Lincoln Story Book, The

<h3>THE PARTY GAD.</h3> <p>"In 1846, General Cass was for the (Wilmot) Proviso [Footnote: Wilmot Proviso: that money to buy Mexican land should not go toward slave-buying.] at once; in March, 1846, he was still for it, but not just then; and in December, 1847, he was against it altogether. When the question was raised in 1846, he was in a blustering hurry to take ground for it. He sought to be in advance, and to avoid the uninteresting position of a mere follower; but soon he began to see a glimpse of the great Democratic ox-gad waving in his face, and to hear indistinctly a voice saying:</p> <p>"'Back, back, sir; back a little!'</p> <p>"He shakes his head and bats his eyes, and blunders back to his position of March, 1847; and still the gad waves and the voice grows more distinct and sharper still:</p> <p>"'Back, sir! back, I say! farther back!' And back he goes to the position of December, 1847, at which the gad is still, and the voice soothingly says:</p> <p>"'So! stand still at that!'"--(Speech by A. Lincoln, House of Representatives, Washington, July 27, 1848.) <br/> <br/> <br/></p> <div style="break-after:column;"></div><br />