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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..12da504 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #54047 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/54047) diff --git a/old/54047-0.txt b/old/54047-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 57f3022..0000000 --- a/old/54047-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,4113 +0,0 @@ -Project Gutenberg's Best Lincoln stories, tersely told, by James E. Gallaher - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Best Lincoln stories, tersely told - -Author: James E. Gallaher - -Release Date: January 24, 2017 [EBook #54047] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEST LINCOLN STORIES, TERSELY TOLD *** - - - - -Produced by MFR and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: ABRAHAM LINCOLN. - -Taken at Springfield in 1861. One of the very best.] - - - - - BEST - Lincoln Stories - TERSELY TOLD. - - BY - J. E. GALLAHER. - - CHICAGO: - JAMES E. GALLAHER & CO. - 36, 184 Dearborn St. - - Copyright, 1898, - By - James E. Gallaher. - - - - -PREFACE. - - -ABRAHAM LINCOLN. - -How American history would dwindle if that name were taken out of it! -Washington was great. Grant was great. Lee was great. Many others have -been and are great in all the walks of life. But Lincoln, who came out of -the lowly heart of the people, will come back nearer to that heart than -any other man probably that the nation has known. There have been men of -war and there have been men of peace, but there has been no such man of -peace in war as Lincoln. - -Why is it we never tire of thinking of Mr. Lincoln personally, nor of -speaking of him and his deeds? Is it not because “he was indeed one -of the most unique figures in history, and one of the most remarkable -surprises of the age?” What has he been called by those who knew him -best? “The greatest of patriots, the wisest of rulers, the ablest of men.” - -What led to his greatness and caused him to hold such an extraordinary -sway over the people during the most tumultuous of times, when seven -states had seceded and the rebellion was well under way at his -inauguration, and when a bloody and fiercely contested war was fought -during his administration? I will let one more competent than myself -answer. Bishop Fowler, of the First M. E. Church of New York, said: - - “What, then, were the elements of Lincoln’s greatness? To - begin with, ‘he was not made out of any fool mud,’ and then - he thoroughly understood himself and knew how to handle his - resources. His moral sense was the first important trait of - his character, his reason the second, and the third was his - wonderful ‘common-sense,’ the most uncommon thing found even - among the great. - - “These are the three fixed points on which his character hung. - Without the first he had been a villain. Without the second, a - fool. Without the third, a dreamer. With them all he made up - himself--Abraham Lincoln.” - -It is wonderful how many stories President Lincoln told, and still more -wonderful how many stories are told of him. The late Senator Voorhees, -of Indiana, said that Lincoln had more stories than any other man he -had ever met. He had a story for every occasion, and he illustrated -everything by anecdote. Some of the best stories current to-day -originated with Lincoln and hundreds of his best stories have never been -published. Senator Voorhees had preserved a number which he expected to -use in lectures which he was preparing at the time he died. He had hoped -to live long enough after his retirement from public life to write a book -on his personal recollections of the martyred President, among which -would have been included many stories. - -The late David Davis, of Illinois, before whose court Lincoln practiced -so often, once said that there were but three men in the world who -thoroughly understood Abraham Lincoln--himself, Leonard Swett, of -Chicago, and Daniel W. Voorhees. All these three men are dead. - -In gathering material for this work the editor has exercised due care -in accepting only such stories as bore the impress of truth. It is his -hope that this little volume will be eagerly welcomed in every home which -venerates the name of Abraham Lincoln, and that it will be an inspiration -to every boy of the land who, in looking to Lincoln for an ideal, should -ever remember that - - Honor and shame from no condition rise; - Act well your part; there all the honor lies. - - J. E. GALLAHER. - - - - -CONTENTS. - - - PAGE. - - Preface 7 - - Lincoln’s Great Strength as a Boy 11 - - Was Proud of His Strength 11 - - Lincoln a Powerful Wrestler 12 - - Lincoln Split 400 Rails for a Yard of Jeans 12 - - Lincoln as a Verse Writer 14 - - Lincoln’s Quick Wit in Helping a Girl to Spell - a Word 15 - - Lincoln as a Notion Peddler 15 - - Lincoln Saved From Drowning 16 - - Lincoln’s Youthful Eloquence 18 - - One of Lincoln’s Songs 19 - - Lincoln’s First Political Speech 20 - - How Lincoln Became Known as “Honest Abe” 21 - - Lincoln Was an “Obliging” Man 22 - - How Lincoln Paid a Large Debt 23 - - His First Sight of Slavery 23 - - Lincoln and Jeff Davis in the Black Hawk War 24 - - Lincoln’s Glowing Tribute to His Mother 25 - - What Lincoln’s Step-Mother Said of Him 26 - - Lincoln’s First Love 26 - - The Duel Lincoln Didn’t Fight 28 - - Lincoln as a Dancer 29 - - Lincoln’s Courtship and Marriage 29 - - Lincoln’s Personal Appearance 31 - - Lincoln’s Mother 32 - - Lincoln’s Melancholia 34 - - Lincoln’s Height 36 - - How Lincoln Became a Lawyer 36 - - Lincoln as a Lawyer 37 - - Lincoln’s Conscientiousness in Taking Cases 38 - - The Jury Understood 39 - - Lincoln’s Honesty with a Lady Client 39 - - Lincoln Wins a Celebrated Case 40 - - Lincoln’s “Selfishness” 41 - - Lincoln Removes a License on Theatres 42 - - How Lincoln Got the Worst of a Horse Trade 43 - - Lincoln Helped Him to Win 44 - - Lincoln Settles a Quarrel Without Going to - Law 46 - - A Lincoln Story About Little Dan Webster’s - Soiled Hands 47 - - Lincoln’s Long Limbs Drive a Man Out of His - Berth 48 - - Lincoln’s Joke on Douglas 49 - - Lincoln Shrewdly Traps Douglas 50 - - Lincoln’s Fairness in Debate 52 - - Lincoln Asked His Friend’s Help for the United - States Senate 54 - - Making Lincoln Presentable 55 - - Evidence of Lincoln’s Religious Belief 56 - - Lincoln a Temperance Man 57 - - Lincoln’s Famous Gettysburg Address 57 - - The Gettysburg Address 59 - - Lincoln as a Ruler 60 - - Lincoln’s Real Object in Conducting the War 61 - - Lincoln Asked for Some of Grant’s Whisky 62 - - Lincoln Believed Himself Ugly 62 - - Lincoln’s Kindness to a Disabled Soldier 63 - - A Sample of Lincoln’s Statesmanship 64 - - Two Good Stories 65 - - Lincoln Raises a Warning Voice Against the - Concentration of Great Wealth 65 - - Lincoln and the Dying Soldier Boy 66 - - The Dandy, the Bugs and the President 67 - - Lincoln Upheld the Hands of Gen. Grant 68 - - Why Lincoln Told Stories 69 - - Lincoln Rewards a Man For Kindness Thirty - Years After the Occurrence 70 - - Lincoln a Merciful Man 71 - - Lincoln’s Humorous Advice to a Distinguished - Bachelor 72 - - How Lincoln Answered a Delicate Question 73 - - Lincoln Illustrates a Case Humorously 74 - - Why Lincoln Mistook a Driver to be an Episcopalian 74 - - A Clergyman Who Talked But Little 75 - - How Lincoln Received a Jackknife as a Present 75 - - The Best Car For His Corpse 76 - - His Title Did Not Help Any 77 - - One of Lincoln’s Autographs 77 - - Lincoln’s Substitute 77 - - Lincoln’s Estimate of the Financial Standing - of a Neighbor 78 - - Lincoln’s Query Puzzled the Man 78 - - Lincoln’s Inauguration 79 - - John Sherman’s First Meeting with Lincoln 80 - - Lincoln and the Sentinel 81 - - Origin of “With Malice Toward None,” Etc. 82 - - His Good Memory of Names 82 - - Lincoln’s Grief Over the Defeat of the Union - Army 83 - - Three Stories of Lincoln by Senator Palmer 84 - - His Famous Second Inaugural Address 87 - - Lincoln Said Even a Rebel Could be Saved 88 - - Washington and Lincoln Compared 89 - - Lincoln Remembered Him 91 - - Why Lincoln Pardoned Them 92 - - The Lincoln Portraits 96 - - Lincoln’s Faith in Providence 97 - - Lincoln’s Last Words 99 - - A Chicagoan Who Saw Lincoln Shot 101 - - Martyred Lincoln’s Blood 104 - - A Strange Coincidence in the Lives of Lincoln - and His Slayer 105 - - Where is the Original Emancipation Proclamation 106 - - Mr. Griffiths on Lincoln 107 - - A Famous Chicago Lawyer’s Views 107 - - Lincoln Was Plain but Great 109 - - Lincoln’s Specific Life Work 110 - - The Proposed Purchase of the Slaves 111 - - Senator Thurston’s Speech 112 - - Lincoln Analyzed 116 - - The Religion of the Presidents 121 - - - - -BEST LINCOLN STORIES TERSELY TOLD. - - - - -LINCOLN’S GREAT STRENGTH AS A BOY. - - -The strength Lincoln displayed when he was ten years old is remarkable. -At that age he was almost constantly using an axe in chopping and -splitting wood and he used it with great skill, sinking it deeper into -the wood than any other person. He cut the elm and linn brush used for -feeding the stock, drove the team, handled the old shovel-plow, wielded -the sickle, threshed wheat with a flail, fanned and cleaned it with a -sheet and performed other labor that few men of to-day could do so well. -He wielded the axe from the age of ten till he was twenty-three. As he -grew older he became one of the strongest and most popular “hands” in -the vicinity and his services were in great demand. He was employed as a -“hand” by his neighbors at 25 cents a day, which money was paid to his -father. - - - - -WAS PROUD OF HIS STRENGTH. - - -Mr. Lincoln was a remarkably strong man; he was strong as well as tall. -He was in the habit of measuring his height with other tall men,--he did -this even in the White House. In 1859 he visited the Wisconsin State -Fair at Milwaukee and was led around by the then Governor Hoyt. They -entered a tent where a “strong man” was performing with huge iron balls. -His feats amazed and interested Lincoln. The governor told him to go up -on the platform and be introduced to the athlete, by whose exhibition of -skill he was so fascinated. He did so, and after the formal introduction -he remarked to the “strong man,” who was short of stature: “Why, I could -lick salt off the top of your hat.” - - - - -LINCOLN A POWERFUL WRESTLER. - - -While a clerk in a general store at New Salem, Ill., Lincoln gained the -reputation of being a skillful and powerful wrestler. Near New Salem -was a settlement known as Clary’s Grove, in which lived an organization -known as “Clary’s Grove Boys.” They were rude in their manners and rough -and boastful in their ways, being what would to-day be called “a set of -rowdies.” - -The leader of this organization, and the strongest of the lot, was a -young man named Armstrong. It had been said that Lincoln could easily -outdo any one of the Clary Grove boys in anything and the report -naturally touched the pride of the Armstrong youth. He felt compelled to -prove the truth or falsity of such a story, and accordingly a wrestling -match was arranged between Lincoln and himself. - -It was a great day in the village of New Salem and Clary’s Grove. The -match was held on the ground in front of the store in which Lincoln -had been clerking. There was much betting on the result, the odds being -against Lincoln. Hardly, however, had the two wrestlers taken hold of -each other before the Armstrong youth found that he had “met a foe worthy -his steel.” The two wrestled long and hard, each doing his utmost to -throw the other but to no avail. Both kept their feet; neither could -throw the other. The Armstrong youth being convinced that he could not -throw Lincoln, tried a “foul.” This resort to dishonest means to gain an -advantage inflamed Lincoln with indignation, and he immediately caught -young Armstrong by the throat, held him at arm’s length and “shook him -like a child.” - -Armstrong’s friends rushed to his rescue, and for a time it seemed as -if Lincoln would be mobbed. But he held his own bravely and all alone, -and by his daring excited the admiration of even those whose sympathies -were with young Armstrong. What at one time seemed to result in a general -fight resulted in a general handshake, even “Jack” Armstrong declaring -that Lincoln was “the best fellow who ever broke into camp.” - - - - -LINCOLN SPLIT 400 RAILS FOR A YARD OF BROWN JEANS. - - -When Lincoln lived in Illinois (New Salem) he wore trousers made of flax -and tow cut tight at the ankles and out at both knees. Though a very poor -young man he was universally welcomed in every house of the neighborhood. -Money was so scarce in those days that it is known that Lincoln once -split 400 rails for every yard of brown jeans, dyed with white walnut -bark, that would be necessary to make him a pair of trousers. - - - - -LINCOLN AS A VERSE WRITER. - - -Even when he was a boy Lincoln was sometimes called upon to write poetry. -The following are among his earliest attempts at rhyme: - - Good boys who to their books apply, - Will all be great men by and by. - -It is needless to say that Lincoln himself carried out what he wrote so -well; in other words, he “practiced what he preached.” It was in a great -measure owing to his constant application to his books that he afterward -became a great man. - -The following poem Mr. Lincoln wrote in 1844, while on a visit to the -home of his childhood: - - My childhood’s home I see again - And sadden with the view; - And, still, as memory crowds my brain, - There’s pleasure in it, too. - Oh, memory, thou midway world - ’Twixt earth and paradise, - Where things decayed and loved ones lost - In dreamy shadows rise; - And, freed from all that’s earthy vile, - Seems hallowed, pure and bright, - Like scenes in some enchanted isle, - All bathed in liquid light. - - - - -LINCOLN’S QUICK WIT IN HELPING A GIRL TO SPELL A WORD. - - -“Abe” Lincoln was always ready and willing to help any one. Once he was -in a spelling match at school when the word “defied” had been given out -by the teacher. It had been misspelled several times when it came the -turn of a girl friend of Lincoln’s to spell. The pupils were arranged -on opposite sides of the room and “Abe” was watching his friend as she -struggled with the spelling. She began d-e-f, and stopped, being unable -to decide whether to proceed with an i or a y. Happening to look up, she -caught sight of Abe, who was grinning. He pointed with his index finger -to his eye. The hint was quickly understood, the word was spelled with an -i and it went through all right. - - - - -LINCOLN AS A NOTION PEDDLER. - - -In March, 1830, the Lincoln family moved from Gentryville, Indiana, -to near Decatur, Illinois, their household goods being packed in a -wagon drawn by four oxen driven by “Abe.” The winter previous Lincoln -had worked in a country store in Gentryville and before undertaking -the journey he invested all the money he had, some thirty dollars, in -notions, such as needles, pins, thread, buttons and other domestic -necessities. These he sold to families along the route and made a profit -of about one hundred per cent. This shows he had a mind for seizing hold -of opportunities for making money even when young. - - - - -LINCOLN SAVED FROM DROWNING. - - -The life of Lincoln during the time the family lived in Kentucky appears -to have been entirely uneventful. He helped his mother--after he was 3 -years old--in the simple household duties, went to the district school, -and played with the children of the neighborhood. The only one of young -Lincoln’s playmates now living is an old man nearly 100 years old named -Austin Gollaher, whose mind is bright and clear, and who never tires -of telling of the days Lincoln and he “were little tikes and played -together.” This old man, who yet lives in the log house in which he has -always lived, a few miles from the old Lincoln place, tells entertaining -stories about the President’s boyhood. - -Mr. Gollaher says that they were together more than the other boys in -school, that he became fond of his little friend, and he believed that -Abe thought a great deal of him. - -In speaking of various events of minor importance in their boyhood days -Mr. Gollaher remarked: “I once saved Lincoln’s life.” Upon being urged to -tell of the occurrence he thus related it: “We had been going to school -together one year; but the next year we had no school, because there were -so few scholars to attend, there being only about twenty in the school -the year before. - -“Consequently Abe and I had not much to do; but, as we did not go to -school and our mothers were strict with us, we did not get to see each -other very often. One Sunday morning my mother waked me up early, saying -she was going to see Mrs. Lincoln, and that I could go along. Glad of the -chance, I was soon dressed and ready to go. After my mother and I got -there Abe and I played all through the day. - -“While we were wandering up and down the little stream called Knob Creek -Abe said: ‘Right up there’--pointing to the east--‘we saw a covey of -partridges yesterday. Let’s go over and get some of them.’ The stream was -swollen and was too wide for us to jump across. Finally we saw a narrow -foot-log, and we concluded to try it. It was narrow, but Abe said, ‘Let’s -coon it.’ - -“I went first and reached the other side all right. Abe went about -half-way across, when he got scared and began trembling. I hollered to -him, ‘Don’t look down nor up nor sideways, but look right at me and hold -on tight!’ But he fell off into the creek, and, as the water was about -seven or eight feet deep and I could not swim, and neither could Abe, I -knew it would do no good for me to go in after him. - -“So I got a stick--a long water sprout--and held it out to him. He came -up, grabbing with both hands, and I put the stick into his hands. He -clung to it, and I pulled him out on the bank, almost dead. I got him by -the arms and shook him well, and then rolled him on the ground, when the -water poured out of his mouth. - -“He was all right very soon. We promised each other that we would never -tell anybody about it, and never did for years. I never told any one of -it until after Lincoln was killed.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S YOUTHFUL ELOQUENCE. - - -One man in Gentryville, Ind., a Mr. Jones, the storekeeper, took a -Louisville paper, and here Lincoln went regularly to read and discuss its -contents. All the men and boys of the neighborhood gathered there, and -everything which the paper related was subjected to their keen, shrewd -common sense. It was not long before young Lincoln became the favorite -member of the group and the one listened to most eagerly. Politics was -warmly discussed by these Gentryville citizens, and it may be that -sitting on the counter of Jones’ grocery Lincoln even discussed slavery. -It certainly was one of the live questions of Indiana at that date. - -Young Lincoln was not only winning in those days in the Jones grocery -store a reputation as a debater and story teller, but he was becoming -known as a kind of backwoods orator. He could repeat with effect all -the poems and speeches in his various school readers, he could imitate -to perfection the wandering preachers who came to Gentryville, and he -could make a political speech so stirring that he drew a crowd about -him every time he mounted a stump. The applause he won was sweet, and -frequently he indulged his gifts when he ought to have been at work--so -thought his employers and Thomas, his father. It was trying, no doubt, -to the hard pushed farmers to see the men who ought to have been cutting -grass or chopping wood throw down their sickles or axes to group around -a boy whenever he mounted a stump to develop a pet theory or repeat -with variations yesterday’s sermon. In his fondness for speech-making -he attended all the trials of the neighborhood and frequently walked 15 -miles to Booneville to attend court. - - - - -ONE OF LINCOLN’S SONGS. - - -As will be learned elsewhere in this book Annie Rutledge was Lincoln’s -first love. Mrs. William Prewitt, of Fairfield, Iowa, is a sister of -Annie Rutledge. She is a widow in comfortable circumstances and lives -with one of her sons. This is what she says of her dead sister and -Lincoln: - - “Her death made a great impression upon him I could see. We - never knew him to jolly or laugh afterward. Annie was next - to the oldest girl in our family, and she had a great deal - of the housework to do. I remember seeing her washing in the - old-fashioned way. She would sweep and bake, and was a good - cook and took pride in her housework. She and Abe were very - jolly together sometimes. They used to sing together. There was - one song I didn’t like to hear, and he would sing it to tease - me. He would tip back his chair and roar it out at the top of - his voice, over and over again, just for fun. I have the book - they used to sing out of yet with that song in it.” - -The book is an old-fashioned “Missouri Harmony,” and the song is as -follows: - - When in death I shall calmly recline, - O, bear my heart to my mistress dear; - Tell her it lived on smiles and wine - Of brightest hue while it lingered here; - Bid her not shed one tear of sorrow - To sully a heart so brilliant and bright, - But healing drops of the red grape borrow - To bathe the relick from morn till night. - -When informed that the song was a queer one to sing for fun, Mrs. Prewitt -replied that “it is a queer song anyhow.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S FIRST POLITICAL SPEECH. - - -A citizen of Buffalo has found among his papers an account of the -circumstances under which Abraham Lincoln made his maiden speech. It -was originally printed in the Springfield (Ill.) Republican, and is as -follows: - -“The President of the United States made his maiden speech in Sangamon -County, at Pappsville (or Richland), in the year 1832. He was then a Whig -and a candidate for the Legislature of this State. The speech is sharp -and sensible. To understand why it was so short the following facts will -show: 1. Mr. Lincoln was a young man of 23 years of age and timid. 2. His -friends and opponents in the joint discussion had rolled the sun nearly -down. Lincoln saw it was not the proper time then to discuss the question -fully, and hence he cut his remarks short. Probably the other candidates -had exhausted the subjects under discussion. The time, according to -W. H. Herndon’s informant--who has kindly furnished this valuable -reminiscence for us--was 1832; it may have been 1831. The President lived -at the time with James A. Herndon, at Salem, Sangamon County, who heard -the speech, talked about it, and knows the report to be correct. The -speech, which was characteristic of the man, was as follows: - - “‘Gentlemen, Fellow-Citizens: I presume you all know who I - am. I am humble Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by my - friends to become a candidate for the Legislature. My politics - are short and sweet, like an “old woman’s dance.” I am in - favor of a national bank. I am in favor of the international - improvement system and a high protective tariff. These are my - sentiments and political principles. If elected, I will be - thankful. If defeated, it will be all the same.’” - - - - -HOW LINCOLN BECAME KNOWN AS “HONEST ABE.” - - -As a grocery clerk at New Salem Lincoln was scrupulously honest. This -trait of his soon became known, but the two following incidents are -particularly responsible for the appellation of “Honest Abe,” given him -and by which he has been so familiarly known. He once took six and a -quarter cents too much from a customer. He did not say to himself, “never -mind such little things,” but walked three miles that evening, after -closing his store, to return the money. On another occasion he weighed -out a half-pound of tea, as he supposed, it being night when he did so, -and that having been the last thing he sold in the store before going -home. On entering in the morning he discovered a four-ounce weight on the -scales. He saw his mistake, and shutting up shop, hurried off to deliver -the remainder of the tea. These acts of his, as well as his thorough -honesty in other respects, soon gained for him the now famous title of -“Honest Abe.” - - - - -LINCOLN WAS AN “OBLIGING” MAN. - - -Lincoln was always ready to help any man, woman, child or animal. He was -naturally kindhearted, and “possessed in an extraordinary degree the -power of entering into the interests of others, a power found only in -reflective, unselfish natures.” He loved his friends and sympathized with -them in their troubles. He was anxious always to do his share in making -their labors day after day as light as possible. - -Thus we are told by his neighbors (biography by Mr. Herndon and others) -that he cared for the children while on a visit to a friend’s house; -gave up his own bed in the tavern where he was boarding when the house -was full, and slept on the counter; helped farmers pull out the wheel of -their wagon when it got stuck in the mud; chopped wood for the widows; -rocked the cradle while the woman of the house where he was staying was -busy getting the meal, and otherwise made himself useful. No wonder there -was not a housewife in all New Salem who would not gladly “put on a -plate” for Abe Lincoln, or who would not darn or mend for him whenever -he needed such services. It was the “spontaneous, unobtrusive helpfulness -of the man’s nature which endeared him to everybody.” - - - - -HOW LINCOLN PAID A LARGE DEBT. - - -Mr. Lincoln went into partnership in the grocery business in New Salem. -Ill., with a man named Berry. This man Berry mismanaged the business -while Lincoln was away surveying. Eventually he died, leaving Lincoln to -pay a debt of eleven hundred dollars contracted by the firm. In those -days it was the fashion for business men who had failed to “clear out,” -that is, skip the town and settle elsewhere. Not so with “Abe.” He -quietly settled down among the men he owed and promised to pay them. He -asked only time. For several years he worked to pay off this debt, a load -which he cheerfully and manfully bore. He habitually spoke of it to his -friends as the “national debt,” it was so heavy. As late as 1848, when he -was a member of Congress, he sent home a part of his salary to be applied -on these obligations. All the notes, with the high interest rates then -prevailing, were finally paid. - - - - -HIS FIRST SIGHT OF SLAVERY. - - -In May, 1831, Lincoln and a few companions went to New Orleans on a -flat-boat and remained there a month. It was there that he witnessed for -the first time negro men and women sold like animals. The poor beings -were chained, whipped and scourged. “Against this inhumanity his sense -of right and justice rebelled, and his mind and conscience were awakened -to a realization of what he had often heard and read,” writes one of -his biographers, Ida M. Tarbell. One morning, in his rambles with his -friends over the city, he passed a slave auction. A comely mulatto girl -of vigorous physique was being sold. She underwent a thorough examination -at the hands of the bidders; they pinched her flesh, and made her trot up -and down the room like a horse to show how she moved, and in order, as -the auctioneer said, that “bidders might satisfy themselves” whether the -article they were offering to buy was sound or not. “The whole thing was -so revolting that Lincoln moved away from the scene with a deep feeling -of unconquerable hate.” He remarked to his companions: “If I ever get a -chance to hit that thing (slavery) I’ll hit it hard.” - - - - -LINCOLN AND DAVIS IN THE BLACK HAWK WAR. - - -Abraham Lincoln had a very brief experience with actual warfare. He -enlisted with a company of volunteers to take part in the Black Hawk -war. It was the custom in those days for each company to elect its -own Captain, and Lincoln was chosen Captain of his company almost -unanimously. He was heard to say many times in after life that no other -success in his life had given him such pleasure as did this one. His -command did little, as they were never engaged in a pitched battle, -so Lincoln had to be content “with the reputation of being the best -comrade and story-teller in the camp.” It is a peculiar coincidence that -Jefferson Davis also served as an officer in this war. - - - - -LINCOLN’S GLOWING TRIBUTE TO HIS MOTHER. - - -These famous words originated with the good and lowly Abraham Lincoln: - - “All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother.” - -His affection for his mother was very strong, and long after her death -he would speak of her affectionately and tearfully. She was a woman five -feet five inches in height, slender of figure, pale of complexion, sad -of expression, and of a sensitive nature. Of a heroic nature, she yet -shrank from the rude life around her. About two years after her removal -from Kentucky to Indiana she died. “Abe” was then ten years old. She -was buried under a tree near the cabin home, where little “Abe” would -often betake himself and, sitting on her lonely grave, weep over his -irreparable loss. - -Lincoln’s mother was buried in a green pine box made by his father. -Although a boy of ten years at that time, it was through his efforts that -a parson came all the way from Kentucky to Indiana three months later to -preach the sermon and conduct the service. The child could not rest in -peace till due honor had been done his dead mother. - - - - -WHAT LINCOLN’S STEP-MOTHER SAID OF HIM. - - -“Abe was a good boy, and I can say what scarcely one woman--a mother--can -say in a thousand: Abe never gave me a cross word or look, and never -refused, in fact or appearance, to do anything I requested him. I never -gave him a cross word in all my life. … His mind and mine--what little I -had--seemed to run together. He was here after he was elected President. -He was a dutiful son to me always. I think he loved me truly. I had a -son, John, who was raised with Abe. Both were good boys; but I must say, -both now being dead, that Abe was the best boy I ever saw, or expect to -see.”--Ida M. Tarbell. - - - - -LINCOLN’S FIRST LOVE. - - -Lincoln’s first love was Anna Rutledge, of New Salem, whose father was -keeper of the Rutledge tavern where “Abe” boarded. The girl had been -engaged to a young man named John McNeill, whom, we are informed, the -village community pronounced an adventurer and a man unworthy the girl’s -love. He left for the east, promising, however, to return within a year -and claim her as his wife, so the story reads. According to Mrs. William -Prewitt, a sister of Anna Rutledge, who is at present (1898) living, -the engagement was broken off before McNeill went away, so that she was -free to receive the attentions of “Abe” Lincoln. She finally promised -to become his wife in the spring of 1835, soon after his return from -Vandalia. But, unfortunately, circumstances did not permit of a marriage -then, Lincoln being barely able to support himself, not yet having been -admitted to the bar, and the girl, being but seventeen years old. It -was agreed that she should attend an academy at Jacksonville, Ill., and -Lincoln would devote himself to his law studies till the next spring, -when he would be admitted to the bar, and then they would be married. - -New Salem was deeply interested in the young lovers and prophesied a -happy life for them; but fate willed it otherwise. Anna Rutledge became -seriously ill, with an attack of brain fever, and when it was seen that -her recovery was impossible Lincoln, her lover, was sent for. They -“passed an hour alone in an anguished parting,” and soon after (August -25, 1835,) Anna died. - -The death of his sweetheart was a terrible blow to Lincoln. His -melancholy increased and darkened his mind and his imagination, and -tortured him with its black picture. One stormy night he was sitting -beside a friend of his, with his head bowed on his hand, while tears -trickled through his fingers. His friend begged him to try to control his -sorrow; to try to forget it. Lincoln replied: “I cannot; the thought of -the snow and rain on Ann’s grave fills me with indescribable grief.” For -many days Lincoln journeyed on foot to the cemetery where Anna Rutledge -lay buried, and there alone, in the “city of the dead,” wept for the -girl whom he had loved so well. Many years afterward, when he had married -and become great, he said to a friend who questioned him: “I really and -truly loved the girl and think often of her now.” After a pause he added: -“And I have loved the name of Rutledge to this day.” - - - - -THE DUEL LINCOLN DIDN’T FIGHT. - - -President Abraham Lincoln and General Joe Shields, who married sisters, -once arranged to fight a duel at Alton, Ill. It is remembered yet by the -old settlers. Shields had offended a young lady at Springfield, and she -got even by sending an article about it to a Springfield paper, signing -a nom de plume. The next day General Shields called upon the editor -and gave him 24 hours during which to divulge the name of the author -or to take the consequences. The editor, who was a friend of Abraham -Lincoln, called upon him and asked what to do. Not thinking it was a -very serious affair, Lincoln promptly said, “Tell him that I wrote it.” -The editor did so, and General Shields challenged Lincoln to a duel, the -latter accepting and choosing broadswords as the weapons and an island -opposite Alton as the place. The principals and seconds went to the place -appointed, when a chance remark of Lincoln that he hated to have to kill -Shields because he caused him to believe that he wrote the article in -order to protect a lady, brought about a reconciliation, and the duel -failed to come off. Hundreds of people were on the bank of the river, -and to carry out a joke a log was dressed up, placed in a skiff, the -occupants fanning it with their hats as though it was an injured man, and -the excitement was intense. It always remained a sore spot with Lincoln, -and but little was ever said about it. - - - - -LINCOLN AS A DANCER. - - -Lincoln made his first appearance in society when he was first sent to -Springfield, Ill., as a member of the state legislature. It was not an -imposing figure which he cut in a ballroom, but still he was occasionally -to be found there. Miss Mary Todd, who afterward became his wife, was the -magnet which drew the tall, awkward young man from his den. One evening -Lincoln approached Miss Todd and said, in his peculiar idiom: - -“Miss Todd, I should like to dance with you the worst way.” - -The young woman accepted the inevitable and hobbled around the room -with him. When she returned to her seat, one of her companions asked -mischievously: - -“Well, Mary, did he dance with you the worst way?” - -“Yes,” she answered, “the very worst.