Читать книгу Abraham Lincoln: History in an Hour - Kat Smutz, Kat Smutz - Страница 10

In the early days of the formation of the United States, politics was a serious and sometimes dangerous subject. The people of America had fought a war to earn the right to govern themselves. However, fierce differences of opinion persisted, and the wrong remark at the wrong time could become a matter of life and death. It was early in his political career that Lincoln learned just how deadly it could be.

In 1842 Lincoln was challenged by James Shields, the state auditor for Illinois, over an article Lincoln had written. The ‘Lost Township’ article was published in the Sangamon Journal and signed ‘Rebecca’. Shields took offence at remarks in the article that he felt were directed at him. He demanded Lincoln retract the article. Correspondence between the two failed to satisfy Shields and he set forth terms for a duel. Lincoln met with Shields on Sunflower Island in the Mississippi River near Alton, Illinois, on 22 September 1842. At the last moment, the ‘seconds’ chosen by the two duellists convinced Lincoln and Shields to call off the fight.

If a man was willing to kill over an insult, a difference in political opinion could be even more dangerous. Opposition to slavery could be a risky political choice for a politician during Abraham Lincoln’s time. While Lincoln made his position on slavery clear, he denied allegations that he was an abolitionist. Such an accusation held the potential to alienate voters who opposed slavery.