frontispiece). Made by John C. Buttre, and now in the collection
of W.C. Crane of New York City, through whose courtesy it is here
reproduced.]
These citations show that Lincoln had already learned to handle public
documents, and to depend for at least a part of his success with an
audience upon a careful statement of facts.
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