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S COURTSHIP AND MARRIAGE. - - -In 1839 Miss Mary Todd, of Kentucky, arrived in Springfield to visit a -married sister, Mrs. Edwards. At the instance of his friend Speed, who -was also a Kentuckian, Lincoln became a visitor at the Edwards’, and -before long it was apparent to the observant among those in Springfield -that the lively young lady held him captive. Engagements at that time and -in that neighborhood were not announced as soon as they were made, and it -is not at all impossible that Miss Todd and Mr. Lincoln were betrothed -many months before any other than Mrs. Edwards and Mr. Speed knew of it. - -At this time, as was the case till Lincoln was elected to the presidency, -his one special rival in Illinois was Stephen A. Douglas. Mr. Douglas had -more of the social graces than Mr. Lincoln, and it appeared to him that -nothing would be more interesting than to cut out his political rival in -the affections of the entertaining and lively Miss Todd, and so he paid -her court. - -A spirited young lady from Kentucky at that time in Illinois would have -been almost less than human if she had refused to accept the attentions -of the two leading men of the locality. Therefore Miss Todd, being quite -human, encouraged Douglas, and again there was what nowadays would have -been called a flirtation. This course of action did not spur Lincoln -on in his devotion, but made him less ardent, and he concluded, after -much self worriment, to break off the engagement, which he did, but -at the same interview there was a reconciliation and a renewal of the -engagement. - -Lincoln’s marriage to Mary Todd occurred in Springfield, Ill., at the -home of Mr. M. W. Edwards, where Miss Todd lived. She was the belle of -Springfield. The marriage, although hastily arranged in the end, was -perhaps the first one performed in that city with all the requirements -of the Episcopal ceremony. Rev. Charles Dresser officiated. Among the -many friends of Lincoln who were present was Thomas C. Brown, one of the -judges of the state supreme court. He was a blunt, outspoken man and an -old timer. - -Parson Dresser was attired in full canonical robes and recited the -service with much impressive solemnity. He handed Lincoln the ring, who, -placing it on the bride’s finger, repeated the church formula, “With this -ring I thee endow with all my goods and chattels, lands and tenements.” - -Judge Brown, who had never before witnessed such a ceremony, and looked -upon it as utterly absurd, ejaculated, in a tone loud enough to be -heard by all, “God Almighty, Lincoln, the statute fixes all that!” This -unexpected interruption almost upset the old parson, who had a keen sense -of the ridiculous, but he quickly recovered his gravity and hastily -pronounced the couple man and wife. - - - - -LINCOLN’S PERSONAL APPEARANCE. - - -That Lincoln was a man of extraordinary personal appearance is well -known. He measured six feet four inches, and as most men are below -six feet it will be seen that he was considerably taller than the -average. He possessed great strength, both bodily and mental, and had a -superabundance of patience, which he displayed constantly, and treated -even those who differed with him with respect and kindness. One who had -sustained close relations with Lincoln and knew him intimately, the late -Charles A. Dana, in his Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln, published in -McClure’s Magazine, thus describes him: - -“Mr. Lincoln’s face was thin, and his features were large. He had black -hair, heavy eyebrows, and a square and well developed forehead. His -complexion was dark and quite sallow. He had a smile that was most -lovely, surpassing even a woman’s smile in its engaging quality. When -pleased his face would light up very pleasantly. Some have said he was -awkward in his step. The word ‘awkward’ hardly fits, because there -was such a charm and beauty about his expression, such good humor and -friendly spirit looking from his eyes, that one looking at him never -thought whether he was awkward or graceful. His whole personality at -once caused you to think, ‘What a kindly character this man has!’ Always -dignified in manner, he was benevolent and benignant, always wishing -to do somebody some good if he could. He was all solid, hard, keen -intelligence combined with goodness.” - - - - -LINCOLNS’ MOTHER. - - -Not long before his tragic death, Mr. Lincoln said: “All that I am, and -all that I hope to be, I owe to my mother.” That mother died when little -Abe was nine years of age. But she had already woven the texture of -her deepest character into the habits and purposes of her boy. Her own -origin had been humble. But there were certain elements in her character -that prepared her for grand motherhood. When Nancy Hanks, at the age -of twenty-three, gave her heart and hand to Thomas Lincoln, she was a -young woman of large trustfulness, of loving, unselfish disposition, of -profound faith in Divine Providence, of unswerving Christian profession. - -On the day of their marriage Thomas Lincoln took this young wife to his -unfinished cabin, which had as yet neither door, floor, nor window. The -young man was a shiftless Kentucky hunter, who could not read a word. He -was handy with his few carpenter tools, but had received no encouragement -to keep at work. His happy, trusting wife assisted him to finish the -cabin. He mortared the chinks with mud which they together had mixed. Her -hope and song made the work of the day his happy employ. In the evening -she taught him to read, spelling the words out of her Bible as the text -book, which served her double purpose. - -From that day Thomas Lincoln was a new man. It was this conscientious -wife that inspired him to move across the Ohio into the free State of -Indiana. Here Lincoln soon became a justice of the peace. When this -wife died, only twelve years after their marriage, Thomas Lincoln had -been transformed from the shiftless hunter, who could not read, to an -intelligent farmer of the largest influence of any man in his township. -Little Abe had been taught to read out of that same Bible, and had read -out of that mother’s eyes and voice her large trust in the overshadowing -Providence and her unswerving honesty in doing the right. It was this -woman that put into his hands the fine books--the Bible, Pilgrim’s -Progress, Æsop’s Fables, Robinson Crusoe, and Weems’s Life of Washington. - -Such was the mother that started Abraham Lincoln. “Widow Johnston,” who -became his stepmother, was a good woman, with whom he always maintained -the kindest relations. She deserved the honorable mention she received. - - - - -LINCOLN’S MELANCHOLIA. - - -A friend of Lincoln writes: Lincoln’s periods of melancholy are -proverbial. On one occasion, while in court in 1855, Maj. H. C. Whitney -describes him as “sitting alone in one corner of the room remote from any -one else, wrapped in abstraction and gloom. It was a sad but interesting -study for me, and I watched him for some time. It appeared as if he were -pursuing in his mind some sad subject through various sinuosities, and -his face would assume at times the deepest phases of seeming pain, but no -relief came from this dark and despairing melancholy till he was roused -by the breaking up of court, when he emerged from his cave of gloom and -came back, like one awakened from sleep, to the world in which he lived -again.” As early as 1837 Robert L. Wilson, who was his colleague in the -legislature, testifies that Lincoln admitted to him that, although he -appeared to enjoy life rapturously, still he was the victim of extreme -melancholy, and that he was so overcome at times by depression of spirits -that he never dared carry a pocketknife. - -To physicians he was something of a physiological puzzle. John T. Stuart -insisted that his digestion was organically defective, so that the pores -of his skin oftentimes performed the functions of the bowels; that his -liver operated abnormally and failed to secrete bile, and that these -things themselves were sufficient in his opinion to produce the deepest -mental depression and melancholy. - -Lincoln’s law partner, Mr. Herndon, attributed Lincoln’s melancholy to -the death of Anna Rutledge, believing that his grief at her untimely -death was so intense that it cast a perpetual shadow over his mental -horizon. Another believed that it arose from his domestic environments; -that his family relations were far from pleasant, and that that unhappy -feature of his life was a constant menace to his peace and perfect -equipoise of spirits. “Although married,” says one, “he was not mated, -so that if we see him come into his office in the morning eating cheese -and bologna sausages philosophically, what can we expect but some periods -of sadness and gloom? Emerson, who you and I hold in high esteem, had -pie for breakfast all his married life, and in my opinion that is what -clouded his memory the rest of his life after seventy years of age.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S HEIGHT. - - -Emma Gurley Adams in the New York Press. - -Sir:--The admirable speech of Hon. Thomas B. Reed in your paper of Feb. -9 contains one error which I would like to correct. Mr. Reed says Mr. -Lincoln was six feet four inches in height. Mr. Lincoln told my father -that he was exactly six feet three inches only a short time before his -tragic death. Mr. Lincoln was very fond of tall men, and generally knew -their exact height and never hesitated to say: “I am exactly six feet -three.” - - - - -HOW LINCOLN BECAME A LAWYER. - - -That Lincoln was a skilled lawyer is well known. It is not, however, -generally known that he learned law himself, never having studied -with anyone, or having attended any law school. He was preëminently -a self-educated man. He borrowed law books of his friend Stuart, of -Springfield, Ill., took them home (twenty miles away) and studied them -hard. He walked all the way to Springfield and back, and usually read -while walking. He often read aloud during these trips. Twenty years -afterward, while he was a great lawyer and statesman, he gave this advice -to a young man who asked him “how he could become a great lawyer.” “Get -books, and read and study them carefully. Begin with Blackstone’s -‘Commentaries,’ and after reading carefully through, say twice, take up -Chitty’s ‘Pleadings,’ Greenleaf’s ‘Evidence,’ and Story’s ‘Equity,’ in -succession. Work, work, work is the main thing.” - - - - -LINCOLN AS A LAWYER. - - -When Lincoln became a lawyer, he carried to the bar his habitual -honesty. His associates were often surprised by his utter disregard of -self-interest, while they could but admire his conscientious defense -of what he considered right. One day a stranger called to secure his -services. - -“State your case,” said Lincoln. - -A history of the case was given, when Lincoln astonished him by saying: - -“I cannot serve you; for you are wrong, and the other party is right.” - -“That is none of your business, if I hire and pay you for taking the -case,” retorted the man. - -“Not my business!” exclaimed Lincoln. “My business is never to defend -wrong, if I am a lawyer. I never undertake a case that is manifestly -wrong.” - -“Well, you can make trouble for the fellow,” added the applicant. - -“Yes,” replied Lincoln, fully aroused, “there is no doubt but that I can -gain the case for you, and set a whole neighborhood at loggerhead. I can -distress a widowed mother and her six fatherless children, and thereby -get for you six hundred dollars, which rightly belongs as much to the -woman and her children as it does to you; but I won’t do it.” - -“Not for any amount of pay?” continued the stranger. - -“Not for all you are worth,” replied Lincoln. “You must remember that -some things which are legally right are not morally right. I shall not -take your case.” - -“I don’t care a snap whether you do or not!” exclaimed the man angrily, -starting to go. - -“I will give you a piece of advice without charge,” added Lincoln. “You -seem to be a sprightly, energetic man; I would advise you to make six -hundred dollars some other way.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S CONSCIENTIOUSNESS IN TAKING CASES. - - -Even as early as 1852 Lincoln had acquired a reputation for story -telling. When not busy during the session of the court he was “habitually -whispering stories to his neighbors, frequently to the annoyance of -Judge Davis, who presided over the Eighth circuit.” If Lincoln persisted -too long the judge would rap on the chair and exclaim: “Come, come, Mr. -Lincoln; I can’t stand this! There is no use trying to carry on two -courts. I must adjourn mine or yours, and I think you will have to be the -one.” As soon as the group had scattered the judge would call one of the -men to him and ask: “What was that Lincoln was telling?” - -In his law practice Lincoln seems to have been singularly conscientious, -his first effort being to try to arrange matters so as to avoid -litigation. Nor would he assume a case that he felt was not founded upon -right and justice. - - - - -THE JURY UNDERSTOOD. - - -Another one of these anecdotes is related in connection with a case -involving a bodily attack. Mr. Lincoln defended, and told the jury that -his client was in the fix of a man who, in going along the highway with -a pitchfork over his shoulder, was attacked by a fierce dog that ran out -at him from a farmer’s door-yard. In parrying off the brute with the fork -its prongs stuck into him and killed him. - -“What made you kill my dog?” said the farmer. - -“What made him bite me?” - -“But why did you not go after him with the other end of the pitchfork?” - -“Why did he not come at me with his other end?” At this Mr. Lincoln -whirled about in his long arms an imaginary dog and pushed his tail -end towards the jury. This was the defensive plea of “Son assault -demesne”--loosely, that “The other fellow brought on the fight”--quickly -told and in a way the dullest mind would grasp and retain. - - - - -LINCOLN’S HONESTY WITH A LADY CLIENT. - - -A lady who had a real estate claim which she desired prosecuted once -called on Lincoln and wished him to take up her case. She left the -claim in his hands, together with a check for two hundred dollars as a -retaining fee. Lincoln told her to call the next day, and meanwhile he -would examine her claim. - -Upon presenting herself the next day the lady was informed that he had -examined the case carefully, and told her frankly that she had no valid -or legal grounds on which to base her claim. He therefore could not -advise her to institute legal proceedings. The lady was satisfied, and -thanking him, rose to leave. - -“Wait,” said Lincoln, at the same time fumbling in his vest pocket, “here -is the check you left with me.” - -“But, Mr. Lincoln, I think you have earned that,” replied the lady. - -“No, no,” he responded, handing it back to her, “that would not be right. -I can’t take pay for doing my duty.”--From Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. -McClure. - - - - -LINCOLN WINS A CELEBRATED CASE. - - -The son of Lincoln’s old friend and former employer, who had loaned him -books, was charged with a murder committed in a riot at a camp-meeting. -Lincoln volunteered for the defense. - -A witness swore that he saw the prisoner strike the fatal blow. It was -night, but he swore that the full moon was shining clear, and he saw -everything distinctly. The case seemed hopeless, but Lincoln produced -an almanac, and showed that at that hour there was no moon. “Then he -depicted the crime of perjury with such eloquence that the false witness -fled the court house.” - -One who heard the trial says: “It was near night when Lincoln concluded, -saying, ‘If justice was done, before the sun set it would shine upon his -client a free man.’” - -The court charged the jury; they returned and brought in a verdict of -“not guilty.” The prisoner fell into his weeping mother’s arms, says the -writer, and then turned to thank Lincoln. The latter, looking out at the -sun, said: “It is not yet sundown, and you are free.”--From Lincoln’s -Stories, by J. B. McClure. - - - - -LINCOLN’S “SELFISHNESS.” - - -Mr. Lincoln once remarked to a fellow-passenger on the old-time mud-wagon -coach, on the corduroy road which antedated railroads, that all men were -prompted by selfishness in doing good or evil. His fellow-passenger was -antagonizing his position when they were passing over a corduroy bridge -that spanned a slough. As they crossed this bridge, and the mud-wagon was -shaking like a sucker with chills, they espied an old, razor-back sow on -the bank of the slough, making a terrible noise because her pigs had got -into the slough and were unable to get out and in danger of drowning. -As the old coach began to climb the hillside Mr. Lincoln called out: -“Driver, can’t you stop just a moment?” The driver replied. “If the other -feller don’t object.” The “other feller”--who was no less a personage -than, at that time, “Col.” E. D. Baker, the gallant general who gave his -life in defense of old glory at Ball’s Bluff--did not “object,” when -Mr. Lincoln jumped out, ran back to the slough and began to lift the -little pigs out of the mud and water and place them on the bank. When he -returned Col. Baker remarked: “Now, Abe, where does selfishness come in -in this little episode?” “Why, bless your soul, Ed, that was the very -essence of selfishness. I would have had no peace of mind all day had I -gone on and left that suffering old sow worrying over those pigs. I did -it to get peace of mind, don’t you see?” - - - - -LINCOLN REMOVES A LICENSE ON THEATRES. - - -One of the most interesting anecdotes about the beloved Lincoln is the -one quoted from Joe Jefferson’s autobiography. Jefferson and his father -were playing at Springfield during the session of the legislature, and, -as there was no theaters in town, had gone to the expense of building -one. Hardly had this been done when a religious revival broke out. The -church people condemned the theater and prevailed upon the authorities to -impose a license which was practically prohibition. - -“In the midst of our trouble,” says Jefferson, “a young lawyer called on -the managers. He had heard of the injustice and offered, if they would -place the matter in his hands, to have the license taken off, men then -in vogue he remarked how much declaring that he only desired to see fair -play, and he would accept no fee whether he failed or succeeded. The -young lawyer began his harangue. He handled the subject with tact, skill -and humor, tracing the history of the drama from the time when Thespis -acted in a cart to the stage of to-day. He illustrated his speech with a -number of anecdotes and kept the council in a roar of laughter. His good -humor prevailed and the exorbitant tax was taken off. The young lawyer -was Lincoln.” - - - - -HOW LINCOLN GOT THE WORST OF A HORSE TRADE. - - -Abraham Lincoln was fond of a good story, and it is a well-known fact -that he often illustrated an important point in the business at hand by -resorting to his favorite pastime. Probably one of the best he ever told -he related of himself when he was a lawyer in Illinois. One day Lincoln -and a certain judge, who was an intimate friend of his, were bantering -each other about horses, a favorite topic of theirs. Finally Lincoln said: - -“Well, look here. Judge, I’ll tell you what I’ll do. I’ll make a horse -trade with you, only it must be upon these stipulations: Neither party -shall see the other’s horse until it is produced here in the court yard -of the hotel, and both parties must trade horses. If either party backs -out of the agreement, he does so under a forfeiture of $25.” - -“Agreed,” cried the judge, and both he and Lincoln went in quest of their -respective animals. - -A crowd gathered, anticipating some fun, and when the judge returned -first, the laugh was uproarious. He led, or rather dragged, at the end -of a halter the meanest, boniest, rib-staring quadruped--blind in both -eyes--that ever pressed turf. But presently Lincoln came along carrying -over his shoulder a carpenter’s horse. Then the mirth of the crowd was -furious. Lincoln solemnly set his horse down, and silently surveyed the -judge’s animal with a comical look of infinite disgust. - -“Well, Judge,” he finally said, “this is the first time I ever got the -worst of it in a horse trade.” - - - - -LINCOLN HELPED HIM TO WIN. - - -His first case at the bar will never be forgotten by ex-Senator John C. -S. Blackburn, of Kentucky, for Abraham Lincoln played a conspicuous part -in helping the young Kentuckian to win his suit. Lincoln was merely an -attorney, waiting for one of his cases to be called, when the incident -occurred. - -Ex-Senator Blackburn was but 20 years old when he began the practice of -law, having graduated at Center College, Danville, Ky. His first case -was in the United States court in Chicago, presided over by Justice John -McLean, then on the circuit, says the Chicago Times-Herald. The opposing -counsel was Isaac N. Arnold, then at the head of the Chicago bar, and -subsequently a member of congress and author of the first biography of -Lincoln. Young Blackburn had filed a demurrer to Mr. Arnold’s pleadings -in the cause, and when the case was reached on the calendar the young -Kentuckian was quite nervous at having such a formidable and experienced -antagonist, while the dignity of the tribunal and the presence of a -large number of eminent lawyers in court served to increase his timidity -and embarrassment. In truth, the stripling barrister was willing to have -any disposition made of the cause, in order to get rid of the burden of -embarrassment and “stage fright.” He was ready to adopt any suggestion -the opposing counsel should make. - -Arnold made an argument in which he criticized the demurrer in a manner -that increased the young lawyer’s confusion. However, Blackburn knew that -he had to make some kind of an effort. He proceeded with a few remarks, -weak and bewildering, and was about to sit down when a tall, homely, -loose-jointed man sitting in the bar arose and addressed the court in -behalf of the position the young Kentuckian had assumed in a feeble and -tangled argument, making the points so clear that the court sustained the -demurrer. - -Blackburn did not know who his volunteer friend was, and Mr. Arnold got -up and sought to rebuke the latter for attempting to interfere in the -case, which he had nothing to do with. This volunteer was none other than -Abraham Lincoln, and this was the first and last time the Kentuckian -ever saw the “rail-splitting President.” In replying to Mr. Arnold’s -strictures, Mr. Lincoln said he claimed the privilege of giving a young -lawyer a helping hand when struggling with his first case, especially -when he was pitted against an experienced practitioner. - - - - -LINCOLN SETTLES A QUARREL WITHOUT GOING TO LAW. - - -When Abe Lincoln used to be drifting around the country practicing law -in Fulton and Menard counties, Illinois, an old fellow met him going -to Lewistown, riding a horse which, while it was a serviceable enough -an animal, was not of the kind to be truthfully called a fine saddler. -It was a weather-beaten nag, patient and plodding and it toiled along -with Abe--and Abe’s books, tucked away in saddle-bags, lay heavy on the -horse’s flank. - -“Hello, Uncle Tommy,” said Abe. “Hello, Abe,” responded Uncle Tommy. “I’m -powerful glad to see ye, Abe, fer I’m gwyne to have sumthin’ fer ye at -Lewiston cot, I reckon.” - -“How’s that, Uncle Tommy?” said Abe. - -“Well, Jim Adams, his land runs long o’ mine, he’s pesterin’ me a heap -an’ I got to get the law on Jim, I reckon.” - -“Uncle Tommy, you haven’t had any fights with Jim, have you?” - -“No.” - -“He’s a fair to middling neighbor, isn’t he?” - -“Only tollable, Abe.” - -“He’s been a neighbor of yours for a long time, hasn’t he?” - -“Nigh on to fifteen year.” - -“Part of the time you get along all right, don’t you?” - -“I reckon we do, Abe.” - -“Well, now, Uncle Tommy, you see this horse of mine? He isn’t as good a -horse as I could straddle, and I sometimes get out of patience with him, -but I know his faults. He does fairly well as horses go, and it might -take me a long time to get used to some other horse’s faults. For all -horses have faults. You and Uncle Jimmy must put up with each other as I -and my horse do with one another.” - -“I reckon, Abe,” said Uncle Tommy, as he bit off about four ounces of -Missouri plug. “I reckon you’re about right.” - -And Abe Lincoln, with a smile on his gaunt face, rode on toward Lewistown. - - - - -A LINCOLN STORY ABOUT LITTLE DAN WEBSTER’S SOILED HANDS. - - -Mr. Lincoln, on one occasion narrated to Hon. Mr. Odell and others, with -much zest, the following story about young Daniel Webster: - -When quite young, at school, Daniel was one day guilty of a gross -violation of the rules. He was detected in the act, and called up by the -teacher for punishment. This was to be the old-fashioned “feruling” of -the hand. His hands happened to be very dirty. Knowing this, on his way -to the teacher’s desk, he spit upon the palm of his right hand, wiping it -off upon the side of his pantaloons. - -“Give me your hand, sir,” said the teacher, very sternly. - -Out went the right hand, partly cleaned. The teacher looked at it a -moment and said: - -“Daniel! if you will find another hand in this school-room as filthy as -that, I will let you off this time!” - -Instantly from behind his back came the left hand. “Here it is, sir,” was -the ready reply. - -“That will do,” said the teacher, “for this time; you can take your seat, -sir.”--From Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure. - - - - -LINCOLN’S LONG LIMBS DRIVE A MAN OUT OF HIS BERTH. - - -There was one story of his career that the late George M. Pullman told -with manifest delight, which is thus related by an intimate friend. - -One night going out of Chicago, a long, lean, ugly man, with a wart on -his cheek, came into the depot. He paid George M. Pullman 50 cents, and -half a berth was assigned him. Then he took off his coat and vest and -hung them up, and they fitted the peg about as well as they fitted him. -Then he kicked off his boots, which were of surprising length, turned -into the berth, and, having an easy conscience, was sleeping like a -healthy baby before the car left the depot. Along came another passenger -and paid his 50 cents. In two minutes he was back at George Pullman. - -“There’s a man in that berth of mine,” said he, hotly, “and he’s about -ten feet high. How am I going to sleep there, I’d like to know? Go and -look at him.” - -In went Pullman--mad, too. The tall, lank man’s knees were under his -chin, his arms were stretched across the bed and his feet were stored -comfortably--for him. Pullman shook him until he awoke, and then told -him if he wanted the whole berth he would have to pay $1. - -“My dear sir,” said the tall man, “a contract is a contract. I have paid -you 50 cents for half this berth, and, as you see, I’m occupying it. -There’s the other half,” pointing to a strip about six inches wide. “Sell -that and don’t disturb me again.” And, so saying, the man with a wart on -his face went to sleep again. He was Abraham Lincoln. - - - - -LINCOLN’S JOKE ON DOUGLAS. - - -On one occasion, when Lincoln and Douglas were “stumping” the State of -Illinois together as political opponents, Douglas, who had the first -speech, remarked that in early life, his father, who he said was an -excellent cooper by trade, apprenticed him out to learn the cabinet -business. - -This was too good for Lincoln to let pass, so when his turn came to -reply, he said: - -“I had understood before that Mr. Douglas had been bound out to learn the -cabinet-making business, which is all well enough, but I was not aware -until now that his father was a cooper. I have no doubt, however, that he -was one, and I am certain, also, that he was a very good one, for (here -Lincoln gently bowed toward Douglas) he has made one of the best whisky -casks I have ever seen.” - -As Douglas was a short heavy-set man, and occasionally imbibed, the pith -of the joke was at once apparent, and most heartily enjoyed by all. - -On another occasion, Douglas in one of his speeches, made a strong point -against Lincoln by telling the crowd that when he first knew Mr. Lincoln -he was a “grocery-keeper,” and sold whisky, cigars, etc. “Mr. L.,” he -said, “was a very good bar-tender!” This brought the laugh on Lincoln, -whose reply, however, soon came, and then the laugh was on the other side. - -“What Mr. Douglas has said, gentlemen,” replied Mr. Lincoln, “is true -enough; I did keep a grocery and I did sell cotton, candles and cigars, -and sometimes whisky; but I remember in those days that Mr. Douglas was -one of my best customers. - -“Many a time have I stood on one side of the counter and sold whisky to -Mr. Douglas on the other side, but the difference between us now is this: -I have left my side of the counter, but Mr. Douglas still sticks to his -as tenaciously as ever!”--From Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure. - - - - -LINCOLN SHREWDLY TRAPS DOUGLAS. - - -Perhaps no anecdote ever told of Mr. Lincoln illustrates more forcibly -his “longheadedness” in laying plans, not even that incident when he -asked the “Jedge” a question in his debate with Mr. Douglas, which may be -told as follows: - -One afternoon during that joint debate Mr. Lincoln was sitting with his -friends, planning the program, when he was observed to go off in a kind -of reverie, and for some time appeared totally oblivious of everything -around him. Then slowly bringing his right hand up, holding it a moment -in the air and then letting it fall with a quick slap upon his thigh, he -said: - -“There, I am going to ask the ‘jedge’ (he always called him the ‘jedge’) -a question to-night, and I don’t care the ghost of a continental which -way he answers it. If he answers it one way he will lose the senatorship. -If he answers it the other way it will lose him the Presidency.” - -No one asked him what the question was: but that evening it was the turn -for Mr. Douglas to speak first, and right in the midst of his address, -all at once Mr. Lincoln roused up as if a new thought had suddenly struck -him, and said: - -“Jedge, will you allow me to ask you one question?” - -“Certainly,” said Mr. Douglas. - -“Suppose, Jedge, there was a new town or colony just started in -some Western territory; and suppose there were precisely 100 -householders--voters--there; and suppose, Jedge, that ninety-nine did not -want slavery and one did. What would be done about it?” - -Judge Douglas beat about the bush, but failed to give a direct answer. - -“No, no, Jedge, that won’t do. Tell us plainly what will be done about -it?” - -Again Douglas tried to evade, but Lincoln would not be put off, and he -insisted that a direct answer should be given. At last Douglas admitted -that the majority would have their way by some means or other. - -Mr. Lincoln said no more. He had secured what he wanted. Douglas had -answered the question as Illinois people would have answered it, and he -got the Senatorship. But that answer was not satisfactory to the people -of the south. In 1860 the Charleston convention split in two factions and -“it lost him the Presidency,” and it made Abraham Lincoln President. - - - - -LINCOLN’S FAIRNESS IN DEBATE. - - -The first time I met Mr. Lincoln was during his contest with Douglas. I -was a young clergyman in a small Illinois country town. I was almost a -stranger there when Lincoln was announced to make a speech. I went to -the hall, got a seat well forward and asked a neighbor to point out Mr. -Lincoln when he came in. “You won’t have no trouble knowin’ him when he -comes,” said my friend, and I didn’t. Soon a tall, gaunt man came down -the aisle and was greeted with hearty applause. - -I was specially impressed with the fairness and honesty of the man. He -began by stating Douglas’ points as fully and fairly as Douglas could -have done. It struck me that he even overdid it in his anxiety to put -his opponent’s argument in the most attractive form. But then he went at -those arguments and answered them so convincingly that there was nothing -more to be said. - -Mr. Lincoln’s manner so charmed me that I asked to meet him after the -address, and learning that he was to be in town the next day attending -court I invited him to dine with me. He came, and we had an interesting -visit. - -The thing that most impressed me was his reverence for learning. Recently -come from divinity studies, I was full of books, and he was earnest in -drawing me out about them. He was by no means ignorant of literature, but -as a man of affairs naturally he had not followed new things nor studied -in the lines I had. Philosophy interested him particularly, and after -we had talked about some of the men then in vogue he remarked how much -he felt the need of reading and what a loss it was to a man not to have -grown up among books. - -“Men of force,” I answered, “can get on pretty well without books. They -do their own thinking instead of adopting what other men think.” - -“Yes,” said Mr. Lincoln, “but books serve to show a man that those -original thoughts of his aren’t very new, after all.” - -I met Mr. Lincoln several times later, the next time a long while after -in another place. I thought he would have forgotten me, but he knew me -on sight and asked in the gentlest way possible about my wife, who had -been ill when he came to see us. But of all my memories of Lincoln the -one that stands out strongest was his interest in poetry and theology. He -loved the things of the spirit.