[Footnote 12: Legislature: persons chosen by the people of a state
or country to make its laws.]
[Footnote 13: Vandalia (Van-da'li-a).]
[Footnote 14: John Hanks: see paragraph 250.]
258. The meeting for choosing a candidate[15] for President of the
United States; the two fence-rails; the Chicago meeting; Abraham
Lincoln elected President of the United States.--In the spring of
1860 a great convention, or meeting, was held in one of the towns
of Illinois. Lincoln was present at that convention. The object of
the people who had gathered there was to choose a candidate that they
would like to see elected President of the United States. A number
of speeches had been made, when a member of the convention rose and
said that a person asked the privilege of making the meeting a present.
It was voted to receive it. Then John Hanks and one of his neighbors
brought in two old fence-rails and a banner with these words painted
on it:--
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