--A Clergyman. - - - - -LINCOLN ASKED HIS FRIEND’S HELP FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE. - - -One of the most valued possessions of the Gillespie family of -Edwardsville, Ill., is a package of old letters, the paper stained by -time and the ink faded, but each missive rendered invaluable, to them -at least, by the well-known signature of Abraham Lincoln which adorns -it. These letters, so carefully preserved, are nearly all of a political -nature, and are addressed to Hon. Joseph Gillespie, before the war one -of the leading politicians of Illinois, a famous stump speaker, several -times member of the legislature, and for many years one of Lincoln’s most -intimate political friends. The correspondence covers a period of about -ten years, from 1849 to 1858, and the most interesting feature of this -period, so far as Lincoln was concerned, was his unsuccessful effort to -be elected to the United States senate. Probably the first intimation -of his ambition in this direction was conveyed to Mr. Gillespie in the -following letter, the original of which is now in the possession of the -Missouri Historical Association, having been presented to that society -by Mr. Gillespie in 1876. A copy, however, forms part of the family -collection. It reads: - -“Springfield, Ill., December 1, 1854.--(J. Gillespie, Esq.)--Dear Sir: -I have really got it into my head to be United States senator, and if I -could have your support my chances would be reasonably good. But I know -and acknowledge that you have as just claims to the place as I have; -and, therefore, I cannot ask you to yield to me if you are thinking of -becoming a candidate yourself. If, however, you are not, then I would -like to be remembered by you; and also to have you make a mark for me -with the anti-Nebraska members down your way. If you know, and have -no objection to tell, let me know whether Trumbull intends to make a -push. If he does I suppose the two men in St. Clair, and one or both in -Madison, will be for him. - -“We have the legislature clearly enough on joint ballot, but the senate -is very close, and Cullom told me to-day that the Nebraska men will stave -off the election if they can. Even if we get into joint vote we shall -have difficulty to unite our forces. Please write me and let this be -confidential. Your friend as ever. - - “A. LINCOLN.” - - - - -MAKING LINCOLN PRESENTABLE. - - -In narrating “When Lincoln Was First Inaugurated,” Stephen Fiske tells -of Mrs. Lincoln’s efforts to have her husband look presentable when -receiving a delegation that was to greet them upon reaching New York City. - -“The train stopped,” writes Mr. Fiske, “and through the windows immense -crowds could be seen; the cheering drowning the blowing off of steam of -the locomotive. Then Mrs. Lincoln opened her hand bag and said: - -“‘Abraham, I must fix you up a bit for these city folks.’ - -“Mr. Lincoln gently lifted her upon the seat before him; she parted, -combed and brushed his hair and arranged his black necktie. - -“‘Do I look nice now, mother?’ he affectionately asked. - -“‘Well, you’ll do, Abraham,’ replied Mrs. Lincoln critically. So he -kissed her and lifted her down from the seat, and turned to meet Mayor -Wood, courtly and suave, and to have his hand shaken by the other New -York officials.” - - - - -EVIDENCE OF LINCOLN’S RELIGIOUS BELIEF. - - -There has been much controversy over Lincoln’s religious beliefs, many -claiming that he was a deist while others have sought to prove that he -was an infidel. Although never a member of any church, there is much -documentary as well as corroborative evidence which show him to have been -a believer in Providence; and in his parting address to his Springfield -neighbors, when leaving for Washington, he said: - -“Washington would never have succeeded except for the aid of Divine -Providence, upon which he at all times relied. I feel that I cannot -succeed without the same Divine blessing which sustained him; and on the -same Almighty Being I place my reliance for support. And I hope you, my -friends, will all pray that I may receive that Divine assistance, without -which I cannot succeed, but with which success is certain.” - - - - -LINCOLN A TEMPERANCE MAN. - - -After his nomination for the Presidency at the Republican convention of -Chicago, a committee visited him in Springfield and gave him official -notification of his nomination. - -The ceremony over, Lincoln informed the company that custom demanded that -he should treat them with something to drink. He thereupon opened a door -that led into a room in the rear and called a girl servant. When she -appeared Lincoln spoke something to her in an undertone, and returned to -his guests. In a few minutes the girl appeared, bearing a large waiter, -containing several glass tumblers, and a large pitcher in the midst, -which she placed upon the table. - -Mr. Lincoln arose and gravely addressing the company, said: “Gentlemen, -we must pledge our mutual healths in the most healthy beverage which God -has given to man: it is the only beverage I have ever used or allowed in -my family, and I cannot conscientiously depart from it on the present -occasion. It is pure Adam’s ale from the spring.” So saying he took a -tumbler, touched it to his lips and pledged them his highest respects in -a cup of cold water. Of course all his guests were constrained to admire -his consistency, and to join in his example.--From Lincoln’s Stories, by -J. B. McClure. - - - - -LINCOLN’S FAMOUS GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. - - -Speaking of the dedication of the National Cemetery at Gettysburg and -President Lincoln’s famous address, delivered on that occasion, Nov. -19, 1863, Gov. Curtain, of Pennsylvania, said that there had been much -discussion as to how and when that address was written, and he continued: - -“I can tell you all about that. Of course I was there, and the President -and his cabinet had arrived and were at the hotel. Soon after his -arrival, as we were sitting around in the parlor, Mr. Lincoln looked -thoughtful for a moment or two, and then said: ‘I believe, gentlemen, -the committee are expecting me to say something here to-day. If you will -excuse me I will go into this room here and prepare it.’ After a time he -returned, holding in his hand a large, yellow government envelope, on -which he had written his address. - -“‘Here, gentlemen,’ he said, ‘I want to read this to you to see if it -will do;’ and sitting down he read it to us, and then said: ‘Now for your -criticisms. Will it do? What do you say?’ - -“Several spoke in favor of it, and one or two commended it in strong -terms. ‘Well,’ says the President, ‘haven’t you any criticisms? What do -you say Seward?’ - -“Mr. Seward made one or two suggestions, bearing on some slight verbal -changes, which I believe Mr. Lincoln incorporated. - -“‘Now if you will allow me, gentlemen,’ continued the President, ‘I will -copy this off;’ and again withdrew and made a copy of the address.” - - - - -THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS. - - -“Ladies and Gentlemen: Four score and seven years ago your fathers -brought forth upon this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and -dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are -engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation -so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great -battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field -as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that the -nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do -this. - -“But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we -cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled -here have consecrated it far above our power to add to or detract. The -world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here; but it can -never forget what they did here. - -“It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished -work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is -rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us, -that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for -which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly -resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation, -under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that the government of -the people, by the people, and for the people shall not perish from the -earth.” - - - - -LINCOLN AS A RULER. - - -Mr. Henry Watterson, the distinguished and scholarly editor of the -widely-read Louisville Courier Journal, once delivered a lecture on -“Lincoln.” The following is part of what he said: - -“After he was inaugurated President, Mr. Lincoln evinced four great -qualities of mind and heart so great indeed that it is doubtful if such -a combination of kingly talents was ever before or since concentrated -in the same man.” Mr. Watterson then elaborated from historical facts, -incidents, and conclusions, as also from quotations from Mr. Lincoln’s -speeches and letters, his direction and management of generals and -cabinet officers, his knowledge of law, diplomacy, and military affairs, -his firmness for the right, his great kindness of heart, and love of -humanity, the following propositions: - - 1. Lincoln was the wisest ruler of this or any other age. - - 2. He had the firmness of the everlasting hills. - - 3. His love of justice and righteousness between man and man, - and between nations guided him in all things. - - 4. His kindness of heart, and his sympathies for mankind were - as an overflowing fountain. - - 5. Abraham Lincoln was raised up of God, and in a sense - inspired for the place and work he fulfilled in the world. - -“Perhaps the most striking illustration of superior wisdom and power as -a ruler,” said the speaker, “was his reply to Mr. Seward’s proposition -to declare war against France and Spain, and impliedly against England -and Russia, only one month after Lincoln’s inauguration. The reply was -complete; so was his mastery over the most astute and scholarly statesman -and diplomatist of the age. While preparing that reply, the same night -after receiving Mr. Seward’s wonderful proposals,--a reply which the best -critics of the world have declared needed not another word, and would not -have been complete with one word lacking,--he was overheard repeating to -himself audibly over and over, ‘One war at a time, one war at a time, one -war at a time.’” - - - - -LINCOLN’S REAL OBJECT IN CONDUCTING THE WAR. - - -The great Horace Greeley was wont to criticize Lincoln’s plan of -conducting the war. He finally wanted to know “what were the purposes and -aims of the President, anyway?” The following is Lincoln’s reply, showing -that his sole purpose was to save the Union at whatever cost. - -“If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at -the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those -who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy -slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object is to save the -Union, and not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the -Union without freeing any slave, I would do it. If I could save it by -freeing all the slaves, I would do it, and if I could do it by freeing -some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about -slavery and the colored race I do because I believe it helps to save the -Union, and what I forbear I forbear because I do not believe it helps to -save the Union. I shall do less whenever I shall believe that what I am -doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more whenever I believe doing more -will help the cause.” - - - - -LINCOLN ASKED FOR SOME OF GRANT’S WHISKY. - - -When officious intermeddlers went to President Lincoln and demanded Gen. -Grant’s removal from the command of the armies, charging that he was in -the habit of getting drunk, Lincoln coolly asked them where he could get -some of the brand of whisky that Grant was using; he wanted to supply it -to his other generals. This remark of his silenced his callers, and he -heard no more complaints about Grant getting drunk. - - - - -LINCOLN BELIEVED HIMSELF UGLY. - - -Mrs. Benjamin Price, of Baltimore, told, at a meeting of the Woman’s -Literary Club of that city, two anecdotes of Abraham Lincoln. In one of -them she said that her father-in-law had at one time been appointed to -a government position in place of Mr. Addison, who was a most polished -but notably plain-featured man. The two gentlemen went together to call -upon President Lincoln, who received them cheerfully in the midst of the -somewhat embarrassing operation of shaving. His face was a lather of -soap, he extended a hand to each, and upon Mr. Addison enumerating the -good qualities of his successor, and congratulating the President upon -securing so eminent an officer, Mr. Lincoln exclaimed: - -“Yes, Addison, I have no doubt Mr. Price is all that you say, but nothing -can compensate me for the loss of you, for when you retire I shall be the -homeliest man in the employment of the government.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S KINDNESS TO A DISABLED SOLDIER. - - -One summer morning, shortly before the close of the civil war, the not -unusual sight in Washington of an old veteran hobbling along could have -been seen on a shady path that led from the executive mansion to the war -office. The old man was in pain, and the pale, sunken cheeks and vague, -far-away stare in his eyes betokened a short-lived existence. He halted -a moment and then slowly approached a tall gentleman who was walking -along. “Good morning, sir. I am an old soldier and would like to ask your -advice.” - -The gentleman turned, and smiling kindly, invited the poor old veteran to -a seat under a shady tree. There he listened to the man’s story of how he -had fought for the Union and was severely wounded, incapacitating him for -other work in life, and begged directions how to apply for back pay due -him and a pension, offering his papers for examination. - -The gentleman looked over the papers and then took out a card and wrote -directions on it, also a few words to the pension bureau, desiring that -speedy attention be given to the applicant, and handed it to him. - -The old soldier looked at it, and with tears in his eyes, thanked the -tall gentleman, who, with a sad look, bade him good luck and hurried up -the walk. Slowly the old soldier read the card again, and then turned it -over to read the name of the owner. More tears welled in his eyes when he -knew whom he had addressed himself to, and his lips muttered: “I am glad -I fought for him and the country, for he never forgets. God bless Abraham -Lincoln!” - - - - -A SAMPLE OF LINCOLN’S STATESMANSHIP. - - -President Lincoln, the man who said and did so many kindly things, -taught Seward how to write state papers. He was not only master of -the situation in this country, but when England and France were about -combining to recognize the Confederacy he so won the admiration of Lord -Lyon, the British ambassador at Washington, that that official informed -Lord Russell that he was in error when he sent instructions to prepare -the government for the recognition of the South by England, and Lord -Lyon afterwards resigned his office in consequence of the opposition to -Lincoln. At that time there was a Russian fleet in New York harbor under -sealed instructions, to be opened when France and England made their -move, and the instructions were afterward found to be a command to the -admiral to report to his excellency, President Lincoln. - - - - -TWO GOOD STORIES. - - -At a cabinet meeting once the advisability of putting a legend on -greenbacks similar to the In God We Trust legend on the silver coins was -discussed, and the President was asked what his view was. He replied: “If -you are going to put a legend on the greenbacks I would suggest that of -Peter and Paul: ‘Silver and gold we have not, but what we have we’ll give -you.’” - -On another occasion when Mr. Lincoln was going to attend a political -convention one of his rivals, a liveryman, provided him with a slow -horse, hoping that he would not reach his destination in time. Mr. -Lincoln got there, however, and when he returned with the horse he said: -“You keep this horse for funerals, don’t you?” “Oh, no,” replied the -liveryman. “Well, I’m glad of that, for if you did you’d never get a -corpse to the grave in time for the resurrection.” - - - - -LINCOLN RAISES A WARNING VOICE AGAINST THE CONCENTRATION OF GREAT WEALTH. - - -“Liberty cannot long endure,” said Webster, “when the tendency is to -concentrate wealth in the hands of a few.” - -President Lincoln, in a message to Congress, said of this danger: -“Monarchy itself is sometimes hinted at as a possible refuge from the -power of the people. In my present position I could scarcely be justified -were I to omit raising a warning voice against approaching despotism. -There is one point to which I ask a brief attention. It is the effort -to place capital on an equal footing with, if not above, labor in the -structure of the government. Let them beware of surrendering a political -power which they already have, and which if surrendered will surely be -used to close the door of advancement against such as they, and to fix -new disabilities and burdens upon them till all liberty shall be lost.” - - - - -LINCOLN AND THE DYING SOLDIER BOY. - - -One day in May, 1863, while the great war was raging between the North -and South, President Lincoln paid a visit to one of the military -hospitals, says an exchange. He had spoken many cheering words of -sympathy to the wounded as he proceeded through the various wards, and -now he was at the bedside of a Vermont boy of about sixteen years of age, -who lay there mortally wounded. - -Taking the dying boy’s thin, white hands in his own, the President said, -in a tender tone: - -“Well, my poor boy, what can I do for you?” - -The young fellow looked up into the President’s kindly face and asked: -“Won’t you write to my mother for me?” - -“That I will,” answered Mr. Lincoln; and calling for a pen, ink and -paper, he seated himself by the side of the bed and wrote from the boy’s -dictation. It was a long letter, but the President betrayed no sign of -weariness. When it was finished, he rose, saying: - -“I will post this as soon as I get back to my office. Now is there -anything else I can do for you?” - -The boy looked up appealingly to the President. - -“Won’t you stay with me?” he asked. “I do want to hold on to your hand.” - -Mr. Lincoln at once perceived the lad’s meaning. The appeal was too -strong for him to resist; so he sat down by his side and took hold of his -hand. For two hours the President sat there patiently as though he had -been the boy’s father. - -When the end came he bent over and folded the thin hands over his breast. -As he did so he burst into tears, and when, soon afterward, he left the -hospital, they were still streaming down his cheeks. - - - - -THE DANDY, THE BUGS AND THE PRESIDENT. - - -President Lincoln appointed as consul to a South American country a young -man from Ohio who was a dandy. A wag met the new appointee on his way -to the White House to thank the President. He was dressed in the most -extravagant style. The wag horrified him by telling him that the country -to which he was assigned was noted chiefly for the bugs that abounded -there and made life unbearable. “They’ll bore a hole clean through -you before a week has passed,” was the comforting assurance of the wag -as they parted at the White House steps. The new consul approached -Lincoln with disappointment clearly written all over his face. Instead -of joyously thanking the President, he told him the wag’s story of the -bugs. “I am informed, Mr. President,” he said, “that the place is full -of vermin and that they could eat me up in a week’s time.” “Well, young -man,” replied Lincoln, “if that’s true all I’ve got to say is that if -such a thing happened they would leave a mighty good suit of clothes -behind.” - - - - -LINCOLN UPHELD THE HANDS OF GENERAL GRANT. - - -In his “Campaigning With Grant,” in the Century, Gen. Horace Porter told -of Gen. Halleck’s fear of trouble from enforcing of the draft, and his -desire that Grant should send troops to the Northern cities. Gen. Porter -says: - -On the evening of August 17 General Grant was sitting in front of his -quarters, with several staff officers about him, when the telegraph -operator came over from his tent and handed him a dispatch. He opened it, -and as he proceeded with the reading of it his face became suffused with -smiles. After he had finished it he broke into a hearty laugh. We were -curious to know what could produce so much merriment in the general in -the midst of the trying circumstances which surrounded him. He cast his -eyes over the dispatch again, and then remarked: “The President has more -nerve than any of his advisers. This is what he says after reading my -reply to Halleck’s dispatch.” He then read aloud to us the following: - -“I have seen your dispatch expressing your unwillingness to break your -hold where we are. Neither am I willing. Hold on with a bulldog grip, and -chew and choke as much as possible. - - “A. LINCOLN.” - - - - -WHY LINCOLN TOLD STORIES. - - -Mr. Edward Rosewater, editor of the Omaha Bee, said he believed Lincoln -got relaxation by his story telling, and that the hearing of a good story -gave him the mental rest that he so much needed during those brain-taxing -days. These stories came out under the most trying circumstances and -at the most solemn times. A striking instance of this was just after -the battle of Fredericksburg. After the Union armies were defeated an -official who had seen the battle hurried to Washington. He reached there -about midnight and went directly to the White House. President Lincoln -had not yet retired, and the man was at once received. Lincoln had -already heard some reports of the battle. He was feeling very sad and -rested his head upon his hands while the story was repeated to him. As -the man saw his intense suffering he remarked: - -“I wish, Mr. President, that I might be a messenger of good news instead -of bad. I wish I could tell you how to conquer or to get rid of those -rebellious States.” - -At this President Lincoln looked up and a smile came across his face as -he said: “That reminds me of two boys out in Illinois who took a short -cut across an orchard. When they were in the middle of the field they saw -a vicious dog bounding toward them. One of the boys was sly enough to -climb a tree, but the other ran around the tree, with the dog following. -He kept running until, by making smaller circles than it was possible -for his pursuer to make, he gained upon the dog sufficiently to grasp -his tail. He held on to the tail with a desperate grip until nearly -exhausted, when he called to the boy up the tree to come down and help. - -“What for?” said the boy. - -“I want you to help me let this dog go.” - -“Now,” concluded President Lincoln, “if I could only let the rebel States -go it would be all right. But I am compelled to hold on to them and make -them stay.” - - - - -LINCOLN REWARDS A MAN FOR KINDNESS THIRTY YEARS AFTER THE OCCURRENCE. - - -Lincoln’s indebtedness, in consequence of the closing out of his general -store at New Salem, was such that it took him many years to extinguish -all. There was one man among his creditors who would not wait, but -secured a judgment against Lincoln and his personal effects were levied -upon. Among them was his surveying instrument on which he depended for -his living. At the sale a farmer friend of Lincoln’s named James Short -bought the horse and surveying instruments for $120 and generously -turned them over to their former owner. This kindness deeply touched the -future President of the United States, who, some years later, repaid with -interest the money so kindly advanced by Mr. Short. - -Thirty years later, while Lincoln was President, he heard that James -Short was living in California. Financial reverses had overtaken him some -years previously and he left his home near New Salem and emigrated with -his family to the State on the Pacific Ocean. One day Mr. Short received -a letter from Washington informing him that he had been appointed an -Indian agent. It will thus be seen that Lincoln never forgot a benefactor. - - - - -LINCOLN A MERCIFUL MAN. - - -Abraham Lincoln had a heart that was full of mercy; he could not bear -to see even an animal suffer, and would not tolerate any wanton cruelty -to animals. There are numerous instances of his mercifulness, but the -following story will serve to show how kindly disposed the man was: - -One day the major-general commanding the forces in and around Washington, -came to the office of Mr. Dana with a spy whom one of his men had -captured. Mr. Dana was assistant secretary of war. The officer informed -Mr. Dana that the spy had been tried by court-martial and had been -sentenced to death. He handed Mr. Dana the warrant for his execution, -which was to take place at six o’clock the following morning. The warrant -must be signed by the President, or in his absence by some officer with -authority to sign it. President Lincoln was absent from Washington at -that time and was not expected back before the afternoon of the next day. -It therefore became necessary for Mr. Dana to sign the warrant for the -execution of the spy, in accordance with the decision of the court. But -President Lincoln got home at two o’clock in the early morning and on -learning of the affair at once stopped the whole thing and thus spared -the man’s life. It may be here stated that the law of nations in regard -to the punishment of spies when captured is death. - - - - -LINCOLN’S HUMOROUS ADVICE TO A DISTINGUISHED BACHELOR. - - -When the Prince of Wales was betrothed to the Princess Alexandria, -Queen Victoria sent a letter to every sovereign of Europe, and to -President Lincoln, announcing the fact. The ambassador of England then -at Washington was Lord Lyons, and he was a bachelor. He requested an -audience with President Lincoln in order that he might present the -important letter in person. - -He called at the White House in company with Secretary Seward and -addressed the President as follows: - -“May it please your Excellency, I hold in my hand an autograph letter -from my royal mistress, Queen Victoria, which I have been commanded to -present to your Excellency. In it she informs your Excellency that her -son, his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, is about to contract a -matrimonial alliance with her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandria of -Denmark.” - -After the use of such diplomatic and high-sounding language one would -naturally suppose Lincoln would require a few moments to collect his -thoughts and reply in kind. Not so, however. His reply was short, simple -and expressive, as follows: - -“Lord Lyons, go thou and do likewise.” - -A witness of the above incident said: “It is doubtful if an English -ambassador was ever addressed in this manner before, and it would be -interesting to learn what success he met with in putting the reply in -diplomatic language, when he reported it to her Majesty.”--From Lincoln’s -Stories, by J. B. McClure. - - - - -HOW LINCOLN ANSWERED A DELICATE QUESTION. - - -At the time when the Union soldiers were hunting for Jeff Davis, some one -asked the President: “Mr. Lincoln, suppose they were to find Davis, and, -in order to capture him, it was necessary to shoot him. Would you want -them to do so?” - -Mr. Lincoln said: “When I was a boy, a man lecturing on temperance stayed -at our house over night. It was a cold, stormy night, and the man was -quite chilled when he reached home after the meeting. He said if they -would give him a hot lemonade he thought it would prevent his taking -cold. Some one suggested that some spirits added would be beneficial. -‘Well,’ he said, ‘you might put in some unbeknown to me!’” - - - - -LINCOLN ILLUSTRATES A CASE HUMOROUSLY. - - -On one occasion, exasperated at the discrepancy between the aggregate of -troops forwarded to McClellan and the number the same general reported -as having received, Lincoln exclaimed, “Sending men to that army is like -shoveling fleas across a barnyard--half of them never get there.” - -To a politician who had criticized his course he wrote, “Would you have -me drop the war where it is, or would you prosecute it in future with -elder stalk squirts charged with rosewater?” - -When, on his first arrival in Washington as President, he found himself -besieged by office seekers, while the war was breaking out, he said, “I -feel like a man letting lodgings at one end of the house while the other -end is on fire.” - - - - -WHY LINCOLN MISTOOK A DRIVER TO BE AN EPISCOPALIAN. - - -The first corps of the army commanded by General Reynolds was once -reviewed by the President on a beautiful plain at the north of Potomac -Creek, about eight miles from Hooker’s headquarters. The party rode -thither in an ambulance over a rough, corduroy road, and as they -passed over some of the more difficult portions of the jolting way the -ambulance driver, who sat well in front, occasionally let fly a volley of -suppressed oaths at his wild team of six mules. - -Finally, Mr. Lincoln, leaning forward, touched the man on the shoulder, -and said: - -“Excuse me, my friend, are you an Episcopalian?” - -The man, greatly startled, looked around and replied: - -“No, Mr. President; I am a Methodist.” - -“Well,” said Lincoln, “I thought you must be an Episcopalian, because you -swear just like Governor Seward, who is a church warden.” - - - - -A CLERGYMAN WHO TALKED BUT LITTLE. - - -A clergyman of some prominence was one day presented to Lincoln, who gave -the visitor a chair and said, with an air of patient waiting: - -“I am now ready to hear what you have to say.” - -“Oh, bless you, sir,” replied the clergyman, “I have nothing special to -say. I merely called to pay my respects.” - -“My dear sir,” said the President, rising promptly, his face showing -instant relief, and with both hands grasping that of his visitor; “I am -very glad to see you, indeed. It is a relief to find a clergyman, or any -other man, for that matter, who has nothing to say. I thought you had -come to preach to me.” - - - - -HOW LINCOLN RECEIVED A JACKKNIFE AS A PRESENT. - - -Considering his own personality Lincoln was very indifferent. He was -perfectly aware that many people talked about his “awkwardness” and -homely personal appearance. Far from feeling hurt at the remarks -occasionally flung at him he rather enjoyed them. - -One day he was traveling in a train. He was addressed, without any formal -introduction, by a stranger in the car, who said: - -“Excuse me, sir, but I have an article in my possession which belongs to -you.” - -“How is that?” Lincoln inquired, much surprised. - -The stranger took a jackknife from his pocket. - -“This knife,” said he, “was placed in my hands some years ago, with the -injunction that I was to keep it until I found a man uglier than myself. -I have carried it from that time to this. Allow me to say now, sir, that -I think you are fairly entitled to the property.” - -Lincoln related the above story to his friends again and again during his -lifetime.--From Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure. - - - - -THE BEST CAR FOR HIS CORPSE. - - -Lincoln had the following good story on President Tyler: - -“During Mr. Tyler’s incumbency of the office he arranged to make an -excursion in some direction and sent his son, ‘Bob,’ to arrange for a -special train. It happened that the railroad superintendent was a strong -Whig. As such he had no favors to bestow upon the President and informed -Bob that the road did not run any special trains for the President. - -“‘What,’ said Bob Tyler, ‘did you not furnish a special for the funeral -of Gen. Harrison?’ - -“‘Yes,’ said the superintendent, ‘and if you’ll bring your father in that -condition you shall have the best train on the road.’” - - - - -HIS TITLE DID HOT HELP ANY. - - -During the war an Austrian count applied to President Lincoln for a -position in the army. He was introduced by the Austrian Minister, but -as if fearing that his importance might not be duly appreciated, he -proceeded to explain his nobility and high standing. With a merry twinkle -in his eye, Mr. Lincoln laid his hand on the count’s shoulder and said: - -“Never mind: you shall be treated with just as much consideration for all -that.” - - - - -ONE OF MR. LINCOLN’S AUTOGRAPHS. - - -Abraham Lincoln once received a letter asking for a “sentiment” and his -autograph. He replied: “Dear Madam: When you ask a stranger for that -which is of interest only to yourself always inclose a stamp. Abraham -Lincoln.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S SUBSTITUTE. - - -It is not generally known that Abraham Lincoln sent a substitute to -the war against the South, but such is a fact. During the earlier days -of the war it seems to have been the desire of all prominent men in -Washington to have a representative in the ranks, and Lincoln was no -exception to the rule. At that time there was a minister named Staples in -Washington, one of whose sons, then aged nineteen, had a desire to go to -the front. Lincoln heard of him, and after a conference selected him as -his representative, and he proved worthy, for he won honor on the field. -He survived the war and finally died in Stroudsburg. The inscription on -the stone over his grave reads as follows: “J. Summerfield Staples, a -private of Company C, One Hundred and Seventy-sixth Regiment, P. V. Also -a member of the Second regiment, D. C. Vols., as a substitute for Abraham -Lincoln.”--Philadelphia Record. - - - - -LINCOLN’S ESTIMATE OF THE FINANCIAL STANDING OF A NEIGHBOR. - - -A New York firm applied to Abraham Lincoln some years before he became -President for information as to the financial standing of one of his -neighbors. Mr. Lincoln replied: - -“I am well acquainted with Mr. ----, and know his circumstances. First of -all, he has a wife and baby; together they ought to be worth $50,000 to -any man. Secondly, he has an office in which there is a table worth $1.50 -and three chairs worth, say, $1. Last of all, there is in one corner a -large rat hole, which will bear looking into. Respectfully, A. Lincoln.” - - - - -LINCOLN’S QUERY PUZZLED THE MAN. - - -At a time when the war crisis was at its height one of those persons who -were ever ready to give the President free advice on how to conduct the -war, had just finished explaining an elaborate idea, when Mr. Lincoln -remarked: - -“That reminds me of a man in Illinois, who, in driving the hoops of a -hogshead to ‘head it up,’ was much annoyed by the constant falling in -of the top. At length a bright idea struck him of putting his little boy -inside to hold it up. This he did. But when the job was completed there -arose the more serious question, how to get the boy out of the hogshead. -Your plan sounds feasible, but how are you to get the boy out?” - - - - -LINCOLN’S INAUGURATION. - - -In the March “Ladies’ Home Journal” Stephen Fiske graphically recalls -the excitement and apprehension and the condition of the country “When -Lincoln Was First Inaugurated.” He tells the incidents of the memorable -journey to the capitol, of Mr. Lincoln’s reception, and gives a rather -grewsome picture of the inaugural ceremonies. “As I walked up to the -capitol the wide, dusty streets were already crowded,” he writes; -“regular troops were posted at intervals along Pennsylvania avenue. -Sharpshooters were climbing over the roofs of the houses. A mounted -officer at every corner was ready to report to General Scott the passage -of the procession. Detectives in plain clothes squirmed through the -masses of people. The policemen had been instructed to arrest for -‘disorderly conduct’ any person who called Mr. Lincoln an opprobrious -name or uttered a disloyal sentiment. There was much suppressed -excitement, and the prophetic word ‘assassination’ was in every mind. - -“President Buchanan, whose term expired at noon, was engaged until half -an hour later in signing the bills that had been hurriedly passed, but -the congressional clock had been put back to legalize the transaction. -At last he drove down to Willard’s, and the procession was formed. -The President and President-elect rode in an open barouche; but this -confidence in the people was more apparent than real. On the front seat -were Senators Baker and Pearce; a guard of honor of the regular cavalry -surrounded the carriage; beyond were mounted marshals four files deep. -From the sidewalks no one could accurately distinguish Mr. Lincoln. -Close behind marched regiments of regulars and marines, fully armed. It -seemed more like escorting a prisoner to his doom than a President to his -inauguration. Little cheering and no enthusiasm greeted the procession. -Every now and then an arrest for ‘disorderly conduct’ was quickly and -quietly made in the crowd. The sunshine was bright, but the whole -affair was as gloomy as if Mr. Lincoln were riding through an enemy’s -country--as, indeed, he was.” - - - - -JOHN SHERMAN’S FIRST MEETING WITH LINCOLN. - - -Secretary Sherman says he never will forget his first meeting with a -President. It was shortly after Lincoln’s inauguration, and he attended a -public reception, fell into line, and awaited an hour or two for a chance -to shake hands with the Great Emancipator. - -“During this time,” says Mr. Sherman, “I was wondering what I should say -and what Lincoln would do when we met. At last it came my turn to be -presented. Lincoln looked at me a moment, extended his hand, and said: -‘You’re a pretty tall fellow, aren’t you? Stand up here with me, back to -back, and let’s see which is the taller.’ - -“In another moment I was standing back to back with the greatest man of -his age. Naturally I was quite abashed by this unexpected evidence of -democracy. - -“‘You’re from the West, aren’t you,’ inquired Lincoln. - -“‘My home is in Ohio,’ I replied. - -“‘I thought so,’ he said; ‘that’s the kind of men they raise out there.’” - - - - -LINCOLN AND THE SENTINEL. - - -A slight variation of the traditional sentry story is related by C. C. -Buel, in the current Century. It was a cold, blusterous winter night. -Says Mr. Buel: - -“Mr. Lincoln emerged from the front door, his lank figure bent over as -he drew tightly about his shoulders the shawl which he employed for such -protection; for he was on his way to the War Department, at the west -corner of the grounds, where in times of battle he was wont to get the -midnight despatches from the field. As the blast struck him he thought of -the numbness of the pacing sentry, and turning to him, said: ‘Young man, -you’ve got a cold job to-night; step inside, and stand guard there.’ - -“‘My orders keep me out here,’ the soldier replied. - -“‘Yes,’ said the President, in his argumentative tone; ‘but your duty can -be performed just as well inside as out here, and you’ll oblige me by -going in.’ - -“‘I have been stationed outside,’ the soldier answered, and resumed his -beat. - -“‘Hold on there!’ said Mr. Lincoln, as he turned back again; ‘it occurs -to me that I am commander-in-chief of the army, and I order you to go -inside.’” - - - - -ORIGIN OF “WITH MALICE TOWARD NONE, ETC.” - - -It was during Lincoln’s second inauguration as President of the United -States that he gave voice to these famous and oft-quoted words: - - “With malice toward none, - With charity for all.” - -The above occur in the last paragraph in his second inaugural speech, -delivered at Washington, D. C., March 4, 1865. - - - - -HIS GOOD MEMORY OF NAMES. - - -The following story illustrates the power of Mr. Lincoln’s memory of -names and faces. When he was a comparatively young man and a candidate -for the Illinois Legislature, he made a personal canvass of the district. -While “swinging around the circle” he stopped one day and took dinner -with a farmer in Sangamon county. - -Years afterward, when Mr. Lincoln had become President, a soldier came to -call on him at the White House. At the first glance the Chief Executive -said: “Yes, I remember; you used to live on the Danville road. I took -dinner with you when I was running for the Legislature. I recollect -that we stood talking out at the barnyard gate, while I sharpened my -jackknife.” - -“Y-a-a-s,” drawled the soldier; “you did. But say, wherever did you put -that whetstone? I looked for it a dozen times, but I never could find it -after the day you used it. We allowed as how mabby you took it ’long with -you.” - -“No,” said Lincoln, looking serious and pushing away a lot of documents -of state from the desk in front of him. “No, I put it on top of that -gatepost--that high one.” - -“Well!” exclaimed the visitor, “mabby you did. Couldn’t anybody else have -put it there, and none of us ever thought of looking there for it.” - -The soldier was then on his way home, and when he got there the first -thing he did was to look for the whetstone. And sure enough, there it -was, just where Lincoln had laid it fifteen years before. The honest -fellow wrote a letter to the Chief Magistrate, telling him that the -whetstone had been found, and would never be lost again. - - - - -LINCOLN’S GRIEF OVER THE DEFEAT OF THE UNION ARMY. - - -We had been talking of the war, and the late Governor Curtin, of -Pennsylvania, broke out suddenly and said: - -“It was just after the battle of Fredericksburg. I had been down there -and came up to Washington by the night boat. I arrived at the foot of -Seventh street a little after midnight. Just as I landed a messenger -met me, saying that the President wanted to see me at once at the White -House. I took a carriage and went directly there. I sent in my card, and -word came back that the President had retired, but that he requested me -to come up to his bedroom. I found him in bed, and as I entered the room -he reached out his hand, shook hands, and said: - -“‘Well, Governor; so you have been down to the battle-field?’ - -“‘Battle-field? Slaughter-pen! It was a terrible slaughter, Mr. Lincoln.’ -I was sorry in a moment, that I had said it, for he groaned, and began -to wring his hands and took on with terrible agony of spirits. He sat up -on the edge of the bed, and moaned and groaned in anguish. He walked the -floor of the room, and uttered exclamations of grief, one after another, -and I remember his saying over and over again: ‘What has God put me in -this place for?’ I tried to comfort him, and could hardly forgive myself -for not being more careful and considerate of his feelings.” - - - - -THREE STORIES OF LINCOLN BY SENATOR PALMER. - - -“Speaking of Lincoln’s birthday,” said Senator Palmer yesterday, “reminds -me that the very last case Lincoln ever tried was one in which I, too, -was engaged. It was in Springfield, in June, 1860, after Mr. Lincoln had -received the Presidential nomination. Old David Baker, who had been a -Senator in the early days, had sued the trustees of Shurtleff College, -my alma mater, for expelling his grandson, a lad named Will Gilbert. Mr. -Lincoln appeared for the prosecution. I was the college attorney. Mr. -Lincoln came into court and the Judge said to him: ‘Mr. Lincoln, I’ll -argue this case for you. You have too much on your hands already. You -haven’t any case.’ And he explained the law and application. - -“‘Well,’ said Mr. Lincoln, with a smile, ‘don’t you want to hear a speech -from me?’ - -“‘No,’ said the Judge, and the last case Mr. Lincoln tried he--well, he -didn’t try it at all.” - -“The first time I met Mr. Lincoln was in 1839, when I went to Springfield -to be admitted to the bar. He was already recognized as a Whig leader. -He wore, I remember, a suit of linsey woolsey, that could not have been -worth more than $8 even in those days. The last time I saw him was -in February of 1865. I had come to Washington at the request of the -Governor, to complain that Illinois had been credited with 18,000 too few -troops. I saw Mr. Lincoln one afternoon, and he asked me to come again in -the morning. - -“Next morning I sat in the ante-room while several officers were -relieved. At length I was told to enter the President’s room. Mr. Lincoln -was in the hands of the barber. - -“‘Come in, Palmer,’ he called out, ‘come in. You’re home folks. I can -shave before you. I couldn’t before those others, and I have to do it -some time.’ - -“We chatted about various matters, and at length I said: - -“‘Well, Mr. Lincoln, if anybody had told me that in a great crisis like -this the people were going out to a little one-horse town and pick out a -one-horse lawyer for President I wouldn’t have believed it.’ - -“Mr. Lincoln whirled about in his chair, his face white with lather, -a towel under his chin. At first I thought he was angry. Sweeping the -barber away he leaned forward, and placing one hand on my knee said: - -“‘Neither would I. But it was a time when a man with a policy would have -been fatal to the country. I have never had a policy. I have simply tried -to do what seemed best each day, as each day came.’ - -“Lincoln was not an eloquent man. He was a strong lawyer, and an -ingenious one. His stronghold was his ability to reason logically and -clearly. He was a very self-contained man, and not easily excited. -I remember the night when the news of his election was received at -Springfield. The patriotic ladies of the town were serving a lunch in -an upper room opposite the capitol. Mr. Lincoln was there, and read the -returns as they were brought to him. The returns from New York decided -the day. Mr. Lincoln stood up and read the telegram. He was the calmest -man in the room. When he had finished he said, simply, ‘Well I must go -and tell my wife.’” - - - - -HIS FAMOUS SECOND INAUGURAL ADDRESS. - - -Lincoln was an orator as well as a statesman and many of his speeches -will go down in history through all time. In his second inaugural address -he made use of the following striking expressions: - -“On the occasion corresponding to this four years ago all thoughts were -anxiously directed to an impending civil war. Both parties deprecated -war, but one of them would make war rather than let the Nation survive, -and the other would accept war rather than let it perish; and the war -came. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and each invokes -His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men should dare -to ask a just God’s assistance in wringing their bread from the sweat -of other men’s faces; but let us judge not, that we be not judged. The -prayer of both could not be answered. That of another has been answered -fully. With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in -the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we -are in, to bind up the Nation’s wounds, to care for him who shall have -borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphans, to do all which may -achieve and cherish a just and a lasting peace among ourselves and with -all Nations.” - -Eloquent, is it not? Beautiful, is it not? And yet there is not a -word in it that a child could not understand. Lincoln’s English was -like himself, simple, forcible, direct, natural, eloquent, full of -heart-throbs. As his unadorned language still stirs the heart of every -American like the roll of a drum, and as beside it the tinsels, and -flowers, and gewgaws of polished speech are but as pulseless marble, so -the rugged nature of America’s greatest man looms above all lesser public -men, the spotless, genius-crowned Shasta of our National history. - - - - -LINCOLN SAID EVEN A REBEL COULD BE SAVED. - - -This story well illustrates Lincoln’s humanity of character which found -expression in his famous words of “charity for all, and malice toward -none.” It appears that Mr. Shrigley, of Philadelphia, a Universalist, had -been nominated for hospital chaplain. A protesting delegation went to -Washington to see President Lincoln on the subject. The following was the -interview: - -“We have called, Mr. President, to confer with you in regard to the -appointment of Mr. Shrigley, of Philadelphia, as hospital chaplain.” - -The President responded: “Oh, yes, gentlemen. I have sent his name to the -Senate, and he will no doubt be confirmed at an early date.” - -One of the young men replied: “We have not come to ask for the -appointment, but to solicit you to withdraw the nomination.” - -“Ah!” said Lincoln, “that alters the case; but on what grounds do you -wish the nomination withdrawn?” - -The answer was: “Mr. Shrigley is not sound in his theological opinions.” - -The President inquired: “On what question is the gentleman unsound?” - -Response: “He does not believe in endless punishment; not only so, sir, -but he believes that even the rebels themselves will be finally saved.” - -“Is that so?” inquired the President. - -The members of the committee responded, “Yes, yes.” - -“Well, gentlemen, if that be so, and there is any way under Heaven -whereby the rebels can be saved, then, for God’s sake and their sakes, -let the man be appointed.” - -It is almost needless to add that Mr. Shrigley was appointed, and served -until the close of the war. - - - - -WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN COMPARED. - - -At a banquet given in his honor on Washington’s birthday, in New York, -February 22, 1897, the eloquent and gifted Chauncey M. Depew made the -following comparison between America’s two greatest heroes: - -“This February, for the first time, both Washington’s and Lincoln’s -birthdays have been made legal holidays. Never since the creation of man -were two human beings so unlike, so nearly the extremes of opposition -to each other, as Washington and Lincoln. The one an aristocrat by -birth, by breeding, and association, the other in every sense and by -every surrounding a democrat. As the richest man in America, a large -slave-holder, the possessor of an enormous landed estate, and the leader -and representative of the property, the culture, and the colleges of the -colonial period, Washington stood for the conservation and preservation -of law and order. - -“And yet millionaire, slaveholder and aristocrat, in its best sense, that -he was, as he lived, so at any time he would have died for the immortal -principle put by the Puritans in their charter, adopted in the cabin -of the Mayflower, reënacted in the Declaration of Independence, of the -equality of all men before the law and of the equal opportunity for all -to rise. Lincoln, on the other hand, was born in a cabin, among that -class known as poor whites in slaveholding times, who held no position -and whose condition was so helpless as to paralyze ambition and effort. -His situation so far as his surroundings were concerned had considerable -mental but little moral improvement by the removal to Indiana and -subsequently to Illinois. - -“Anywhere in the Old World a man born amidst such environments and -teachings, and possessed of unconquerable energy and ambition and the -greatest powers of eloquence and constructive statesmanship, would have -been a Socialist and the leader of a social revolt. He might have been -an Anarchist. His one ambition would have been to break the crust above -him and shatter it to pieces. He would see otherwise no opportunity for -himself and his fellows in social or political or professional life. But -Lincoln attained from the log cabin of the poor white in the wilderness -the same position which Washington reached from his palatial mansion -and baronial estate on the Potomac; he made the same fight unselfishly, -patriotically, and grandly for the preservation of the republic that -Washington had done for its creation and foundation. Widely as they are -separated, these two heroes of the two great crises of our national -life stand together in representing the solvent powers, the inspiring -processes, and the hopeful opportunities of American liberty.” - - - - -LINCOLN REMEMBERED HIM. - - -A stair-carpenter happened to see a picture of the martyred President. -Instantly the tones of his voice softened, his eyes grew moist with -tears, and the whole expression of his face changed. - -Then he told us his “story of Lincoln.” He had been shot through the -lungs when on picket in ’63, and was in the hospital at Fortress Monroe. - -For weeks he had been lying there, till he had grown dreadfully homesick, -and felt as if the only thing that could cure him was to get home to -Maryland. - -One morning Lincoln visited the hospital, and as he was passing around, -pausing before each cot to speak a word of cheer to each wounded soldier, -this one made up his mind that if he gave him a chance, he would make -known his wants. - -At last his turn came. - -“You seem very comfortable, my friend,” Lincoln said. - -“Not so comfortable as I should be if I could get home to Maryland,” was -the reply. - -“What is your name?” - -“S. Stover, Co. H, 2d Maryland Volunteers,” was promptly answered, and -Lincoln passed on. - -In just three days came an order from the President to transfer Private -Stover, Co. H, 2d Md. Vols., by water to the hospital at Annapolis. - -“I was surprised myself,” he said; “for I had watched him as long as he -was in sight, and when I saw him go through the door without writing down -my name and company, I gave up all hope of seeing my Maryland again. - -“And it has always been a mystery to me that a man with so much to think -of should keep in mind the name, regiment and company of a private -soldier.” - -As he turned away to conceal the tears he could not keep back, it was -plain how large a place the thoughtful kindness of that great man had won -in the heart of the poor, homesick, wounded soldier. - - - - -WHY LINCOLN PARDONED THEM. - - -It was President Lincoln’s intense love for his fellow men that led him -to disapprove of the findings of court-martial, whenever there was a -possible excuse, particularly in the cases of soldiers charged with -desertion, with having fallen asleep at a post of duty, or with other -offenses. - -Secretary Stanton always insisted upon the strictest discipline in the -army and frequently urged that derelict soldiers receive the severest -punishment of military law and custom, but Lincoln rarely took any advice -on such matters. He had meditated deeply on that subject and consulted -his own judgment in disposing of cases of that kind that came before him. - -The late Joseph Holt, who recently died at Washington, was judge advocate -general of the army during the whole period of the war and it became -his duty to report many cases of alleged cowardice of soldiers as well -as other offenses. President Lincoln carefully read every line of the -charges against such men, and as soon as he saw the slightest chance -to excuse the poor fellow, a gleam of satisfaction would pass over his -serious face. Then folding the papers together he placed them in a pigeon -hole of his desk, and with his big eyes looking into those of the judge -advocate standing before him, he would say: - -“Holt, we will let those soldiers go. Order them set free.” - -It was after the battle of Chancellorsville that charges were brought -against several men for failing to march with their regiments into the -fight at a time when they were most needed. The charge of desertion was -made. - -When Secretary Stanton heard of these cases he commanded Judge Holt to -present the charges against the men to the President in the strongest -possible terms. - -“We need stronger discipline in the army,” said the stern secretary of -war to the judge advocate. “The time has come when the President must -yield to our opinion.” - -Judge Holt was himself one of the ablest lawyers of his day, and had won -fame as a forensic orator long before the war. - -“In presenting these cases,” said he to the writer a few months before -his death, “in obedience to the wish of the secretary of war, I used all -the legal acumen at my command. One morning, with my papers all ready -(and I was deeply in earnest in the matter), I proceeded to the White -House; and, as I entered his private office, the President looked up with -his long, sad face, saying: - -“‘Ah! Holt, what have you there?’ - -“‘I have some important cases for your careful consideration, Mr. -President, with documentary evidence sufficient to condemn every man.’ - -“He took the papers and read them carefully, stopping at times to -reflect, then read on until he finished. There was no change in his -countenance this time, unless that it grew more sad and his expression -more serious. I had covered the cases in question with strong and -convincing argument and evidence. He finally raised his eyes from the -last paper and gazed intently through the window at some object across -the Potomac. Then, rising from his chair, with the papers all folded -together, he placed them in a pigeon hole already filled with similar -documents. With his tall, gaunt form facing me, he spoke, in deep, sad -tones, that would have touched the heart of the sternest officer of the -army: - -“‘Holt (it was his custom to mention only the last name), you acknowledge -those men have a previous record for bravery. It is not the first time -they have faced danger; and they shall not be shot for this one offense.’ - -“I then thought it was my duty as the head of my department of military -justice to make further argument. For I knew Stanton would nearly explode -with rage when he heard of the President’s decision. I began to speak and -Lincoln sat down again, giving me his closest attention. Then, rising -from his chair and riveting his eyes upon me, he said: - -“‘Holt, were you ever in battle?’ - -“‘I have never been.’ - -“‘Did Stanton ever march in the first line, to be shot at by an enemy -like those men did?’ - -“‘I think not, Mr. President.’ - -“‘Well, I tried it in the Black Hawk war, and I remember one time I grew -awful weak in the knees when I heard the bullets whistle around me and -saw the enemy in front of me. How my legs carried me forward I cannot now -tell, for I thought every minute that I would sink to the ground. The -men against whom those charges have been made probably were not able to -march into battle. Who knows that they were able? I am opposed to having -soldiers shot for not facing danger when it is not known that their legs -would carry them into danger. Send this dispatch ordering them to be set -free.’ And they were set free that day.” - - - - -THE LINCOLN PORTRAITS. - - -The Lincoln apotheosis is much more satisfactory than the Napoleon -apotheosis. Lincoln is not only our own, but a greater, purer, sweeter, -really stronger man than Napoleon. It is a good thing to bring out -the little-known portraits of Lincoln. What a marvelous face! It is -full of strength--with just enough of the big child in it to kindle -love and sympathy. Has anyone ever noticed the way in which Lincoln’s -face is cast on the lines of the North American Indian? We have never -heard that Lincoln had Indian blood in him; but take any of his good, -beardless portraits, with front or nearly front view; add to it a shock -of straight hair parted in the middle and falling down, either straight -or in two braids, on the shoulders; add a feather to it; clothe the body -in a blanket and let it take an Indian stoop; and no one would question -that the man was an aborigine. The face has the gravity of the Indian -countenance, but not the impassiveness that we read about; but Indian -faces, after all, are seldom impassive. The face of Lincoln, who was -not an Indian, has more of the aborigine in it than of that other great -President, Benito Juarez, who was an Indian. - - - - -LINCOLN’S FAITH IN PROVIDENCE. - - -The raid made by the Confederate general, J. E. B. Stuart, in June, -1862, around the Union army commanded by General McClellan, caused -great anxiety in Washington. One of its results was the interruption -of communication between the capital and the army of the Potomac. What -this portended no one could affirm. That it suggested the gravest -possibilities was felt by all. - -While this feeling was dominating all circles, several gentlemen, myself -among them, called on President Lincoln in order to be definitely advised -about the condition of affairs as understood by him. - -To our question: “Mr. President, have you any news from the army?” he -sadly replied: “Not one word; we can get no communication with it. I do -not know that we have an army; it may have been destroyed or captured, -though I cannot so believe, for it was a splendid army. But the most I -can do now is to hope that serious disaster has not befallen it.” - -This led to a somewhat protracted conversation relative to the general -condition of our affairs. It was useless to talk about the Army of the -Potomac; for we knew nothing concerning its condition or position at that -moment. The conversation therefore took a wide range and touched upon the -subject of slavery, about which much was said. - -The President did not participate in this conversation. He was an -attentive listener, but gave no sign of approval or disapproval of the -views which were expressed. At length one of the active participants -remarked: - -“Slavery must be stricken down wherever it exists in this country. It -is right that it should be. It is a crime against justice and humanity. -We have tolerated it too long. It brought war upon us. I believe that -Providence is not unmindful of the struggle in which this nation is -engaged. If we do not do right I believe God will let us go our own way -to our ruin. But, if we do right, I believe He will lead us safely out -of this wilderness, crown our arms with victory, and restore our now -dissevered Union.” - -I observed President Lincoln closely while this earnest opinion and -expression of religious faith was being uttered. I saw that it affected -him deeply, and anticipated, from the play of his features and the -sparkle of his eyes, that he would not let the occasion pass without -making some definite response to it. I was not mistaken. Mr. Lincoln had -been sitting in his chair, in a kind of weary and despondent attitude -while the conversation progressed. At the conclusion of the remarks I -have quoted, he at once arose and stood at his extreme height. Pausing -a moment, his right arm outstretched towards the gentleman who had -just ceased speaking, his face aglow like the face of a prophet, Mr. -Lincoln gave deliberate and emphatic utterance to the religious faith -which sustained him in the great trial to which he and the country were -subjected. He said: “My faith is greater than yours. I not only believe -that Providence is not unmindful of the struggle in which this nation -is engaged; that if we do not do right God will let us go our own way -to our ruin; and that if we do right He will lead us safely out of this -wilderness, crown our arms with victory, and restore our dissevered -union, as you have expressed your belief; but I also believe that He will -compel us to do right in order that He may do these things, not so much -because we desire them as that they accord with His plans of dealing with -this nation, in the midst of which He means to establish justice. I think -He means that we shall do more than we have yet done in furtherance of -His plans, and He will open the way for our doing it. I have felt His -hand upon me in great trials and submitted to His guidance, and I trust -that as He shall further open the way I will be ready to walk therein, -relying on His help and trusting in His goodness and wisdom.”--From “Some -Memories of Lincoln,” by ex-Senator James F. Wilson, in North American -Review. - - - - -LINCOLN’S LAST WORDS. - - -The very last words Lincoln delivered on the afternoon before the -assassination--last of those great utterances that for six or seven years -electrified and enlightened half the world--were a message of suggestion -and encouragement to the miners of the Rockies. Schuyler Colfax was going -thither and was paying his final call at the White House. Lincoln said -to him: - -“Mr. Colfax, I want you to take a message from me to the miners whom you -visit. I have very large ideas of the mineral wealth of our nation. I -believe it is practically inexhaustible. It abounds all over the western -country, from the Rocky mountains to the Pacific, and its development -has scarcely commenced. During the war, when we were adding a couple of -million dollars every day to our national debt, I did not care about -encouraging the increase in the volume of our precious metals; we had -the country to save first. But now that the rebellion is overthrown, and -we know pretty nearly the amount of our national debt, the more gold and -silver we mine, we make the payment of that debt so much easier. Now, I -am going to encourage that in every possible way. We shall have hundreds -of thousands of disbanded soldiers, and many have feared that their -return home in such great numbers might paralyze industry by furnishing -suddenly a greater supply of labor than there will be a demand for. I am -going to try to attract them to the hidden wealth of our mountain ranges, -where there is room enough for all. Immigration, which even the war has -not stopped, will land upon our shores hundreds of thousands more from -over-crowded Europe. I intend to point them to the gold and silver that -wait for them in the West. Tell the miners for me, that I shall promote -their interests to the best of my ability, because their prosperity is -the prosperity of the nation; and we shall prove in a few years that we -are indeed the treasury of the world.” - - - - -A CHICAGOAN WHO SAW LINCOLN SHOT. - - -Mr. George C. Read, of Chicago, at the time of President Lincoln’s -assassination, was a foot orderly under Generals Griffin and Ayers. He -was in Washington on the fateful April 14, 1865, and was an eyewitness to -the tragedy. He tells of it as follows: - -“Some time in the latter part of March, 1865, I was sent to Washington -on account of the loss of my voice. I remained there most of the time in -barracks on east Capitol Hill. On the afternoon of the fated April 14, -1865, I happened in the saloon next door to Ford’s Theater to see the -barkeeper, one Jim Peck. While standing near a stove about the center of -the room three men came into the place laughing and talking loudly. They -all went to the end of the bar nearest the door and ordered a drink. One -was a tall, handsome fellow, dressed in the latest fashionable clothes, -if I remember rightly, and the others appeared like workmen of some kind. -Both were carelessly dressed, and I think one was in his shirt sleeves. -They had their drink, and then the fine-looking man turned toward where I -was standing and said, ‘Come up, soldier, and have a drink.’ I declined, -for the reason that I had not at that time become addicted to the habit -of social drinking. He then approached me and took me by the arm and -said, ‘Have something; take a cigar.’ This I did not refuse, and he put -his hand in his vest pocket and, pulling out a cigar, handed it to me -without any further remarks. He then returned to his companions at the -bar. They remained, if I remember correctly, about five minutes after, -and then, all laughing at something that Peck said, left the place. As -soon as they were gone I asked Peck who the big man was, and he said that -he was an actor--one of the Booth family--John Wilkes Booth. I had heard -of him before, but paid no further attention to it except to remark that -he seemed to be in a happy frame of mind, when Peck stated that he was on -a ‘drunk,’ and associated with the stage mechanics in the theater all the -time. - -“As I was about to depart, little thinking what history would develop -in a few short hours, Peck asked me to accept a couple of tickets to -the theater for that night. I was glad to get them, having no money -to purchase the same, and knowing that the President would be at the -play. Later I found a young man, like myself, broke, and invited him -to accompany me to the play. We were on hand early, and, having good -reserved seats about the center of the house, were elated over our good -luck. - -“Suffice it to say that the curtain went up and ‘Our American Cousin’ was -introduced. I was intently interested and cannot remember positively what -act it was that was on, except what is told in history, when I heard -a shot, and immediately a man appeared at the front of the President’s -box and, without waiting, jumped to the stage beneath. I, as well as all -others in the theater, was astonished. He ran to about the center of the -stage and raised his left hand and said something I did not catch, and -then disappeared behind the wings. As soon as I saw him I recognized the -handsome man I had seen in the saloon that afternoon, and turned to my -comrade and said: ‘That’s Wilkes Booth, the actor, and I think he is on a -drunk.’ Before I had finished even this a cry went up that the President -had been shot, ‘Stop that man!’ and many other exclamations I have -forgotten. It was all done so quickly that one had hardly time to think. -Immediately the audience rose as one person and cries were heard all over -the house, ‘Stop that man!’ ‘The President has been assassinated!’ and -many others. The people began to crush each other and try to get out of -the theater, but they were quieted to a certain extent and the provost -guard on duty there fought to make them keep their places. Soon there was -a movement on the side aisle running from the President’s box, and from -where I was standing on my seat I could see what appeared to be a party -of men carrying some one. Later the rest of the party were conducted out -of the theater, and when I managed to get outside I saw a crowd looking -up at a house opposite. On asking what it meant, I was told that the -President had been carried there and was dying. I lost my comrade in the -crowd and have never met him since. - -“It is unnecessary to go into any more details of what occurred that -night. I was excited, as well as every one else in the city, and got -little rest. But that is my experience, told as briefly as possible, -without any stretch of imagination. If I had to do with the same again I -think it would have been better if I had told the officials what I saw -that afternoon, but, as it was, all came out right, and the really guilty -ones suffered the penalty of their crime. I met Peck the next year in New -York City, but have never heard of or seen him since.” - - - - -MARTYRED LINCOLN’S BLOOD. - - -An interesting and valuable relic, which brings vividly to the mind the -historic scene in Ford’s Theater, Washington, on the night of April -14, 1865, is owned by Colonel James S. Case, at one time a resident of -Philadelphia, but whose home is now in Brooklyn. - -It is only a play bill, but upon it is a discoloration made by a tiny -drop of President Lincoln’s blood. It was picked up just after the -tragedy by John T. Ford, the manager of the theater. He found it on the -floor of the box where it had fallen from the President’s hand when the -bullet of Assassin Booth pierced his head. It lay beneath the chair in -which the citizen-hero received his death wound. There was a tiny spot of -blood, still red as it came from the great heart of Lincoln, on the edge. - -Mr. Ford carried the precious paper home, and only parted with it at the -request of the late A. K. Browne of Washington, who was a warm personal -friend of the manager. It came into Mr. Browne’s possession while the -nation was still mourning for its idol, and soon after his assassin had -met justly merited fate at the hands of Sergeant Boston Corbett. - -The play bill is somewhat yellow from age, but otherwise in an excellent -state of preservation. The bloodstain is now a dark brown. The program -was of “Our American Cousin,” which was being given for the benefit of -Laura Keene. The bloodstain is nearly half way down the program, opposite -the names of John Dyott, and Harry Hawk, Miss Keene’s leading support. - - - - -A STRANGE COINCIDENCE IN THE LIVES OF LINCOLN AND HIS SLAYER. - - -When President Lincoln was assassinated on the night of April 14, 1865, -while witnessing a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, he was removed -to the Peterson house, which was directly opposite the theater. - -The late John T. Ford related that he had occasion to visit John Wilkes -Booth at the Peterson house once. The Davenport-Wallack combination was -playing “Julius Cæsar” at Ford’s theater. Booth had been cast to play -Marc Antony and was late in coming to rehearsal. Ford went over to the -house to ask him to hurry up. He found Booth lying in bed studying his -lines. He little dreamed then that Lincoln would so shortly die in the -same house, the same room and on that identical bed, or that Booth would -turn out to be his assassin. - - - - -WHERE IS THE ORIGINAL EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION? - - -When Lincoln went to Washington he had a sale of the furniture of the -Eighth street home at Springfield. Most of the articles were bought by -a well-to-do family named Tilton, who admired the President in such a -way as to make what had belonged to him things to be treasured. When the -troops passed through Springfield to the front they visited the house -“where Uncle Abe had lived,” and the Tiltons used to confer great favor -by permitting the boys in blue to sit down in the dining room and have -a glass of milk off the table from which Mr. Lincoln had eaten many -times. But the Tiltons moved away to Chicago. They carried with them -the furniture which had been in the Lincoln house, prizing it more than -ever after his death. In 1871 came the Chicago fire, and with it went -not only the Lincoln furniture, but the original document, which, if it -were in existence now, would be preserved with the zeal that guards the -Declaration of Independence--the Proclamation of Emancipation. The draft -of the proclamation had been sent to Chicago to be exhibited for some -purpose and was burned in that fire. - - - - -MR. GRIFFITHS ON LINCOLN. - - -“No other public man has been subjected to such scrutiny from the time -he was born until the end of his tragic career as was Lincoln,” said Mr. -Griffiths in a lecture. “He obtained his early education from ‘Æsop’s -Fables,’ ‘Robinson Crusoe,’ the ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ and a copy of the -Indiana statutes. This was before some of our later legislatures had made -their records or his education might have been marred instead of made. - -“When he was elected President,” Mr. Griffiths continued, “he was a -plodding country lawyer whose library consisted of twenty-two volumes. -Through his public addresses he blazed his way to the Presidency. He -believed the position of a stump speaker to be one of sacred trust. He -had none of the platform graces. His figure was ungainly; his voice was -rasping. He always made the most careful preparation and gave his best -thought to the smallest audiences. He had marvelous gift of expression -and he knew more about the Bible than Webster. He was not learned in the -law and he despised the legal routine. On a lawsuit he always dealt in -the unexpected, which greatly discomfited the opposing lawyer. He liked -stories, but he always told them to illustrate a point. He was a deeply -religious man.” - - - - -A FAMOUS CHICAGO LAWYER’S VIEWS. - - -“Into the story of the republic from 1861 to 1865 the patriot does well -to enter, there to find for instruction and example the manliest of -Americans, the highest type of Americanism, the central figure of the -century, Abraham Lincoln. The fierce partisanship which assailed him -during his short period of leadership became silent at his death, and -each succeeding year but serves to exalt his work and character. - -“The judgment of time has already shown to be colossal him who was called -common--the honor that we offer to his memory is only the spontaneous -tribute of contemporary history--our enthusiasm is but the sum of the -world’s calmest thinking. For years in all lands gifted speech has -proclaimed his deeds and the pens of poets have sketched his life. Thus -does he receive his tribute from the people. - -“In his mentality Lincoln shone in justice, common sense, consistency, -persistence, and knowledge of men. In his words he was candid and frank, -but accurate and concise, speaking strong Anglo-Saxon unadorned--powerful -in its simplicity. In his sentiments he was kind, patriotic, and brave. -No leader ever combined more completely the graces of gentleness with -rugged determination. In his morals truth was his star, honesty the vital -essence of his life. - -“In his religion he was faithful as a saint. Providence was his stay -and he walked with God. As President his life and deeds were a constant -sermon. Love of men and faith in God were the fundamental elements of his -character. Poverty had schooled him to pity and taught him the equality -of all mankind.”--Luther Laflin Mills. - - - - -LINCOLN WAS PLAIN BUT GREAT. - - -Lincoln’s forefathers were independent owners of the land they trod -on, barons, not serfs. You will say, perhaps, that Lincoln had little -education. We are apt to say that of our great men. Lincoln knew how to -speak, read and write. What more do we teach our boys to-day? He knew -the Bible, which cannot be said of everybody in Boston. He read Burns, -and this with the Bible gave him his inspiration and sentiment. Æsop and -“Pilgrim’s Progress” taught him aptness and pregnant illustration. - -The incidents of his life were few but notable. He was a resident of -three states before he was 21, and made a river trip to New Orleans, -longer than Thomas Jefferson had taken at his age. At New Orleans he -saw for the first time the auction and whipping of slaves, which made -so deep an impression on him that it may be said to be the birth of his -anti-slavery sentiment. - -The choice of Mr. Lincoln for President was not a strained one. He was -the logical selection. Lincoln’s qualities, that sympathy with the common -people, that homely sincerity, have given him a place in the people’s -hearts a little closer, a little dearer, than is held by any other public -man. He had faults, but they were small compared with his virtues. He -had not Washington’s grandeur, the mental alertness of Hamilton, or the -intellectual force of Webster. His greatness was made up of natural -qualities, as of a hillside towering o’er a plain, yet a part of it. -Lincoln was surpassed in certain qualities by other of our historically -great men, but there are none, we feel sure, who would have filled the -place he filled as well as he.--Secretary of War Long. - - - - -LINCOLN’S SPECIFIC LIFE WORK. - - -One often thinks of his life as cut off, but no great man since Cæsar -has seen his life work ended as did Lincoln. Napoleon died upon a desert -rock, but not until Austerlitz and Wagram had become memories, and the -dust of the empire even as all dust. Cromwell knew that England had not -at heart materially altered. Washington did not know that he had created -one of the great, perhaps the greatest, empires to be known to man. But -Lincoln had a specific task to do--to save his country and to make it -free--and on that fateful 14th of April he knew that he had accomplished -both things. - -There are those who would say that chance put this man where he was to -do this work. To the thoughtful mind it was not chance, however, but -design, and that the design of which all greatness is a part. War is -indeed the crucible of the nations. It is the student of a century hence -who shall properly place the civil war in American history. But, whatever -that place be, there can be no doubt of the position in it of the war -President. Like William the Silent, his domination of all about him was -a matter not of personal desire, but of absolute and constant growth. -There are few more interesting characters in history than Lincoln. There -is none who in quite the same manner fits himself so absolutely into -his circumstances. It is the highest form of genius that so produces as -to make production seem effortless, and it is perhaps the greatest of -all tributes to Lincoln that what he did seems sometimes only what the -average man would have done in his place. - - - - -THE PROPOSED PURCHASE OF THE SLAVES. - - -The discussion on the question of whether or not Abraham Lincoln -suggested at the conference with the southern commissioners at the -so-called Fortress Monroe meeting, that he was prepared to pay -$400,000,000 for the slaves in the Southern States provided peace with -union could be obtained, is hardly likely to lead to any definite -conclusion, for the reason that the few who should have known definitely -about it are distinctly divided in their opinions. We are inclined to -believe that, if the proposition was made, Mr. Lincoln, notwithstanding -the immense influence that he then possessed, would have found it -exceedingly difficult to convince Congress and a majority of the people -of the North of the wisdom of the suggestion. As a business proposition, -entirely apart from sentiment, it might have been, even at that late -day, a wise plan to adopt. But the war had then been going on for years, -and the hard feelings engendered would apparently have made the scheme -a less tenable one then than at an earlier day. It will, we imagine, -appear to future historians that, in spite of the example which had been -set by England in the West Indies, those representing both the North -and the South showed themselves, just prior to the war, wanting in the -true elements of statesmanship in not realizing that it was better to -peaceably adjust their differences than have recourse to physical force. -It is now well understood, and might have been well understood at the -time, that the main issue was the slave issue, and that once out of the -way, all other sources of division were insignificant. We could have well -afforded to vote, if need be, several thousands of millions of dollars to -purchase the freedom of the slaves if by that means the civil war with -all of its wastes and sufferings could have been avoided; and if not now, -a generation or two hence, we feel convinced that the people, both of the -North and the South, will be of the opinion that such an outcome of the -contention would have been possible if we had had on both sides of the -quarrel, statesmen of the caliber of Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, -John Quincy Adams and other eminent Americans who have made their mark in -our national history. - - - - -SENATOR THURSTON’S SPEECH. - - -Senator John M. Thurston said in part at a banquet of the Baptist Social -Union, New York, on Lincoln’s birthday, in 1897: - -“This is an entirely different gathering than that to which I have been -recently accustomed. I come from a forty days’ session of a moot court, -in which the question of silver has been discussed and passed upon -without any hope of legislation. There I have been used to having my -audiences rise and leave as soon as I began to speak. - -“Mr. President, if I have any purpose to-night, it is to strengthen the -belief in a Divine Providence; and if I have any further purpose in -this time of wars and rumors of wars, it is to show that God Almighty -has made nations for higher purposes than mere money making. I am to -speak to-night of Abraham Lincoln, the simplest, serenest, sublimist -character of the age. Seventy millions of people join in commemorating -his greatness. It is not my purpose to review his life; that is too much -a part of history. That history should be taught in every American public -school and preached from every Christian pulpit. The story of Abraham -Lincoln, citizen, President, liberator and martyr, should be in the heart -of every American child. I prefer to speak of only one event in his -history. Yet that event was the harbinger of a new civilization. - -“Not long since, as I sat in a crowded court room, engaged in the trial -of a case involving the title to a valuable tract of real estate, there -came to the witness stand a venerable, white-haired negro. Written all -over his old black face was the history of three-quarters of a century of -such an existence as few persons have ever known. Born a slave, he had -stood upon the auction block and been sold to the highest bidder; he had -seen his wife and children dragged from his side by those who mocked his -breaking heart; he bore upon his back the scars and ridges of a master’s -lash. Now he came into a court of justice to settle, by the testimony of -his black lips, a controversy between white men. When asked his age he -drew himself proudly up and said: ‘For fifty years I was a chattel. On -the first day of January, 1863, old Uncle Abe made me a man.’ - -“The act which set that old man free was the crowning glory of Lincoln’s -life, for by it he not only saved his country, but emancipated a race. -When Abraham Lincoln took his pen to sign the Emancipation Proclamation -he knew that the supreme moment had come. He had known it years before, -when he said: ‘A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe -that this government cannot exist permanently, half slave and half free, -but I do not expect this house to fall, this government to be dissolved.’ - -“God has always raised up a great leader for a great crisis. Moses, -initiated into the sublime mysteries of the house of Pharaoh, himself a -ruler and almost a king, led the children of Israel through the parted -waters of the Red Seas into the wilderness in the strange hope of a -deliverance. A shepherdess on the hills of France felt herself stirred at -the sore trials of her race. Joan d’Arc, the savior of her country, was -the instrument of God. - -“Who can doubt that Providence put the preposterous notion of a round -world into the head of the Genoese sailor? Who can doubt that Providence -designed Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln -and Ulysses S. Grant each for his own mission? The Declaration of -Independence was the Genesis of American liberty, but the gospel of its -New Testament was the Emancipation Proclamation. Until the Emancipation -Proclamation the tide of success set strongly against the Union shore. -But afterward the soldiers of the Union marched steadily from Chattanooga -to Atlanta and from Atlanta to the sea. From the time the flag of liberty -became the flag of freedom and the Stars and Stripes no longer floated -over slaves, the Union never wavered in its onward march. - -“Almost a third of a century has passed away. Blue and gray they lie -together beneath the sod. Heroes all, they fell face to face, brother -against brother. But through the mingled tears that fall alike upon the -dead of both sections, the eyes of all turn toward a new future under the -old flag. To the North and South, to the white and the black, Abraham -Lincoln was God’s special providence. What is the heritage to us? In -his own words, ‘A government of the people, by the people, and for the -people.’ - -“I wish that my voice could reach from one end of the land to the other -while I tell what true Americanism is. I come from a State that has as -great local necessities, perhaps, as any other. The State of Nebraska put -one star into the flag. The great State of New York put another. But -when they set them there, they ceased to shine for themselves, but for -the whole Union. - -“What we need in this country is the Emancipation Proclamation and the -Stars and Stripes at every polling place. We need a revival of the -American flag. Let it float over every American battlefield, be taught -in every public school. Set the Stars of the Union in the hearts of -our children and the glory of the Republic will remain forever. It -does not matter whether the American cradle is rocked to the music of -‘Yankee Doodle’ or the lullaby of ‘Dixie’ if the flag of the nation is -displayed above it, and the American baby can be safely trusted to pull -about the floor the rusty scabbard and the battered canteen, whether the -inheritance be from blue or gray, if from the breast of a true mother and -the lips of a brave father, its little soul is filled with the glory of -the American constellation. - -“The memory of Lincoln cannot perish. On freedom’s roll of honor the name -of Lincoln is written first. His colossal statue stands on a pedestal of -the people’s love, and in its protecting shadow, liberty and equality are -the heritage of every American citizen.” - - - - -LINCOLN ANALYZED. - - -There is something in Washington or in Lincoln or Grant, that defies -analysis. It is a moral elevation, a magnanimity, a nobleness and -profoundness of mind. It is force of character and ability by which man -is able to meet great emergencies. This is true greatness. - -Nothing discloses real character like the use of power. If you wish to -know what a man really is, give him power. This is the supreme test. - -Judged by this standard Abraham Lincoln stands out one of the purest, -grandest and noblest characters of all time. Greatness was never more -unconscious of itself than it was in him. It consisted in the fact that -he made mistakes but rose above them. - -Lincoln was a man of marvelous growth. The statesman or the military hero -born and reared in a log cabin is a familiar figure in American history; -but we may search in vain among our men of honor and fame for one whose -origin and early life equaled Abraham Lincoln’s in obscurity and lack of -education. - -He sprang from the poorest class in the border south. Hard work his early -lot; his education a minus factor. In the year of his majority his father -moved to Illinois. Here Lincoln began for himself the hard battle of -life. He became an ambitious young man. Unquestionably in some mysterious -way, he arrived at the conclusion that this world had something far -higher for him than neighborhood joker, champion wrestler or prize wood -chopper. - -A lawyer lent him a copy of Blackstone and he commenced the study of -law; was admitted to the bar in 1836; rose rapidly in his profession -and became an eminent lawyer. Being more adapted to the part of a jurist -than an advocate, owing to the striking uprightness of his character, -he applied himself to this branch of his profession, and it may truly -be said that his vivid sense of truth and justice had much to do with -his effectiveness as a jurist. When he felt himself to be the protector -of innocence, the defender of justice, or the prosecutor of wrong, -he frequently disclosed such unexpected resources of reasoning, such -depth of feeling, and rose to such fervor of appeal as to astonish and -overwhelm his hearers, and make his appeal irresistible. - -He continued to “ride the circuit,” read books, tell funny stories to -his fellow lawyers in the tavern, chat familiarly with his neighbors -and become more and more widely known, trusted and beloved among the -people of his State for his ability as a lawyer and politician, for the -integrity of his character and the ever-flowing spring of sympathetic -kindness in his heart. His main ambition was that of political -distinction, yet no one, at that time, would have suspected that he was -the man destined to lead the nation through the greatest crisis of the -century. - -Nevertheless, he was growing, indeed, this is one prominent fact in -Lincoln’s life--he never ceased growing. As captain in the Black Hawk -war, as candidate for the legislature, as storekeeper, postmaster, -surveyor and law student, he was always growing. - -In 1846 he was elected to congress where he distinguished himself as a -humorous speaker and rapidly advanced to the front as a statesman. - -Lincoln was a statesman in the truest and grandest sense of the word. He -was a type of honesty and moral integrity. He had a conscience “void of -offense toward God, and toward men.” A lover of the truth and men learned -to trust him. He was just and for that reason would not put upon others -that which he would not put upon himself. He studied the questions of the -day and founded his opinions on truth and justice. - -It was not until 1854 when the slavery question had been thrust into -politics as the paramount issue, that Lincoln’s powers were aroused to -their fullest capacity. He plunged into arduous study of the question, in -its legal, historical and moral aspects, until his mind became a complete -arsenal of argument. - -Now he was able to cope with any political antagonist. The time had come -when the Republican party required a man to put forward as their standard -bearer one who would be equal for the coming election. - -They found in Lincoln all the antecedents of his life to be such as to -produce in him the rarest qualifications for the Presidency, to which he -was now called by his party. It was during this canvass that he first -revealed, in his great debates with Stephen A. Douglas, the full scope of -his originality and genius. Subsequent to this combat of giants, he was -duly elected President. - -No President, before or since, ever took his seat under such -difficulties. The situation which confronted him was appalling; secession -of the Southern States was fully organized, and less than a month before -his inauguration seven of them had already seceded. - -During his inaugural address he declared his fixed purpose to uphold the -Constitution and preserve the integrity of the Union. It was his policy -to ignore the action of the seceded States as a thing in itself null, -void and of no effect. - -Lincoln was the man whom Providence placed at the head of the nation in -the supreme hour of its destiny. When he assumed the reins of government -he was surrounded by traitors. The government was without army, without -navy, without credit. He spoke, and two millions of men sprang, as from -the ground. He breathed, and the bosom of the ocean was covered with -ships of war. He placed his hand upon Wall street and the credit of the -government was secured. He surrounded himself with the best and truest -counselors of the time. - -He signed his name and the shackles fell from the limbs of four million -of slaves. His was a greatness for the time. He was the Moses of a new -dispensation--called of God to lead the hosts of captives out of the -bondage house of their oppression. Like his great prototype he was not -permitted to see the land of promise. He led the people safely through, -but he was not allowed to guide them across the Jordan. - -On the morning of April 15, 1865, God called Abraham Lincoln away from -mortal sight. - -Measured by what he did as a statesman and leader, he stands head and -shoulders above all rulers of men in the annals of the six thousand years -of Human History. - -While a “solitary stripe remains in our banner,” while a “single star is -blazoned on its field of blue,” so long will the deeds, the heroism and -the loyalty of Abraham Lincoln be told to generations yet unborn. - - - - -THE RELIGION OF THE PRESIDENTS. - - -George Washington was a communicant of the Episcopal Church. - -Thomas Jefferson was a member of no church. He was a deist. - -John Adams was a Unitarian. - -James Madison was an Episcopalian. - -James Monroe was an Episcopalian. - -John Quincy Adams was a Unitarian. - -Andrew Jackson became a member of the Presbyterian Church after the death -of his wife. - -Martin Van Buren regularly attended the Dutch Reformed Church at -Kinderhook, N. Y., but was not a member. - -William Henry Harrison was a communicant in the Episcopal Church. His pew -in Christ Church, Cleveland, Ohio, bore his silver plate for years after -his death. - -John Tyler was a member of the Episcopal Church. - -James K. Polk never united with any denomination. While he was President -he attended the Presbyterian Church out of deference to his wife’s -wishes. On his death-bed he was baptized by a Methodist preacher, an old -friend and neighbor. - -Zachary Taylor was an attendant of the Episcopal Church, and is said to -have been a member. - -Millard Fillmore was a Unitarian. - -Franklin Pierce was a Trinitarian Congregationalist. - -James Buchanan was a Presbyterian. - -Andrew Johnson was not a member, but attended the Presbyterian Church. - -Abraham Lincoln belonged to no church, but usually attended the -Presbyterian services. - -Ulysses S. Grant attended the Methodist Church, but was not a member. - -Rutherford B. Hayes was a Methodist. - -James A. Garfield was a member of the Church of the Disciples. - -Chester A. Arthur was an Episcopalian. - -Grover Cleveland joined the Presbyterian Church after his marriage. - -Benjamin Harrison is a member of the Presbyterian Church. - -William McKinley is a member of the Methodist Church. - - - - -Transcriber’s Note - - -On page 53 the line “men then in vogue he remarked how much” was omitted -completely from the original printing; it has been restored by comparison -with another edition. - -On page 114 the line “emancipated a race. When Abraham Lin-” was printed, -in the original, in the middle of an unrelated paragraph several pages -earlier; it has been moved to where it belongs. - -In the Table of Contents an entry has been added for the story “A -Clergyman Who Talked But Little”, omitted in the original. - -A few other minor printing errors, of punctuation, spelling, page -numbering, etc., have been corrected without note. - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Best Lincoln stories, tersely told, by -James E. 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E. Gallaher. - </title> - - <link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover.jpg" /> - -<style type="text/css"> - -a { - text-decoration: none; -} - -body { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -h1,h2 { - text-align: center; - clear: both; -} - -hr { - margin-top: 2em; - margin-bottom: 2em; - clear: both; - width: 65%; - margin-left: 17.5%; - margin-right: 17.5%; -} - -p { - margin-top: 0.5em; - text-align: justify; - margin-bottom: 0.5em; - text-indent: 1em; -} - -table { - margin: 1em auto 1em auto; - max-width: 40em; - border-collapse: collapse; -} - -td { - padding-left: 2.25em; - padding-right: 0.25em; - vertical-align: top; - text-indent: -2em; -} - -.blockquote { - margin-left: 10%; - margin-right: 10%; -} - -.bold { - font-weight: bold; -} - -.caption { - text-align: center; - margin-bottom: 1em; - font-size: 90%; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.center { - text-align: center; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.figcenter { - margin: auto; - text-align: center; -} - -.larger { - font-size: 150%; -} - -.pagenum { - position: absolute; - right: 4%; - font-size: smaller; - text-align: right; - font-style: normal; -} - -.poetry-container { - text-align: center; - margin: 1em; -} - -.poetry { - display: inline-block; - text-align: left; -} - -.poetry .verse { - text-indent: -3em; - padding-left: 3em; -} - -.poetry .indent1 { - text-indent: -2em; -} - -.right { - text-align: right; -} - -.smaller { - font-size: 80%; -} - -.smcap { - font-variant: small-caps; - font-style: normal; -} - -.titlepage { - text-align: center; - margin-top: 3em; - text-indent: 0em; -} - -.transnote { - background-color: #E6E6FA; - color: black; - text-align: center; - font-size: smaller; - padding: 0.5em; - margin-top: 5em; -} - -@media handheld { - -img { - max-width: 100%; - width: auto; - height: auto; -} - -.poetry { - display: block; - margin-left: 1.5em; -} - -.blockquote { - margin-left: 5%; - margin-right: 5%; -} - -} - </style> - </head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -Project Gutenberg's Best Lincoln stories, tersely told, by James E. Gallaher - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org/license - - -Title: Best Lincoln stories, tersely told - -Author: James E. Gallaher - -Release Date: January 24, 2017 [EBook #54047] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BEST LINCOLN STORIES, TERSELY TOLD *** - - - - -Produced by MFR and the Online Distributed Proofreading -Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from -images generously made available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[i]</a></span></p> - -<div class="figcenter" style="width: 475px;"> - -<img src="images/frontispiece.jpg" width="475" height="650" alt="" /> - -<p class="caption">ABRAHAM LINCOLN.</p> - -<p class="caption">Taken at Springfield in 1861. One of the very best.</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[ii]</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[iii]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage larger">BEST<br /> -Lincoln Stories<br /> -TERSELY TOLD.</p> - -<p class="titlepage">BY<br /> -<span class="larger">J. E. GALLAHER.</span></p> - -<p class="titlepage">CHICAGO:<br /> -<span class="smcap">James E. Gallaher & Co.</span><br /> -36, 184 Dearborn St.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_iv" id="Page_iv">[iv]</a></span></p> - -<p class="titlepage smaller">Copyright, 1898,<br /> -By<br /> -James E. Gallaher.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[v]</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_vi" id="Page_vi">[vi]</a><br /> -<a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="PREFACE">PREFACE.</h2> - -<p class="center bold">ABRAHAM LINCOLN.</p> - -<p>How American history would dwindle if -that name were taken out of it! Washington -was great. Grant was great. Lee -was great. Many others have been and -are great in all the walks of life. But -Lincoln, who came out of the lowly heart -of the people, will come back nearer to -that heart than any other man probably -that the nation has known. There have -been men of war and there have been men -of peace, but there has been no such man -of peace in war as Lincoln.</p> - -<p>Why is it we never tire of thinking of -Mr. Lincoln personally, nor of speaking -of him and his deeds? Is it not because -“he was indeed one of the most unique -figures in history, and one of the most remarkable -surprises of the age?” What -has he been called by those who knew him -best? “The greatest of patriots, the wisest -of rulers, the ablest of men.”</p> - -<p>What led to his greatness and caused -him to hold such an extraordinary sway -over the people during the most tumultuous -of times, when seven states had -seceded and the rebellion was well under -way at his inauguration, and when a -bloody and fiercely contested war was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_viii" id="Page_viii">[viii]</a></span> -fought during his administration? I will -let one more competent than myself -answer. Bishop Fowler, of the First M. -E. Church of New York, said:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“What, then, were the elements of Lincoln’s -greatness? To begin with, ‘he was -not made out of any fool mud,’ and then -he thoroughly understood himself and -knew how to handle his resources. His -moral sense was the first important trait -of his character, his reason the second, and -the third was his wonderful ‘common-sense,’ -the most uncommon thing found -even among the great.</p> - -<p>“These are the three fixed points on which -his character hung. Without the first he -had been a villain. Without the second, a -fool. Without the third, a dreamer. With -them all he made up himself—Abraham -Lincoln.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>It is wonderful how many stories President -Lincoln told, and still more wonderful -how many stories are told of him. -The late Senator Voorhees, of Indiana, -said that Lincoln had more stories than -any other man he had ever met. He had -a story for every occasion, and he illustrated -everything by anecdote. Some of -the best stories current to-day originated -with Lincoln and hundreds of his best -stories have never been published. Senator -Voorhees had preserved a number -which he expected to use in lectures -which he was preparing at the time he -died. He had hoped to live long enough -after his retirement from public life to -write a book on his personal recollections<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[ix]</a></span> -of the martyred President, among which -would have been included many stories.</p> - -<p>The late David Davis, of Illinois, before -whose court Lincoln practiced so -often, once said that there were but three -men in the world who thoroughly understood -Abraham Lincoln—himself, Leonard -Swett, of Chicago, and Daniel W. Voorhees. -All these three men are dead.</p> - -<p>In gathering material for this work the -editor has exercised due care in accepting -only such stories as bore the impress of -truth. It is his hope that this little volume -will be eagerly welcomed in every -home which venerates the name of Abraham -Lincoln, and that it will be an inspiration -to every boy of the land who, in -looking to Lincoln for an ideal, should -ever remember that</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">Honor and shame from no condition rise;</div> -<div class="verse">Act well your part; there all the honor lies.</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p class="right">J. E. GALLAHER.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="CONTENTS">CONTENTS.</h2> - -<table summary="Contents"> - <tr> - <td></td> - <td class="right smaller">PAGE.</td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Preface</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#PREFACE">7</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Great Strength as a Boy</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_GREAT_STRENGTH">11</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Was Proud of His Strength</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#WAS_PROUD_OF_HIS_STRENGTH">11</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln a Powerful Wrestler</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_A_POWERFUL_WRESTLER">12</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Split 400 Rails for a Yard of Jeans</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_SPLIT_400_RAILS_FOR_A">12</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln as a Verse Writer</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AS_A_VERSE_WRITER">14</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Quick Wit in Helping a Girl to Spell a Word</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_QUICK_WIT_IN_HELPING_A">15</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln as a Notion Peddler</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AS_A_NOTION_PEDDLER">15</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Saved From Drowning</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_SAVED_FROM_DROWNING">16</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Youthful Eloquence</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_YOUTHFUL_ELOQUENCE">18</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>One of Lincoln’s Songs</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#ONE_OF_LINCOLNS_SONGS">19</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s First Political Speech</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_FIRST_POLITICAL_SPEECH">20</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>How Lincoln Became Known as “Honest Abe”</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HOW_LINCOLN_BECAME_KNOWN_AS">21</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Was an “Obliging” Man</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_WAS_AN_OBLIGING_MAN">22</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>How Lincoln Paid a Large Debt</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HOW_LINCOLN_PAID_A_LARGE_DEBT">23</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>His First Sight of Slavery</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HIS_FIRST_SIGHT_OF_SLAVERY">23</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln and Jeff Davis in the Black Hawk War</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AND_DAVIS_IN_THE_BLACK">24</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Glowing Tribute to His Mother</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_GLOWING_TRIBUTE_TO_HIS">25</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>What Lincoln’s Step-Mother Said of Him</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#WHAT_LINCOLNS_STEP-MOTHER_SAID">26</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s First Love</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_FIRST_LOVE">26</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Duel Lincoln Didn’t Fight</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_DUEL_LINCOLN_DIDNT_FIGHT">28</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln as a Dancer</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AS_A_DANCER">29</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Courtship and Marriage</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_COURTSHIP_AND">29</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Personal Appearance</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_PERSONAL_APPEARANCE">31</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Mother</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_MOTHER">32</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Melancholia</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_MELANCHOLIA">34</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Height</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_HEIGHT">36</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>How Lincoln Became a Lawyer</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HOW_LINCOLN_BECAME_A_LAWYER">36</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln as a Lawyer</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AS_A_LAWYER">37</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Conscientiousness in Taking Cases</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_CONSCIENTIOUSNESS_IN">38</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Jury Understood</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_JURY_UNDERSTOOD">39</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Honesty with a Lady Client</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_HONESTY_WITH_A_LADY">39</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Wins a Celebrated Case</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_WINS_A_CELEBRATED_CASE">40</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s “Selfishness”</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_SELFISHNESS">41</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Removes a License on Theatres</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_REMOVES_A_LICENSE_ON">42</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>How Lincoln Got the Worst of a Horse Trade</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HOW_LINCOLN_GOT_THE_WORST_OF">43</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Helped Him to Win</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_HELPED_HIM_TO_WIN">44</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Settles a Quarrel Without Going to Law</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_SETTLES_A_QUARREL_WITHOUT">46</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>A Lincoln Story About Little Dan Webster’s Soiled Hands</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#A_LINCOLN_STORY_ABOUT_LITTLE_DAN">47</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Long Limbs Drive a Man Out of His Berth</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_LONG_LIMBS_DRIVE_A_MAN">48</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Joke on Douglas</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_JOKE_ON_DOUGLAS">49</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Shrewdly Traps Douglas</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_SHREWDLY_TRAPS_DOUGLAS">50</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Fairness in Debate</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_FAIRNESS_IN_DEBATE">52</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Asked His Friend’s Help for the United States Senate</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_ASKED_HIS_FRIENDS_HELP">54</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Making Lincoln Presentable</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#MAKING_LINCOLN_PRESENTABLE">55</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Evidence of Lincoln’s Religious Belief</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#EVIDENCE_OF_LINCOLNS_RELIGIOUS">56</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln a Temperance Man</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_A_TEMPERANCE_MAN">57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Famous Gettysburg Address</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_FAMOUS_GETTYSBURG">57</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Gettysburg Address</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_GETTYSBURG_ADDRESS">59</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln as a Ruler</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AS_A_RULER">60</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Real Object in Conducting the War</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_REAL_OBJECT_IN_CONDUCTING">61</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Asked for Some of Grant’s Whisky</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_ASKED_FOR_SOME_OF">62</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Believed Himself Ugly</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_BELIEVED_HIMSELF_UGLY">62</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Kindness to a Disabled Soldier</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_KINDNESS_TO_A_DISABLED">63</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>A Sample of Lincoln’s Statesmanship</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#A_SAMPLE_OF_LINCOLNS_STATESMANSHIP">64</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Two Good Stories</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#TWO_GOOD_STORIES">65</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Raises a Warning Voice Against the Concentration of Great Wealth</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_RAISES_A_WARNING_VOICE">65</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln and the Dying Soldier Boy</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AND_THE_DYING_SOLDIER">66</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Dandy, the Bugs and the President</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_DANDY_THE_BUGS_AND_THE">67</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Upheld the Hands of Gen. Grant</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_UPHELD_THE_HANDS_OF">68</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Why Lincoln Told Stories</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#WHY_LINCOLN_TOLD_STORIES">69</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Rewards a Man For Kindness Thirty Years After the Occurrence</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_REWARDS_A_MAN_FOR_KINDNESS">70</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln a Merciful Man</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_A_MERCIFUL_MAN">71</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Humorous Advice to a Distinguished Bachelor</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_HUMOROUS_ADVICE_TO_A">72</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>How Lincoln Answered a Delicate Question</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HOW_LINCOLN_ANSWERED_A_DELICATE">73</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Illustrates a Case Humorously</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_ILLUSTRATES_A_CASE">74</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Why Lincoln Mistook a Driver to be an Episcopalian</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#WHY_LINCOLN_MISTOOK_A_DRIVER_TO">74</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>A Clergyman Who Talked But Little</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#A_CLERGYMAN_WHO_TALKED_BUT">75</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>How Lincoln Received a Jackknife as a Present</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HOW_LINCOLN_RECEIVED_A_JACKKNIFE">75</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Best Car For His Corpse</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_BEST_CAR_FOR_HIS_CORPSE">76</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>His Title Did Not Help Any</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HIS_TITLE_DID_HOT_HELP_ANY">77</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>One of Lincoln’s Autographs</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#ONE_OF_MR_LINCOLNS_AUTOGRAPHS">77</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Substitute</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_SUBSTITUTE">77</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Estimate of the Financial Standing of a Neighbor</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_ESTIMATE_OF_THE_FINANCIAL">78</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Query Puzzled the Man</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_QUERY_PUZZLED_THE_MAN">78</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Inauguration</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_INAUGURATION">79</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>John Sherman’s First Meeting with Lincoln</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#JOHN_SHERMANS_FIRST_MEETING">80</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln and the Sentinel</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_AND_THE_SENTINEL">81</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Origin of “With Malice Toward None,” Etc.</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#ORIGIN_OF_WITH_MALICE_TOWARD">82</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>His Good Memory of Names</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HIS_GOOD_MEMORY_OF_NAMES">82</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Grief Over the Defeat of the Union Army</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_GRIEF_OVER_THE_DEFEAT">83</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Three Stories of Lincoln by Senator Palmer</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THREE_STORIES_OF_LINCOLN_BY">84</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>His Famous Second Inaugural Address</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#HIS_FAMOUS_SECOND_INAUGURAL">87</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Said Even a Rebel Could be Saved</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_SAID_EVEN_A_REBEL_COULD">88</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Washington and Lincoln Compared</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#WASHINGTON_AND_LINCOLN_COMPARED">89</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Remembered Him</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_REMEMBERED_HIM">91</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Why Lincoln Pardoned Them</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#WHY_LINCOLN_PARDONED_THEM">92</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Lincoln Portraits</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_LINCOLN_PORTRAITS">96</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Faith in Providence</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_FAITH_IN_PROVIDENCE">97</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Last Words</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_LAST_WORDS">99</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>A Chicagoan Who Saw Lincoln Shot</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#A_CHICAGOAN_WHO_SAW_LINCOLN">101</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Martyred Lincoln’s Blood</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#MARTYRED_LINCOLNS_BLOOD">104</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>A Strange Coincidence in the Lives of Lincoln and His Slayer</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#A_STRANGE_COINCIDENCE_IN_THE">105</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Where is the Original Emancipation Proclamation</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#WHERE_IS_THE_ORIGINAL_EMANCIPATION">106</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Mr. Griffiths on Lincoln</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#MR_GRIFFITHS_ON_LINCOLN">107</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>A Famous Chicago Lawyer’s Views</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#A_FAMOUS_CHICAGO_LAWYERS_VIEWS">107</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Was Plain but Great</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_WAS_PLAIN_BUT_GREAT">109</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln’s Specific Life Work</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLNS_SPECIFIC_LIFE_WORK">110</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Proposed Purchase of the Slaves</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_PROPOSED_PURCHASE_OF_THE">111</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Senator Thurston’s Speech</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#SENATOR_THURSTONS_SPEECH">112</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>Lincoln Analyzed</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#LINCOLN_ANALYZED">116</a></td> - </tr> - <tr> - <td>The Religion of the Presidents</td> - <td class="right"><a href="#THE_RELIGION_OF_THE_PRESIDENTS">121</a></td> - </tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[x]</a></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[11]</a></span></p> - -<h1>BEST LINCOLN STORIES TERSELY TOLD.</h1> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_GREAT_STRENGTH">LINCOLN’S GREAT STRENGTH -AS A BOY.</h2> - -<p>The strength Lincoln displayed when -he was ten years old is remarkable. At -that age he was almost constantly using an -axe in chopping and splitting wood and -he used it with great skill, sinking it -deeper into the wood than any other -person. He cut the elm and linn brush -used for feeding the stock, drove the team, -handled the old shovel-plow, wielded the -sickle, threshed wheat with a flail, fanned -and cleaned it with a sheet and performed -other labor that few men of to-day could -do so well. He wielded the axe from the -age of ten till he was twenty-three. As -he grew older he became one of the -strongest and most popular “hands” in -the vicinity and his services were in great -demand. He was employed as a “hand” -by his neighbors at 25 cents a day, which -money was paid to his father.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="WAS_PROUD_OF_HIS_STRENGTH">WAS PROUD OF HIS STRENGTH.</h2> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln was a remarkably strong -man; he was strong as well as tall. He -was in the habit of measuring his height -with other tall men,—he did this even in<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[12]</a></span> -the White House. In 1859 he visited the -Wisconsin State Fair at Milwaukee and -was led around by the then Governor -Hoyt. They entered a tent where a -“strong man” was performing with huge -iron balls. His feats amazed and interested -Lincoln. The governor told him to go -up on the platform and be introduced to -the athlete, by whose exhibition of skill -he was so fascinated. He did so, and -after the formal introduction he remarked -to the “strong man,” who was short of -stature: “Why, I could lick salt off the -top of your hat.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_A_POWERFUL_WRESTLER">LINCOLN A POWERFUL WRESTLER.</h2> - -<p>While a clerk in a general store at New -Salem, Ill., Lincoln gained the reputation -of being a skillful and powerful wrestler. -Near New Salem was a settlement known -as Clary’s Grove, in which lived an organization -known as “Clary’s Grove Boys.” -They were rude in their manners and -rough and boastful in their ways, being -what would to-day be called “a set of -rowdies.”</p> - -<p>The leader of this organization, and the -strongest of the lot, was a young man -named Armstrong. It had been said that -Lincoln could easily outdo any one of -the Clary Grove boys in anything and the -report naturally touched the pride of the -Armstrong youth. He felt compelled to -prove the truth or falsity of such a story, -and accordingly a wrestling match was -arranged between Lincoln and himself.</p> - -<p>It was a great day in the village of New -Salem and Clary’s Grove. The match was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[13]</a></span> -held on the ground in front of the store -in which Lincoln had been clerking. There -was much betting on the result, the odds -being against Lincoln. Hardly, however, -had the two wrestlers taken hold of each -other before the Armstrong youth found -that he had “met a foe worthy his steel.” -The two wrestled long and hard, each -doing his utmost to throw the other but -to no avail. Both kept their feet; neither -could throw the other. The Armstrong -youth being convinced that he could not -throw Lincoln, tried a “foul.” This resort -to dishonest means to gain an advantage -inflamed Lincoln with indignation, -and he immediately caught young -Armstrong by the throat, held him at -arm’s length and “shook him like a child.”</p> - -<p>Armstrong’s friends rushed to his rescue, -and for a time it seemed as if Lincoln -would be mobbed. But he held his own -bravely and all alone, and by his daring -excited the admiration of even those whose -sympathies were with young Armstrong. -What at one time seemed to result in a -general fight resulted in a general handshake, -even “Jack” Armstrong declaring -that Lincoln was “the best fellow who ever -broke into camp.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_SPLIT_400_RAILS_FOR_A">LINCOLN SPLIT 400 RAILS FOR A -YARD OF BROWN JEANS.</h2> - -<p>When Lincoln lived in Illinois (New -Salem) he wore trousers made of flax and -tow cut tight at the ankles and out at both -knees. Though a very poor young man he -was universally welcomed in every house -of the neighborhood. Money was so<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[14]</a></span> -scarce in those days that it is known that -Lincoln once split 400 rails for every -yard of brown jeans, dyed with white walnut -bark, that would be necessary to make -him a pair of trousers.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AS_A_VERSE_WRITER">LINCOLN AS A VERSE WRITER.</h2> - -<p>Even when he was a boy Lincoln was -sometimes called upon to write poetry. -The following are among his earliest attempts -at rhyme:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">Good boys who to their books apply,</div> -<div class="verse">Will all be great men by and by.</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>It is needless to say that Lincoln himself -carried out what he wrote so well; in -other words, he “practiced what he -preached.” It was in a great measure -owing to his constant application to his -books that he afterward became a great -man.</p> - -<p>The following poem Mr. Lincoln wrote -in 1844, while on a visit to the home of -his childhood:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">My childhood’s home I see again</div> -<div class="verse indent1">And sadden with the view;</div> -<div class="verse">And, still, as memory crowds my brain,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">There’s pleasure in it, too.</div> -<div class="verse">Oh, memory, thou midway world</div> -<div class="verse indent1">’Twixt earth and paradise,</div> -<div class="verse">Where things decayed and loved ones lost</div> -<div class="verse indent1">In dreamy shadows rise;</div> -<div class="verse">And, freed from all that’s earthy vile,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Seems hallowed, pure and bright,</div> -<div class="verse">Like scenes in some enchanted isle,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">All bathed in liquid light.</div> -</div> -</div> -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[15]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_QUICK_WIT_IN_HELPING_A">LINCOLN’S QUICK WIT IN HELPING A -GIRL TO SPELL A WORD.</h2> - -<p>“Abe” Lincoln was always ready and -willing to help any one. Once he was in -a spelling match at school when the word -“defied” had been given out by the -teacher. It had been misspelled several -times when it came the turn of a girl -friend of Lincoln’s to spell. The pupils -were arranged on opposite sides of the -room and “Abe” was watching his friend -as she struggled with the spelling. She -began d-e-f, and stopped, being unable -to decide whether to proceed with an i or -a y. Happening to look up, she caught -sight of Abe, who was grinning. He -pointed with his index finger to his eye. -The hint was quickly understood, the word -was spelled with an i and it went through -all right.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AS_A_NOTION_PEDDLER">LINCOLN AS A NOTION PEDDLER.</h2> - -<p>In March, 1830, the Lincoln family -moved from Gentryville, Indiana, to near -Decatur, Illinois, their household goods -being packed in a wagon drawn by four -oxen driven by “Abe.” The winter previous -Lincoln had worked in a country -store in Gentryville and before undertaking -the journey he invested all the money he -had, some thirty dollars, in notions, such -as needles, pins, thread, buttons and other -domestic necessities. These he sold to -families along the route and made a -profit of about one hundred per cent. This -shows he had a mind for seizing hold of -opportunities for making money even -when young.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[16]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_SAVED_FROM_DROWNING">LINCOLN SAVED FROM DROWNING.</h2> - -<p>The life of Lincoln during the time the -family lived in Kentucky appears to have -been entirely uneventful. He helped his -mother—after he was 3 years old—in the -simple household duties, went to the -district school, and played with the children -of the neighborhood. The only one -of young Lincoln’s playmates now living -is an old man nearly 100 years old named -Austin Gollaher, whose mind is bright and -clear, and who never tires of telling of the -days Lincoln and he “were little tikes and -played together.” This old man, who yet -lives in the log house in which he has always -lived, a few miles from the old Lincoln -place, tells entertaining stories about -the President’s boyhood.</p> - -<p>Mr. Gollaher says that they were together -more than the other boys in school, -that he became fond of his little friend, and -he believed that Abe thought a great deal -of him.</p> - -<p>In speaking of various events of minor -importance in their boyhood days Mr. Gollaher -remarked: “I once saved Lincoln’s -life.” Upon being urged to tell of the -occurrence he thus related it: “We had -been going to school together one year; -but the next year we had no school, because -there were so few scholars to attend, -there being only about twenty in the -school the year before.</p> - -<p>“Consequently Abe and I had not much -to do; but, as we did not go to school and -our mothers were strict with us, we did -not get to see each other very often. One<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[17]</a></span> -Sunday morning my mother waked me up -early, saying she was going to see Mrs. -Lincoln, and that I could go along. Glad -of the chance, I was soon dressed and -ready to go. After my mother and I got -there Abe and I played all through the -day.</p> - -<p>“While we were wandering up and down -the little stream called Knob Creek Abe -said: ‘Right up there’—pointing to the -east—‘we saw a covey of partridges yesterday. -Let’s go over and get some of -them.’ The stream was swollen and was -too wide for us to jump across. Finally -we saw a narrow foot-log, and we concluded -to try it. It was narrow, but Abe -said, ‘Let’s coon it.’</p> - -<p>“I went first and reached the other side -all right. Abe went about half-way across, -when he got scared and began trembling. -I hollered to him, ‘Don’t look down nor -up nor sideways, but look right at me and -hold on tight!’ But he fell off into the -creek, and, as the water was about seven -or eight feet deep and I could not swim, -and neither could Abe, I knew it would do -no good for me to go in after him.</p> - -<p>“So I got a stick—a long water sprout—and -held it out to him. He came up, grabbing -with both hands, and I put the stick -into his hands. He clung to it, and I -pulled him out on the bank, almost dead. -I got him by the arms and shook him well, -and then rolled him on the ground, when -the water poured out of his mouth.</p> - -<p>“He was all right very soon. We promised -each other that we would never tell<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[18]</a></span> -anybody about it, and never did for years. -I never told any one of it until after Lincoln -was killed.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_YOUTHFUL_ELOQUENCE">LINCOLN’S YOUTHFUL ELOQUENCE.</h2> - -<p>One man in Gentryville, Ind., a Mr. -Jones, the storekeeper, took a Louisville -paper, and here Lincoln went regularly -to read and discuss its contents. All the -men and boys of the neighborhood gathered -there, and everything which the -paper related was subjected to their -keen, shrewd common sense. It was not -long before young Lincoln became the -favorite member of the group and the -one listened to most eagerly. Politics -was warmly discussed by these Gentryville -citizens, and it may be that sitting -on the counter of Jones’ grocery Lincoln -even discussed slavery. It certainly -was one of the live questions of Indiana -at that date.</p> - -<p>Young Lincoln was not only winning -in those days in the Jones grocery store -a reputation as a debater and story teller, -but he was becoming known as a kind -of backwoods orator. He could repeat -with effect all the poems and speeches -in his various school readers, he could -imitate to perfection the wandering -preachers who came to Gentryville, and -he could make a political speech so stirring -that he drew a crowd about him -every time he mounted a stump. The -applause he won was sweet, and frequently -he indulged his gifts when he -ought to have been at work—so thought -his employers and Thomas, his father.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[19]</a></span> -It was trying, no doubt, to the hard -pushed farmers to see the men who -ought to have been cutting grass or -chopping wood throw down their sickles -or axes to group around a boy whenever -he mounted a stump to develop a pet -theory or repeat with variations yesterday’s -sermon. In his fondness for speech-making -he attended all the trials of the -neighborhood and frequently walked 15 -miles to Booneville to attend court.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="ONE_OF_LINCOLNS_SONGS">ONE OF LINCOLN’S SONGS.</h2> - -<p>As will be learned elsewhere in this -book Annie Rutledge was Lincoln’s first -love. Mrs. William Prewitt, of Fairfield, -Iowa, is a sister of Annie Rutledge. She -is a widow in comfortable circumstances -and lives with one of her sons. This is -what she says of her dead sister and Lincoln:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“Her death made a great impression upon -him I could see. We never knew him to -jolly or laugh afterward. Annie was next -to the oldest girl in our family, and she -had a great deal of the housework to do. -I remember seeing her washing in the old-fashioned -way. She would sweep and -bake, and was a good cook and took pride -in her housework. She and Abe were -very jolly together sometimes. They used -to sing together. There was one song I -didn’t like to hear, and he would sing it -to tease me. He would tip back his chair -and roar it out at the top of his voice, over -and over again, just for fun. I have the -book they used to sing out of yet with that -song in it.”</p> - -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[20]</a></span></p> - -<p>The book is an old-fashioned “Missouri -Harmony,” and the song is as follows:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">When in death I shall calmly recline,</div> -<div class="verse indent1">O, bear my heart to my mistress dear;</div> -<div class="verse">Tell her it lived on smiles and wine</div> -<div class="verse indent1">Of brightest hue while it lingered here;</div> -<div class="verse">Bid her not shed one tear of sorrow</div> -<div class="verse indent1">To sully a heart so brilliant and bright,</div> -<div class="verse">But healing drops of the red grape borrow</div> -<div class="verse indent1">To bathe the relick from morn till night.</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>When informed that the song was a -queer one to sing for fun, Mrs. Prewitt replied -that “it is a queer song anyhow.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_FIRST_POLITICAL_SPEECH">LINCOLN’S FIRST POLITICAL SPEECH.</h2> - -<p>A citizen of Buffalo has found among -his papers an account of the circumstances -under which Abraham Lincoln made his -maiden speech. It was originally printed -in the Springfield (Ill.) Republican, and -is as follows:</p> - -<p>“The President of the United States -made his maiden speech in Sangamon -County, at Pappsville (or Richland), in -the year 1832. He was then a Whig and -a candidate for the Legislature of this -State. The speech is sharp and sensible. -To understand why it was so short the -following facts will show: 1. Mr. Lincoln -was a young man of 23 years of age and -timid. 2. His friends and opponents in the -joint discussion had rolled the sun nearly -down. Lincoln saw it was not the proper -time then to discuss the question fully, and -hence he cut his remarks short. Probably -the other candidates had exhausted the -subjects under discussion. The time, according<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[21]</a></span> -to W. H. Herndon’s informant—who -has kindly furnished this valuable -reminiscence for us—was 1832; it may have -been 1831. The President lived at the -time with James A. Herndon, at Salem, -Sangamon County, who heard the speech, -talked about it, and knows the report to -be correct. The speech, which was characteristic -of the man, was as follows:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“‘Gentlemen, Fellow-Citizens: I presume -you all know who I am. I am humble -Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited -by my friends to become a candidate -for the Legislature. My politics are short -and sweet, like an “old woman’s dance.” -I am in favor of a national bank. I am in -favor of the international improvement -system and a high protective tariff. These -are my sentiments and political principles. -If elected, I will be thankful. If defeated, -it will be all the same.’”</p> - -</div> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HOW_LINCOLN_BECAME_KNOWN_AS">HOW LINCOLN BECAME KNOWN AS -“HONEST ABE.”</h2> - -<p>As a grocery clerk at New Salem Lincoln -was scrupulously honest. This trait -of his soon became known, but the two -following incidents are particularly responsible -for the appellation of “Honest -Abe,” given him and by which he has been -so familiarly known. He once took six -and a quarter cents too much from a customer. -He did not say to himself, “never -mind such little things,” but walked three -miles that evening, after closing his store, -to return the money. On another occasion -he weighed out a half-pound of tea, as he<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[22]</a></span> -supposed, it being night when he did so, -and that having been the last thing he sold -in the store before going home. On -entering in the morning he discovered a -four-ounce weight on the scales. He saw -his mistake, and shutting up shop, hurried -off to deliver the remainder of the tea. -These acts of his, as well as his thorough -honesty in other respects, soon gained for -him the now famous title of “Honest Abe.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_WAS_AN_OBLIGING_MAN">LINCOLN WAS AN “OBLIGING” MAN.</h2> - -<p>Lincoln was always ready to help any -man, woman, child or animal. He was -naturally kindhearted, and “possessed in -an extraordinary degree the power of entering -into the interests of others, a power -found only in reflective, unselfish natures.” -He loved his friends and sympathized with -them in their troubles. He was anxious -always to do his share in making their -labors day after day as light as possible.</p> - -<p>Thus we are told by his neighbors (biography -by Mr. Herndon and others) that -he cared for the children while on a visit to -a friend’s house; gave up his own bed in -the tavern where he was boarding when -the house was full, and slept on the counter; -helped farmers pull out the wheel of -their wagon when it got stuck in the mud; -chopped wood for the widows; rocked the -cradle while the woman of the house where -he was staying was busy getting the meal, -and otherwise made himself useful. No -wonder there was not a housewife in all -New Salem who would not gladly “put -on a plate” for Abe Lincoln, or who would<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[23]</a></span> -not darn or mend for him whenever he -needed such services. It was the “spontaneous, -unobtrusive helpfulness of the -man’s nature which endeared him to everybody.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HOW_LINCOLN_PAID_A_LARGE_DEBT">HOW LINCOLN PAID A LARGE DEBT.</h2> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln went into partnership in the -grocery business in New Salem. Ill., with -a man named Berry. This man Berry mismanaged -the business while Lincoln was -away surveying. Eventually he died, leaving -Lincoln to pay a debt of eleven -hundred dollars contracted by the firm. -In those days it was the fashion for business -men who had failed to “clear out,” -that is, skip the town and settle elsewhere. -Not so with “Abe.” He quietly settled -down among the men he owed and promised -to pay them. He asked only time. -For several years he worked to pay off -this debt, a load which he cheerfully and -manfully bore. He habitually spoke of it -to his friends as the “national debt,” it -was so heavy. As late as 1848, when he -was a member of Congress, he sent home -a part of his salary to be applied on these -obligations. All the notes, with the high -interest rates then prevailing, were finally -paid.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HIS_FIRST_SIGHT_OF_SLAVERY">HIS FIRST SIGHT OF SLAVERY.</h2> - -<p>In May, 1831, Lincoln and a few companions -went to New Orleans on a flat-boat -and remained there a month. It was -there that he witnessed for the first time -negro men and women sold like<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[24]</a></span> -animals. The poor beings were chained, -whipped and scourged. “Against this inhumanity -his sense of right and justice rebelled, -and his mind and conscience were -awakened to a realization of what he had -often heard and read,” writes one of his -biographers, Ida M. Tarbell. One morning, -in his rambles with his friends over -the city, he passed a slave auction. A -comely mulatto girl of vigorous physique -was being sold. She underwent a thorough -examination at the hands of the bidders; -they pinched her flesh, and made her -trot up and down the room like a horse to -show how she moved, and in order, as the -auctioneer said, that “bidders might satisfy -themselves” whether the article they -were offering to buy was sound or not. -“The whole thing was so revolting that -Lincoln moved away from the scene with -a deep feeling of unconquerable hate.” -He remarked to his companions: “If I -ever get a chance to hit that thing -(slavery) I’ll hit it hard.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AND_DAVIS_IN_THE_BLACK">LINCOLN AND DAVIS IN THE BLACK -HAWK WAR.</h2> - -<p>Abraham Lincoln had a very brief experience -with actual warfare. He enlisted -with a company of volunteers to take part -in the Black Hawk war. It was the custom -in those days for each company to -elect its own Captain, and Lincoln was -chosen Captain of his company almost -unanimously. He was heard to say many -times in after life that no other success -in his life had given him such pleasure<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[25]</a></span> -as did this one. His command did little, -as they were never engaged in a pitched -battle, so Lincoln had to be content “with -the reputation of being the best comrade -and story-teller in the camp.” It is -a peculiar coincidence that Jefferson Davis -also served as an officer in this war.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_GLOWING_TRIBUTE_TO_HIS">LINCOLN’S GLOWING TRIBUTE TO HIS -MOTHER.</h2> - -<p>These famous words originated with the -good and lowly Abraham Lincoln:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>“All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to -my angel mother.”</p> - -</div> - -<p>His affection for his mother was very strong, -and long after her death he would speak of her -affectionately and tearfully. She was a woman -five feet five inches in height, slender of figure, -pale of complexion, sad of expression, -and of a sensitive nature. Of a heroic nature, -she yet shrank from the rude life around -her. About two years after her removal -from Kentucky to Indiana she died. -“Abe” was then ten years old. She was -buried under a tree near the cabin home, -where little “Abe” would often betake -himself and, sitting on her lonely grave, -weep over his irreparable loss.</p> - -<p>Lincoln’s mother was buried in a green -pine box made by his father. Although a -boy of ten years at that time, it was -through his efforts that a parson came all -the way from Kentucky to Indiana three -months later to preach the sermon and -conduct the service. The child could not -rest in peace till due honor had been done -his dead mother.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[26]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="WHAT_LINCOLNS_STEP-MOTHER_SAID">WHAT LINCOLN’S STEP-MOTHER SAID -OF HIM.</h2> - -<p>“Abe was a good boy, and I can say -what scarcely one woman—a mother—can -say in a thousand: Abe never gave me a -cross word or look, and never refused, in -fact or appearance, to do anything I requested -him. I never gave him a cross -word in all my life. … His mind and -mine—what little I had—seemed to run together. -He was here after he was elected -President. He was a dutiful son to me always. -I think he loved me truly. I had -a son, John, who was raised with Abe. -Both were good boys; but I must say, both -now being dead, that Abe was the best -boy I ever saw, or expect to see.”—Ida M. -Tarbell.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_FIRST_LOVE">LINCOLN’S FIRST LOVE.</h2> - -<p>Lincoln’s first love was Anna Rutledge, -of New Salem, whose father was keeper of -the Rutledge tavern where “Abe” boarded. -The girl had been engaged to a young -man named John McNeill, whom, we are -informed, the village community pronounced -an adventurer and a man unworthy -the girl’s love. He left for the -east, promising, however, to return within -a year and claim her as his wife, so the -story reads. According to Mrs. William -Prewitt, a sister of Anna Rutledge, who is -at present (1898) living, the engagement -was broken off before McNeill went away, -so that she was free to receive the attentions -of “Abe” Lincoln. She finally -promised to become his wife in the spring<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[27]</a></span> -of 1835, soon after his return from Vandalia. -But, unfortunately, circumstances -did not permit of a marriage then, Lincoln -being barely able to support himself, not -yet having been admitted to the bar, and -the girl, being but seventeen years old. -It was agreed that she should attend an -academy at Jacksonville, Ill., and Lincoln -would devote himself to his law studies till -the next spring, when he would be admitted -to the bar, and then they would be -married.</p> - -<p>New Salem was deeply interested in the -young lovers and prophesied a happy life -for them; but fate willed it otherwise. -Anna Rutledge became seriously ill, with -an attack of brain fever, and when it was -seen that her recovery was impossible Lincoln, -her lover, was sent for. They “passed -an hour alone in an anguished parting,” -and soon after (August 25, 1835,) Anna -died.</p> - -<p>The death of his sweetheart was a terrible -blow to Lincoln. His melancholy increased -and darkened his mind and his -imagination, and tortured him with its -black picture. One stormy night he was -sitting beside a friend of his, with his head -bowed on his hand, while tears trickled -through his fingers. His friend begged -him to try to control his sorrow; to try to -forget it. Lincoln replied: “I cannot; -the thought of the snow and rain on Ann’s -grave fills me with indescribable grief.” -For many days Lincoln journeyed on foot -to the cemetery where Anna Rutledge lay -buried, and there alone, in the “city of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[28]</a></span> -dead,” wept for the girl whom he had -loved so well. Many years afterward, -when he had married and become great, -he said to a friend who questioned him: -“I really and truly loved the girl and -think often of her now.” After a pause he -added: “And I have loved the name of -Rutledge to this day.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THE_DUEL_LINCOLN_DIDNT_FIGHT">THE DUEL LINCOLN DIDN’T FIGHT.</h2> - -<p>President Abraham Lincoln and General -Joe Shields, who married sisters, once -arranged to fight a duel at Alton, Ill. It is -remembered yet by the old settlers. -Shields had offended a young lady at -Springfield, and she got even by sending -an article about it to a Springfield paper, -signing a nom de plume. The next day -General Shields called upon the editor and -gave him 24 hours during which to divulge -the name of the author or to take -the consequences. The editor, who was -a friend of Abraham Lincoln, called upon -him and asked what to do. Not thinking -it was a very serious affair, Lincoln -promptly said, “Tell him that I wrote it.” -The editor did so, and General Shields -challenged Lincoln to a duel, the latter -accepting and choosing broadswords as -the weapons and an island opposite Alton -as the place. The principals and seconds -went to the place appointed, when a chance -remark of Lincoln that he hated to have to -kill Shields because he caused him to believe -that he wrote the article in order to -protect a lady, brought about a reconciliation, -and the duel failed to come off. Hundreds<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[29]</a></span> -of people were on the bank of the -river, and to carry out a joke a log was -dressed up, placed in a skiff, the occupants -fanning it with their hats as though it was -an injured man, and the excitement was intense. -It always remained a sore spot -with Lincoln, and but little was ever said -about it.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AS_A_DANCER">LINCOLN AS A DANCER.</h2> - -<p>Lincoln made his first appearance in -society when he was first sent to Springfield, -Ill., as a member of the state legislature. -It was not an imposing figure -which he cut in a ballroom, but still he -was occasionally to be found there. -Miss Mary Todd, who afterward became -his wife, was the magnet which drew -the tall, awkward young man from his -den. One evening Lincoln approached -Miss Todd and said, in his peculiar -idiom:</p> - -<p>“Miss Todd, I should like to dance -with you the worst way.”</p> - -<p>The young woman accepted the inevitable -and hobbled around the room -with him. When she returned to her -seat, one of her companions asked mischievously:</p> - -<p>“Well, Mary, did he dance with you the -worst way?”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” she answered, “the very -worst.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_COURTSHIP_AND">LINCOLN’S COURTSHIP AND -MARRIAGE.</h2> - -<p>In 1839 Miss Mary Todd, of Kentucky, -arrived in Springfield to visit a married<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[30]</a></span> -sister, Mrs. Edwards. At the instance of -his friend Speed, who was also a Kentuckian, -Lincoln became a visitor at the -Edwards’, and before long it was apparent -to the observant among those in Springfield -that the lively young lady held him -captive. Engagements at that time and -in that neighborhood were not announced -as soon as they were made, and it is not at -all impossible that Miss Todd and Mr. -Lincoln were betrothed many months before -any other than Mrs. Edwards and Mr. -Speed knew of it.</p> - -<p>At this time, as was the case till Lincoln -was elected to the presidency, his one -special rival in Illinois was Stephen A. -Douglas. Mr. Douglas had more of the -social graces than Mr. Lincoln, and it appeared -to him that nothing would be more -interesting than to cut out his political -rival in the affections of the entertaining -and lively Miss Todd, and so he paid her -court.</p> - -<p>A spirited young lady from Kentucky -at that time in Illinois would have been -almost less than human if she had refused -to accept the attentions of the two leading -men of the locality. Therefore Miss Todd, -being quite human, encouraged Douglas, -and again there was what nowadays would -have been called a flirtation. This course -of action did not spur Lincoln on in his -devotion, but made him less ardent, and he -concluded, after much self worriment, to -break off the engagement, which he did, -but at the same interview there was a -reconciliation and a renewal of the engagement.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[31]</a></span></p> - -<p>Lincoln’s marriage to Mary Todd occurred -in Springfield, Ill., at the home of -Mr. M. W. Edwards, where Miss Todd -lived. She was the belle of Springfield. -The marriage, although hastily arranged -in the end, was perhaps the first one performed -in that city with all the requirements -of the Episcopal ceremony. Rev. -Charles Dresser officiated. Among the -many friends of Lincoln who were present -was Thomas C. Brown, one of the judges -of the state supreme court. He was a -blunt, outspoken man and an old timer.</p> - -<p>Parson Dresser was attired in full -canonical robes and recited the service -with much impressive solemnity. He -handed Lincoln the ring, who, placing it -on the bride’s finger, repeated the church -formula, “With this ring I thee endow -with all my goods and chattels, lands -and tenements.”</p> - -<p>Judge Brown, who had never before -witnessed such a ceremony, and looked -upon it as utterly absurd, ejaculated, in a -tone loud enough to be heard by all, “God -Almighty, Lincoln, the statute fixes all -that!” This unexpected interruption almost -upset the old parson, who had a keen -sense of the ridiculous, but he quickly recovered -his gravity and hastily pronounced -the couple man and wife.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_PERSONAL_APPEARANCE">LINCOLN’S PERSONAL APPEARANCE.</h2> - -<p>That Lincoln was a man of extraordinary -personal appearance is well -known. He measured six feet four inches, -and as most men are below six feet it will -be seen that he was considerably taller<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[32]</a></span> -than the average. He possessed great -strength, both bodily and mental, and had -a superabundance of patience, which he -displayed constantly, and treated even -those who differed with him with respect -and kindness. One who had sustained -close relations with Lincoln and knew him -intimately, the late Charles A. Dana, in -his Reminiscences of Abraham Lincoln, -published in McClure’s Magazine, thus describes -him:</p> - -<p>“Mr. Lincoln’s face was thin, and his -features were large. He had black hair, -heavy eyebrows, and a square and well -developed forehead. His complexion was -dark and quite sallow. He had a smile -that was most lovely, surpassing even a -woman’s smile in its engaging quality. -When pleased his face would light up -very pleasantly. Some have said he was -awkward in his step. The word ‘awkward’ -hardly fits, because there was such -a charm and beauty about his expression, -such good humor and friendly spirit looking -from his eyes, that one looking at -him never thought whether he was awkward -or graceful. His whole personality -at once caused you to think, ‘What a -kindly character this man has!’ Always -dignified in manner, he was benevolent -and benignant, always wishing to do -somebody some good if he could. He -was all solid, hard, keen intelligence combined -with goodness.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_MOTHER">LINCOLNS’ MOTHER.</h2> - -<p>Not long before his tragic death, Mr. -Lincoln said: “All that I am, and all that<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[33]</a></span> -I hope to be, I owe to my mother.” That -mother died when little Abe was nine -years of age. But she had already woven -the texture of her deepest character into -the habits and purposes of her boy. Her -own origin had been humble. But there -were certain elements in her character that -prepared her for grand motherhood. -When Nancy Hanks, at the age of twenty-three, -gave her heart and hand to Thomas -Lincoln, she was a young woman of -large trustfulness, of loving, unselfish disposition, -of profound faith in Divine Providence, -of unswerving Christian profession.</p> - -<p>On the day of their marriage Thomas -Lincoln took this young wife to his unfinished -cabin, which had as yet neither -door, floor, nor window. The young man -was a shiftless Kentucky hunter, who -could not read a word. He was handy -with his few carpenter tools, but had received -no encouragement to keep at work. -His happy, trusting wife assisted him to -finish the cabin. He mortared the chinks -with mud which they together had mixed. -Her hope and song made the work of the -day his happy employ. In the evening -she taught him to read, spelling the words -out of her Bible as the text book, which -served her double purpose.</p> - -<p>From that day Thomas Lincoln was a -new man. It was this conscientious wife -that inspired him to move across the Ohio -into the free State of Indiana. Here Lincoln -soon became a justice of the peace. -When this wife died, only twelve years<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[34]</a></span> -after their marriage, Thomas Lincoln had -been transformed from the shiftless hunter, -who could not read, to an intelligent -farmer of the largest influence of any man -in his township. Little Abe had been -taught to read out of that same Bible, and -had read out of that mother’s eyes and -voice her large trust in the overshadowing -Providence and her unswerving honesty -in doing the right. It was this woman -that put into his hands the fine books—the -Bible, Pilgrim’s Progress, Æsop’s -Fables, Robinson Crusoe, and Weems’s -Life of Washington.</p> - -<p>Such was the mother that started Abraham -Lincoln. “Widow Johnston,” who -became his stepmother, was a good woman, -with whom he always maintained -the kindest relations. She deserved the -honorable mention she received.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_MELANCHOLIA">LINCOLN’S MELANCHOLIA.</h2> - -<p>A friend of Lincoln writes: Lincoln’s -periods of melancholy are proverbial. On -one occasion, while in court in 1855, Maj. -H. C. Whitney describes him as “sitting -alone in one corner of the room remote -from any one else, wrapped in abstraction -and gloom. It was a sad but interesting -study for me, and I watched him for some -time. It appeared as if he were pursuing -in his mind some sad subject through -various sinuosities, and his face would assume -at times the deepest phases of seeming -pain, but no relief came from this -dark and despairing melancholy till he -was roused by the breaking up of court, -when he emerged from his cave of gloom<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[35]</a></span> -and came back, like one awakened from -sleep, to the world in which he lived -again.” As early as 1837 Robert L. Wilson, -who was his colleague in the legislature, -testifies that Lincoln admitted to -him that, although he appeared to enjoy -life rapturously, still he was the victim -of extreme melancholy, and that he was so -overcome at times by depression of spirits -that he never dared carry a pocketknife.</p> - -<p>To physicians he was something of a -physiological puzzle. John T. Stuart insisted -that his digestion was organically -defective, so that the pores of his skin -oftentimes performed the functions of the -bowels; that his liver operated abnormally -and failed to secrete bile, and that these -things themselves were sufficient in his -opinion to produce the deepest mental depression -and melancholy.</p> - -<p>Lincoln’s law partner, Mr. Herndon, attributed -Lincoln’s melancholy to the death -of Anna Rutledge, believing that his grief -at her untimely death was so intense that -it cast a perpetual shadow over his mental -horizon. Another believed that it arose -from his domestic environments; that his -family relations were far from pleasant, -and that that unhappy feature of his life -was a constant menace to his peace and -perfect equipoise of spirits. “Although -married,” says one, “he was not mated, so -that if we see him come into his office in -the morning eating cheese and bologna -sausages philosophically, what can we expect -but some periods of sadness and -gloom? Emerson, who you and I hold<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[36]</a></span> -in high esteem, had pie for breakfast all -his married life, and in my opinion that -is what clouded his memory the rest of his -life after seventy years of age.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_HEIGHT">LINCOLN’S HEIGHT.</h2> - -<p>Emma Gurley Adams in the New York -Press.</p> - -<p>Sir:—The admirable speech of Hon. -Thomas B. Reed in your paper of Feb. 9 -contains one error which I would like to -correct. Mr. Reed says Mr. Lincoln was -six feet four inches in height. Mr. Lincoln -told my father that he was exactly -six feet three inches only a short time before -his tragic death. Mr. Lincoln was -very fond of tall men, and generally knew -their exact height and never hesitated to -say: “I am exactly six feet three.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HOW_LINCOLN_BECAME_A_LAWYER">HOW LINCOLN BECAME A LAWYER.</h2> - -<p>That Lincoln was a skilled lawyer is -well known. It is not, however, generally -known that he learned law himself, never -having studied with anyone, or having attended -any law school. He was preëminently -a self-educated man. He borrowed -law books of his friend Stuart, of -Springfield, Ill., took them home (twenty -miles away) and studied them hard. He -walked all the way to Springfield and -back, and usually read while walking. He -often read aloud during these trips. -Twenty years afterward, while he was a -great lawyer and statesman, he gave this -advice to a young man who asked him -“how he could become a great lawyer.” -“Get books, and read and study them<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[37]</a></span> -carefully. Begin with Blackstone’s ‘Commentaries,’ -and after reading carefully -through, say twice, take up Chitty’s ‘Pleadings,’ -Greenleaf’s ‘Evidence,’ and Story’s -‘Equity,’ in succession. Work, work, work -is the main thing.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AS_A_LAWYER">LINCOLN AS A LAWYER.</h2> - -<p>When Lincoln became a lawyer, he -carried to the bar his habitual honesty. -His associates were often surprised by his -utter disregard of self-interest, while they -could but admire his conscientious defense -of what he considered right. One -day a stranger called to secure his services.</p> - -<p>“State your case,” said Lincoln.</p> - -<p>A history of the case was given, when -Lincoln astonished him by saying:</p> - -<p>“I cannot serve you; for you are wrong, -and the other party is right.”</p> - -<p>“That is none of your business, if I -hire and pay you for taking the case,” retorted -the man.</p> - -<p>“Not my business!” exclaimed Lincoln. -“My business is never to defend wrong, if -I am a lawyer. I never undertake a case -that is manifestly wrong.”</p> - -<p>“Well, you can make trouble for the -fellow,” added the applicant.</p> - -<p>“Yes,” replied Lincoln, fully aroused, -“there is no doubt but that I can gain -the case for you, and set a whole neighborhood -at loggerhead. I can distress a -widowed mother and her six fatherless -children, and thereby get for you six -hundred dollars, which rightly belongs as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[38]</a></span> -much to the woman and her children as it -does to you; but I won’t do it.”</p> - -<p>“Not for any amount of pay?” continued -the stranger.</p> - -<p>“Not for all you are worth,” replied Lincoln. -“You must remember that some -things which are legally right are not -morally right. I shall not take your -case.”</p> - -<p>“I don’t care a snap whether you do or -not!” exclaimed the man angrily, starting -to go.</p> - -<p>“I will give you a piece of advice without -charge,” added Lincoln. “You seem -to be a sprightly, energetic man; I would -advise you to make six hundred dollars -some other way.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_CONSCIENTIOUSNESS_IN">LINCOLN’S CONSCIENTIOUSNESS IN -TAKING CASES.</h2> - -<p>Even as early as 1852 Lincoln had acquired -a reputation for story telling. -When not busy during the session of the -court he was “habitually whispering stories -to his neighbors, frequently to the annoyance -of Judge Davis, who presided over -the Eighth circuit.” If Lincoln persisted -too long the judge would rap on the chair -and exclaim: “Come, come, Mr. Lincoln; -I can’t stand this! There is no use trying -to carry on two courts. I must adjourn -mine or yours, and I think you will have -to be the one.” As soon as the group had -scattered the judge would call one of the -men to him and ask: “What was that Lincoln -was telling?”</p> - -<p>In his law practice Lincoln seems to -have been singularly conscientious, his<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[39]</a></span> -first effort being to try to arrange matters -so as to avoid litigation. Nor would he -assume a case that he felt was not founded -upon right and justice.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THE_JURY_UNDERSTOOD">THE JURY UNDERSTOOD.</h2> - -<p>Another one of these anecdotes is related -in connection with a case involving -a bodily attack. Mr. Lincoln defended, -and told the jury that his client was in the -fix of a man who, in going along the highway -with a pitchfork over his shoulder, -was attacked by a fierce dog that ran out -at him from a farmer’s door-yard. In parrying -off the brute with the fork its prongs -stuck into him and killed him.</p> - -<p>“What made you kill my dog?” said the -farmer.</p> - -<p>“What made him bite me?”</p> - -<p>“But why did you not go after him with -the other end of the pitchfork?”</p> - -<p>“Why did he not come at me with his -other end?” At this Mr. Lincoln whirled -about in his long arms an imaginary dog -and pushed his tail end towards the jury. -This was the defensive plea of “Son assault -demesne”—loosely, that “The other -fellow brought on the fight”—quickly told -and in a way the dullest mind would grasp -and retain.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_HONESTY_WITH_A_LADY">LINCOLN’S HONESTY WITH A LADY -CLIENT.</h2> - -<p>A lady who had a real estate claim which -she desired prosecuted once called on Lincoln -and wished him to take up her case. -She left the claim in his hands, together -with a check for two hundred dollars as<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[40]</a></span> -a retaining fee. Lincoln told her to call -the next day, and meanwhile he would examine -her claim.</p> - -<p>Upon presenting herself the next day -the lady was informed that he had examined -the case carefully, and told her frankly -that she had no valid or legal grounds -on which to base her claim. He therefore -could not advise her to institute legal -proceedings. The lady was satisfied, and -thanking him, rose to leave.</p> - -<p>“Wait,” said Lincoln, at the same time -fumbling in his vest pocket, “here is the -check you left with me.”</p> - -<p>“But, Mr. Lincoln, I think you have -earned that,” replied the lady.</p> - -<p>“No, no,” he responded, handing it -back to her, “that would not be right. -I can’t take pay for doing my duty.”—From -Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_WINS_A_CELEBRATED_CASE">LINCOLN WINS A CELEBRATED CASE.</h2> - -<p>The son of Lincoln’s old friend and -former employer, who had loaned him -books, was charged with a murder committed -in a riot at a camp-meeting. Lincoln -volunteered for the defense.</p> - -<p>A witness swore that he saw the prisoner -strike the fatal blow. It was night, but -he swore that the full moon was shining -clear, and he saw everything distinctly. -The case seemed hopeless, but Lincoln -produced an almanac, and showed that at -that hour there was no moon. “Then he -depicted the crime of perjury with such -eloquence that the false witness fled the -court house.”</p> - -<p>One who heard the trial says: “It was<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[41]</a></span> -near night when Lincoln concluded, saying, -‘If justice was done, before the sun -set it would shine upon his client a free -man.’”</p> - -<p>The court charged the jury; they returned -and brought in a verdict of “not -guilty.” The prisoner fell into his weeping -mother’s arms, says the writer, and -then turned to thank Lincoln. The latter, -looking out at the sun, said: “It is not -yet sundown, and you are free.”—From -Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_SELFISHNESS">LINCOLN’S “SELFISHNESS.”</h2> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln once remarked to a fellow-passenger -on the old-time mud-wagon -coach, on the corduroy road which antedated -railroads, that all men were -prompted by selfishness in doing good or -evil. His fellow-passenger was antagonizing -his position when they were passing -over a corduroy bridge that spanned a -slough. As they crossed this bridge, and -the mud-wagon was shaking like a sucker -with chills, they espied an old, razor-back -sow on the bank of the slough, making -a terrible noise because her pigs had got -into the slough and were unable to get -out and in danger of drowning. As the -old coach began to climb the hillside Mr. -Lincoln called out: “Driver, can’t you -stop just a moment?” The driver replied. -“If the other feller don’t object.” The -“other feller”—who was no less a personage -than, at that time, “Col.” E. D. Baker, -the gallant general who gave his life in -defense of old glory at Ball’s Bluff—did -not “object,” when Mr. Lincoln jumped<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[42]</a></span> -out, ran back to the slough and began to -lift the little pigs out of the mud and water -and place them on the bank. When he -returned Col. Baker remarked: “Now, -Abe, where does selfishness come in in -this little episode?” “Why, bless your -soul, Ed, that was the very essence of -selfishness. I would have had no peace -of mind all day had I gone on and left -that suffering old sow worrying over those -pigs. I did it to get peace of mind, don’t -you see?”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_REMOVES_A_LICENSE_ON">LINCOLN REMOVES A LICENSE ON -THEATRES.</h2> - -<p>One of the most interesting anecdotes -about the beloved Lincoln is the one -quoted from Joe Jefferson’s autobiography. -Jefferson and his father were playing -at Springfield during the session of -the legislature, and, as there was no -theaters in town, had gone to the expense -of building one. Hardly had this been -done when a religious revival broke out. -The church people condemned the theater -and prevailed upon the authorities to impose -a license which was practically prohibition.</p> - -<p>“In the midst of our trouble,” says Jefferson, -“a young lawyer called on the -managers. He had heard of the injustice -and offered, if they would place the matter -in his hands, to have the license taken off, -men then in vogue he remarked how much -declaring that he only desired to see fair -play, and he would accept no fee whether -he failed or succeeded. The young lawyer -began his harangue. He handled the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[43]</a></span> -subject with tact, skill and humor, tracing -the history of the drama from the time -when Thespis acted in a cart to the stage -of to-day. He illustrated his speech with -a number of anecdotes and kept the council -in a roar of laughter. His good humor -prevailed and the exorbitant tax was taken -off. The young lawyer was Lincoln.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HOW_LINCOLN_GOT_THE_WORST_OF">HOW LINCOLN GOT THE WORST OF -A HORSE TRADE.</h2> - -<p>Abraham Lincoln was fond of a good -story, and it is a well-known fact that -he often illustrated an important point in -the business at hand by resorting to his -favorite pastime. Probably one of the best -he ever told he related of himself when -he was a lawyer in Illinois. One day -Lincoln and a certain judge, who was an -intimate friend of his, were bantering each -other about horses, a favorite topic of -theirs. Finally Lincoln said:</p> - -<p>“Well, look here. Judge, I’ll tell you -what I’ll do. I’ll make a horse trade with -you, only it must be upon these stipulations: -Neither party shall see the other’s -horse until it is produced here in the -court yard of the hotel, and both parties -must trade horses. If either party backs -out of the agreement, he does so under a -forfeiture of $25.”</p> - -<p>“Agreed,” cried the judge, and both he -and Lincoln went in quest of their respective -animals.</p> - -<p>A crowd gathered, anticipating some -fun, and when the judge returned first, the -laugh was uproarious. He led, or rather -dragged, at the end of a halter the meanest,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[44]</a></span> -boniest, rib-staring quadruped—blind -in both eyes—that ever pressed turf. But -presently Lincoln came along carrying -over his shoulder a carpenter’s horse. -Then the mirth of the crowd was furious. -Lincoln solemnly set his horse down, and -silently surveyed the judge’s animal with -a comical look of infinite disgust.</p> - -<p>“Well, Judge,” he finally said, “this is -the first time I ever got the worst of it -in a horse trade.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_HELPED_HIM_TO_WIN">LINCOLN HELPED HIM TO WIN.</h2> - -<p>His first case at the bar will never be -forgotten by ex-Senator John C. S. Blackburn, -of Kentucky, for Abraham Lincoln -played a conspicuous part in helping the -young Kentuckian to win his suit. Lincoln -was merely an attorney, waiting for -one of his cases to be called, when the -incident occurred.</p> - -<p>Ex-Senator Blackburn was but 20 years -old when he began the practice of law, -having graduated at Center College, Danville, -Ky. His first case was in the United -States court in Chicago, presided over by -Justice John McLean, then on the circuit, -says the Chicago Times-Herald. The opposing -counsel was Isaac N. Arnold, then -at the head of the Chicago bar, and subsequently -a member of congress and author -of the first biography of Lincoln. Young -Blackburn had filed a demurrer to Mr. -Arnold’s pleadings in the cause, and when -the case was reached on the calendar the -young Kentuckian was quite nervous at -having such a formidable and experienced -antagonist, while the dignity of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[45]</a></span> -tribunal and the presence of a large number -of eminent lawyers in court served to -increase his timidity and embarrassment. -In truth, the stripling barrister was willing -to have any disposition made of the cause, -in order to get rid of the burden of embarrassment -and “stage fright.” He was -ready to adopt any suggestion the opposing -counsel should make.</p> - -<p>Arnold made an argument in which he -criticized the demurrer in a manner that -increased the young lawyer’s confusion. -However, Blackburn knew that he had to -make some kind of an effort. He proceeded -with a few remarks, weak and bewildering, -and was about to sit down -when a tall, homely, loose-jointed man -sitting in the bar arose and addressed the -court in behalf of the position the young -Kentuckian had assumed in a feeble and -tangled argument, making the points so -clear that the court sustained the demurrer.</p> - -<p>Blackburn did not know who his volunteer -friend was, and Mr. Arnold got up -and sought to rebuke the latter for attempting -to interfere in the case, which he -had nothing to do with. This volunteer -was none other than Abraham Lincoln, -and this was the first and last time the -Kentuckian ever saw the “rail-splitting -President.” In replying to Mr. Arnold’s -strictures, Mr. Lincoln said he claimed -the privilege of giving a young lawyer a -helping hand when struggling with his -first case, especially when he was pitted -against an experienced practitioner.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[46]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_SETTLES_A_QUARREL_WITHOUT">LINCOLN SETTLES A QUARREL WITHOUT -GOING TO LAW.</h2> - -<p>When Abe Lincoln used to be drifting -around the country practicing law in Fulton -and Menard counties, Illinois, an old -fellow met him going to Lewistown, riding -a horse which, while it was a serviceable -enough an animal, was not of the kind -to be truthfully called a fine saddler. It -was a weather-beaten nag, patient and -plodding and it toiled along with Abe—and -Abe’s books, tucked away in saddle-bags, -lay heavy on the horse’s flank.</p> - -<p>“Hello, Uncle Tommy,” said Abe. -“Hello, Abe,” responded Uncle Tommy. -“I’m powerful glad to see ye, Abe, fer I’m -gwyne to have sumthin’ fer ye at Lewiston -cot, I reckon.”</p> - -<p>“How’s that, Uncle Tommy?” said -Abe.</p> - -<p>“Well, Jim Adams, his land runs long -o’ mine, he’s pesterin’ me a heap an’ I -got to get the law on Jim, I reckon.”</p> - -<p>“Uncle Tommy, you haven’t had any -fights with Jim, have you?”</p> - -<p>“No.”</p> - -<p>“He’s a fair to middling neighbor, -isn’t he?”</p> - -<p>“Only tollable, Abe.”</p> - -<p>“He’s been a neighbor of yours for a -long time, hasn’t he?”</p> - -<p>“Nigh on to fifteen year.”</p> - -<p>“Part of the time you get along all right, -don’t you?”</p> - -<p>“I reckon we do, Abe.”</p> - -<p>“Well, now, Uncle Tommy, you see -this horse of mine? He isn’t as good a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[47]</a></span> -horse as I could straddle, and I sometimes -get out of patience with him, but I -know his faults. He does fairly well as -horses go, and it might take me a long -time to get used to some other horse’s -faults. For all horses have faults. You -and Uncle Jimmy must put up with each -other as I and my horse do with one -another.”</p> - -<p>“I reckon, Abe,” said Uncle Tommy, as -he bit off about four ounces of Missouri -plug. “I reckon you’re about right.”</p> - -<p>And Abe Lincoln, with a smile on his -gaunt face, rode on toward Lewistown.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="A_LINCOLN_STORY_ABOUT_LITTLE_DAN">A LINCOLN STORY ABOUT LITTLE DAN -WEBSTER’S SOILED HANDS.</h2> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln, on one occasion narrated -to Hon. Mr. Odell and others, with much -zest, the following story about young -Daniel Webster:</p> - -<p>When quite young, at school, Daniel -was one day guilty of a gross violation of -the rules. He was detected in the act, and -called up by the teacher for punishment. -This was to be the old-fashioned “feruling” -of the hand. His hands happened to -be very dirty. Knowing this, on his way -to the teacher’s desk, he spit upon the -palm of his right hand, wiping it off upon -the side of his pantaloons.</p> - -<p>“Give me your hand, sir,” said the -teacher, very sternly.</p> - -<p>Out went the right hand, partly cleaned. -The teacher looked at it a moment and -said:</p> - -<p>“Daniel! if you will find another hand<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[48]</a></span> -in this school-room as filthy as that, I will -let you off this time!”</p> - -<p>Instantly from behind his back came the -left hand. “Here it is, sir,” was the ready -reply.</p> - -<p>“That will do,” said the teacher, “for -this time; you can take your seat, sir.”—From -Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_LONG_LIMBS_DRIVE_A_MAN">LINCOLN’S LONG LIMBS DRIVE A MAN -OUT OF HIS BERTH.</h2> - -<p>There was one story of his career that -the late George M. Pullman told with manifest -delight, which is thus related by an -intimate friend.</p> - -<p>One night going out of Chicago, a long, -lean, ugly man, with a wart on his cheek, -came into the depot. He paid George M. -Pullman 50 cents, and half a berth was -assigned him. Then he took off his coat -and vest and hung them up, and they -fitted the peg about as well as they fitted -him. Then he kicked off his boots, which -were of surprising length, turned into the -berth, and, having an easy conscience, was -sleeping like a healthy baby before the -car left the depot. Along came another -passenger and paid his 50 cents. In two -minutes he was back at George Pullman.</p> - -<p>“There’s a man in that berth of mine,” -said he, hotly, “and he’s about ten feet -high. How am I going to sleep there, I’d -like to know? Go and look at him.”</p> - -<p>In went Pullman—mad, too. The tall, -lank man’s knees were under his chin, his -arms were stretched across the bed and -his feet were stored comfortably—for him.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[49]</a></span> -Pullman shook him until he awoke, and -then told him if he wanted the whole -berth he would have to pay $1.</p> - -<p>“My dear sir,” said the tall man, “a -contract is a contract. I have paid you -50 cents for half this berth, and, as you -see, I’m occupying it. There’s the other -half,” pointing to a strip about six inches -wide. “Sell that and don’t disturb me -again.” And, so saying, the man with a -wart on his face went to sleep again. He -was Abraham Lincoln.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_JOKE_ON_DOUGLAS">LINCOLN’S JOKE ON DOUGLAS.</h2> - -<p>On one occasion, when Lincoln and -Douglas were “stumping” the State of -Illinois together as political opponents, -Douglas, who had the first speech, remarked -that in early life, his father, who -he said was an excellent cooper by trade, -apprenticed him out to learn the cabinet -business.</p> - -<p>This was too good for Lincoln to let -pass, so when his turn came to reply, he -said:</p> - -<p>“I had understood before that Mr. -Douglas had been bound out to learn the -cabinet-making business, which is all well -enough, but I was not aware until now -that his father was a cooper. I have no -doubt, however, that he was one, and I am -certain, also, that he was a very good one, -for (here Lincoln gently bowed toward -Douglas) he has made one of the best -whisky casks I have ever seen.”</p> - -<p>As Douglas was a short heavy-set man, -and occasionally imbibed, the pith of the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[50]</a></span> -joke was at once apparent, and most -heartily enjoyed by all.</p> - -<p>On another occasion, Douglas in one of -his speeches, made a strong point against -Lincoln by telling the crowd that when -he first knew Mr. Lincoln he was a -“grocery-keeper,” and sold whisky, cigars, -etc. “Mr. L.,” he said, “was a very good -bar-tender!” This brought the laugh on -Lincoln, whose reply, however, soon -came, and then the laugh was on the -other side.</p> - -<p>“What Mr. Douglas has said, gentlemen,” -replied Mr. Lincoln, “is true -enough; I did keep a grocery and I did -sell cotton, candles and cigars, and sometimes -whisky; but I remember in those -days that Mr. Douglas was one of my best -customers.</p> - -<p>“Many a time have I stood on one side -of the counter and sold whisky to Mr. -Douglas on the other side, but the difference -between us now is this: I have -left my side of the counter, but Mr. Douglas -still sticks to his as tenaciously as -ever!”—From Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. -McClure.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_SHREWDLY_TRAPS_DOUGLAS">LINCOLN SHREWDLY TRAPS DOUGLAS.</h2> - -<p>Perhaps no anecdote ever told of Mr. -Lincoln illustrates more forcibly his -“longheadedness” in laying plans, not -even that incident when he asked the -“Jedge” a question in his debate with Mr. -Douglas, which may be told as follows:</p> - -<p>One afternoon during that joint debate -Mr. Lincoln was sitting with his friends, -planning the program, when he was observed<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[51]</a></span> -to go off in a kind of reverie, and -for some time appeared totally oblivious -of everything around him. Then slowly -bringing his right hand up, holding it a -moment in the air and then letting it fall -with a quick slap upon his thigh, he -said:</p> - -<p>“There, I am going to ask the ‘jedge’ -(he always called him the ‘jedge’) a -question to-night, and I don’t care the -ghost of a continental which way he -answers it. If he answers it one way -he will lose the senatorship. If he answers -it the other way it will lose him -the Presidency.”</p> - -<p>No one asked him what the question -was: but that evening it was the turn for -Mr. Douglas to speak first, and right in -the midst of his address, all at once Mr. -Lincoln roused up as if a new thought had -suddenly struck him, and said:</p> - -<p>“Jedge, will you allow me to ask you -one question?”</p> - -<p>“Certainly,” said Mr. Douglas.</p> - -<p>“Suppose, Jedge, there was a new town -or colony just started in some Western -territory; and suppose there were precisely -100 householders—voters—there; -and suppose, Jedge, that ninety-nine did -not want slavery and one did. What would -be done about it?”</p> - -<p>Judge Douglas beat about the bush, -but failed to give a direct answer.</p> - -<p>“No, no, Jedge, that won’t do. Tell -us plainly what will be done about it?”</p> - -<p>Again Douglas tried to evade, but Lincoln -would not be put off, and he insisted<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[52]</a></span> -that a direct answer should be -given. At last Douglas admitted that the -majority would have their way by some -means or other.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln said no more. He had secured -what he wanted. Douglas had answered -the question as Illinois people -would have answered it, and he got the -Senatorship. But that answer was not -satisfactory to the people of the south. -In 1860 the Charleston convention split in -two factions and “it lost him the Presidency,” -and it made Abraham Lincoln -President.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_FAIRNESS_IN_DEBATE">LINCOLN’S FAIRNESS IN DEBATE.</h2> - -<p>The first time I met Mr. Lincoln was -during his contest with Douglas. I was a -young clergyman in a small Illinois country -town. I was almost a stranger there -when Lincoln was announced to make a -speech. I went to the hall, got a seat well -forward and asked a neighbor to point out -Mr. Lincoln when he came in. “You -won’t have no trouble knowin’ him when -he comes,” said my friend, and I didn’t. -Soon a tall, gaunt man came down the -aisle and was greeted with hearty applause.</p> - -<p>I was specially impressed with the fairness -and honesty of the man. He began -by stating Douglas’ points as fully and -fairly as Douglas could have done. It -struck me that he even overdid it in his -anxiety to put his opponent’s argument in -the most attractive form. But then he -went at those arguments and answered -them so convincingly that there was nothing -more to be said.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[53]</a></span></p> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln’s manner so charmed me -that I asked to meet him after the address, -and learning that he was to be in town -the next day attending court I invited him -to dine with me. He came, and we had an -interesting visit.</p> - -<p>The thing that most impressed me was -his reverence for learning. Recently come -from divinity studies, I was full of books, -and he was earnest in drawing me out -about them. He was by no means ignorant -of literature, but as a man of affairs -naturally he had not followed new -things nor studied in the lines I had. -Philosophy interested him particularly, -and after we had talked about some of the -men then in vogue he remarked how much -he felt the need of reading and what a -loss it was to a man not to have grown up -among books.</p> - -<p>“Men of force,” I answered, “can get on -pretty well without books. They do their -own thinking instead of adopting what -other men think.”</p> - -<p>“Yes,” said Mr. Lincoln, “but books -serve to show a man that those original -thoughts of his aren’t very new, after all.”</p> - -<p>I met Mr. Lincoln several times later, -the next time a long while after in another -place. I thought he would have forgotten -me, but he knew me on sight and -asked in the gentlest way possible about -my wife, who had been ill when he came -to see us. But of all my memories of Lincoln -the one that stands out strongest was -his interest in poetry and theology. He -loved the things of the spirit.—A Clergyman.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[54]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_ASKED_HIS_FRIENDS_HELP">LINCOLN ASKED HIS FRIEND’S HELP -FOR THE UNITED STATES SENATE.</h2> - -<p>One of the most valued possessions of -the Gillespie family of Edwardsville, Ill., -is a package of old letters, the paper -stained by time and the ink faded, but -each missive rendered invaluable, to them -at least, by the well-known signature of -Abraham Lincoln which adorns it. These -letters, so carefully preserved, are nearly -all of a political nature, and are addressed -to Hon. Joseph Gillespie, before the war -one of the leading politicians of Illinois, a -famous stump speaker, several times -member of the legislature, and for many -years one of Lincoln’s most intimate political -friends. The correspondence covers -a period of about ten years, from 1849 -to 1858, and the most interesting feature -of this period, so far as Lincoln was concerned, -was his unsuccessful effort to be -elected to the United States senate. Probably -the first intimation of his ambition in -this direction was conveyed to Mr. Gillespie -in the following letter, the original of -which is now in the possession of the -Missouri Historical Association, having -been presented to that society by Mr. -Gillespie in 1876. A copy, however, forms -part of the family collection. It reads:</p> - -<p>“Springfield, Ill., December 1, 1854.—(J. -Gillespie, Esq.)—Dear Sir: I have -really got it into my head to be United -States senator, and if I could have your -support my chances would be reasonably -good. But I know and acknowledge that -you have as just claims to the place as I<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[55]</a></span> -have; and, therefore, I cannot ask you to -yield to me if you are thinking of becoming -a candidate yourself. If, however, -you are not, then I would like to be remembered -by you; and also to have you -make a mark for me with the anti-Nebraska -members down your way. If you -know, and have no objection to tell, let -me know whether Trumbull intends to -make a push. If he does I suppose the -two men in St. Clair, and one or both in -Madison, will be for him.</p> - -<p>“We have the legislature clearly enough -on joint ballot, but the senate is very close, -and Cullom told me to-day that the Nebraska -men will stave off the election if -they can. Even if we get into joint vote -we shall have difficulty to unite our forces. -Please write me and let this be confidential. -Your friend as ever.</p> - -<p class="right">“A. LINCOLN.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="MAKING_LINCOLN_PRESENTABLE">MAKING LINCOLN PRESENTABLE.</h2> - -<p>In narrating “When Lincoln Was First -Inaugurated,” Stephen Fiske tells of Mrs. -Lincoln’s efforts to have her husband look -presentable when receiving a delegation -that was to greet them upon reaching New -York City.</p> - -<p>“The train stopped,” writes Mr. Fiske, -“and through the windows immense -crowds could be seen; the cheering -drowning the blowing off of steam of the -locomotive. Then Mrs. Lincoln opened -her hand bag and said:</p> - -<p>“‘Abraham, I must fix you up a bit for -these city folks.’</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[56]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Mr. Lincoln gently lifted her upon the -seat before him; she parted, combed and -brushed his hair and arranged his black -necktie.</p> - -<p>“‘Do I look nice now, mother?’ he affectionately -asked.</p> - -<p>“‘Well, you’ll do, Abraham,’ replied -Mrs. Lincoln critically. So he kissed her -and lifted her down from the seat, and -turned to meet Mayor Wood, courtly and -suave, and to have his hand shaken by the -other New York officials.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="EVIDENCE_OF_LINCOLNS_RELIGIOUS">EVIDENCE OF LINCOLN’S RELIGIOUS -BELIEF.</h2> - -<p>There has been much controversy over -Lincoln’s religious beliefs, many claiming -that he was a deist while others have -sought to prove that he was an infidel. -Although never a member of any church, -there is much documentary as well as corroborative -evidence which show him to -have been a believer in Providence; and -in his parting address to his Springfield -neighbors, when leaving for Washington, -he said:</p> - -<p>“Washington would never have succeeded -except for the aid of Divine Providence, -upon which he at all times relied. -I feel that I cannot succeed without the -same Divine blessing which sustained him; -and on the same Almighty Being I place -my reliance for support. And I hope you, -my friends, will all pray that I may receive -that Divine assistance, without which -I cannot succeed, but with which success -is certain.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[57]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_A_TEMPERANCE_MAN">LINCOLN A TEMPERANCE MAN.</h2> - -<p>After his nomination for the Presidency -at the Republican convention of Chicago, -a committee visited him in Springfield and -gave him official notification of his nomination.</p> - -<p>The ceremony over, Lincoln informed -the company that custom demanded that -he should treat them with something to -drink. He thereupon opened a door that -led into a room in the rear and called a -girl servant. When she appeared Lincoln -spoke something to her in an undertone, -and returned to his guests. In a few -minutes the girl appeared, bearing a large -waiter, containing several glass tumblers, -and a large pitcher in the midst, which she -placed upon the table.</p> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln arose and gravely addressing -the company, said: “Gentlemen, we -must pledge our mutual healths in the -most healthy beverage which God has -given to man: it is the only beverage I -have ever used or allowed in my family, -and I cannot conscientiously depart from -it on the present occasion. It is pure -Adam’s ale from the spring.” So saying -he took a tumbler, touched it to his lips -and pledged them his highest respects in a -cup of cold water. Of course all his -guests were constrained to admire his consistency, -and to join in his example.—From -Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_FAMOUS_GETTYSBURG">LINCOLN’S FAMOUS GETTYSBURG -ADDRESS.</h2> - -<p>Speaking of the dedication of the National -Cemetery at Gettysburg and President<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[58]</a></span> -Lincoln’s famous address, delivered -on that occasion, Nov. 19, 1863, Gov. Curtain, -of Pennsylvania, said that there had -been much discussion as to how and when -that address was written, and he continued:</p> - -<p>“I can tell you all about that. Of -course I was there, and the President and -his cabinet had arrived and were at the -hotel. Soon after his arrival, as we were -sitting around in the parlor, Mr. Lincoln -looked thoughtful for a moment or two, -and then said: ‘I believe, gentlemen, the -committee are expecting me to say something -here to-day. If you will excuse me -I will go into this room here and prepare -it.’ After a time he returned, holding in -his hand a large, yellow government envelope, -on which he had written his address.</p> - -<p>“‘Here, gentlemen,’ he said, ‘I want to -read this to you to see if it will do;’ and -sitting down he read it to us, and then -said: ‘Now for your criticisms. Will it -do? What do you say?’</p> - -<p>“Several spoke in favor of it, and one or -two commended it in strong terms. ‘Well,’ -says the President, ‘haven’t you any criticisms? -What do you say Seward?’</p> - -<p>“Mr. Seward made one or two suggestions, -bearing on some slight verbal -changes, which I believe Mr. Lincoln incorporated.</p> - -<p>“‘Now if you will allow me, gentlemen,’ -continued the President, ‘I will copy this -off;’ and again withdrew and made a copy -of the address.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[59]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="THE_GETTYSBURG_ADDRESS">THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS.</h2> - -<p>“Ladies and Gentlemen: Four score and -seven years ago your fathers brought forth -upon this continent a new nation, conceived -in liberty and dedicated to the -proposition that all men are created equal. -Now we are engaged in a great civil war, -testing whether that nation, or any nation -so conceived and so dedicated, can long -endure. We are met on a great battlefield -of that war. We have come to dedicate -a portion of that field as a final resting-place -for those who here gave their -lives that the nation might live. It is -altogether fitting and proper that we -should do this.</p> - -<p>“But in a larger sense we cannot dedicate, -we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow -this ground. The brave men, living -and dead, who struggled here have consecrated -it far above our power to add -to or detract. The world will little note, -nor long remember, what we say here; -but it can never forget what they did here.</p> - -<p>“It is for us, the living, rather to be dedicated -here to the unfinished work which -they who fought here have thus far so -nobly advanced. It is rather for us to -be here dedicated to the great task remaining -before us, that from these honored -dead we take increased devotion to -that cause for which they gave the last -full measure of devotion; that we here -highly resolve that these dead shall not -have died in vain; that this nation, under -God, shall have a new birth of freedom, -and that the government of the people, -by the people, and for the people shall not -perish from the earth.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[60]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AS_A_RULER">LINCOLN AS A RULER.</h2> - -<p>Mr. Henry Watterson, the distinguished -and scholarly editor of the widely-read -Louisville Courier Journal, once delivered -a lecture on “Lincoln.” The following is -part of what he said:</p> - -<p>“After he was inaugurated President, -Mr. Lincoln evinced four great qualities -of mind and heart so great indeed that it -is doubtful if such a combination of kingly -talents was ever before or since concentrated -in the same man.” Mr. Watterson -then elaborated from historical facts, incidents, -and conclusions, as also from quotations -from Mr. Lincoln’s speeches and -letters, his direction and management of -generals and cabinet officers, his knowledge -of law, diplomacy, and military affairs, -his firmness for the right, his great -kindness of heart, and love of humanity, -the following propositions:</p> - -<div class="blockquote"> - -<p>1. Lincoln was the wisest ruler of this -or any other age.</p> - -<p>2. He had the firmness of the everlasting -hills.</p> - -<p>3. His love of justice and righteousness -between man and man, and between -nations guided him in all things.</p> - -<p>4. His kindness of heart, and his sympathies -for mankind were as an overflowing -fountain.</p> - -<p>5. Abraham Lincoln was raised up of -God, and in a sense inspired for the place -and work he fulfilled in the world.</p> - -</div> - -<p>“Perhaps the most striking illustration -of superior wisdom and power as a ruler,” -said the speaker, “was his reply to Mr.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[61]</a></span> -Seward’s proposition to declare war -against France and Spain, and impliedly -against England and Russia, only one -month after Lincoln’s inauguration. The -reply was complete; so was his mastery -over the most astute and scholarly statesman -and diplomatist of the age. While -preparing that reply, the same night after -receiving Mr. Seward’s wonderful proposals,—a -reply which the best critics of -the world have declared needed not another -word, and would not have been -complete with one word lacking,—he was -overheard repeating to himself audibly -over and over, ‘One war at a time, one -war at a time, one war at a time.’”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_REAL_OBJECT_IN_CONDUCTING">LINCOLN’S REAL OBJECT IN CONDUCTING -THE WAR.</h2> - -<p>The great Horace Greeley was wont to -criticize Lincoln’s plan of conducting the -war. He finally wanted to know “what -were the purposes and aims of the President, -anyway?” The following is Lincoln’s -reply, showing that his sole purpose was -to save the Union at whatever cost.</p> - -<p>“If there be those who would not save -the Union unless they could at the same -time save slavery, I do not agree with -them. If there be those who would not -save the Union unless they could at the -same time destroy slavery, I do not agree -with them. My paramount object is to -save the Union, and not either to save or -destroy slavery. If I could save the Union -without freeing any slave, I would do it. -If I could save it by freeing all the slaves, -I would do it, and if I could do it by freeing<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[62]</a></span> -some and leaving others alone I would -also do that. What I do about slavery and -the colored race I do because I believe it -helps to save the Union, and what I forbear -I forbear because I do not believe it -helps to save the Union. I shall do less -whenever I shall believe that what I am -doing hurts the cause, and I shall do more -whenever I believe doing more will help -the cause.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_ASKED_FOR_SOME_OF">LINCOLN ASKED FOR SOME OF -GRANT’S WHISKY.</h2> - -<p>When officious intermeddlers went to -President Lincoln and demanded Gen. -Grant’s removal from the command of the -armies, charging that he was in the habit -of getting drunk, Lincoln coolly asked -them where he could get some of the -brand of whisky that Grant was using; he -wanted to supply it to his other generals. -This remark of his silenced his callers, and -he heard no more complaints about Grant -getting drunk.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_BELIEVED_HIMSELF_UGLY">LINCOLN BELIEVED HIMSELF UGLY.</h2> - -<p>Mrs. Benjamin Price, of Baltimore, told, -at a meeting of the Woman’s Literary Club -of that city, two anecdotes of Abraham -Lincoln. In one of them she said that her -father-in-law had at one time been appointed -to a government position in place -of Mr. Addison, who was a most polished -but notably plain-featured man. The two -gentlemen went together to call upon -President Lincoln, who received them -cheerfully in the midst of the somewhat -embarrassing operation of shaving. His<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[63]</a></span> -face was a lather of soap, he extended a -hand to each, and upon Mr. Addison -enumerating the good qualities of his successor, -and congratulating the President -upon securing so eminent an officer, Mr. -Lincoln exclaimed:</p> - -<p>“Yes, Addison, I have no doubt Mr. -Price is all that you say, but nothing can -compensate me for the loss of you, for -when you retire I shall be the homeliest -man in the employment of the government.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_KINDNESS_TO_A_DISABLED">LINCOLN’S KINDNESS TO A DISABLED -SOLDIER.</h2> - -<p>One summer morning, shortly before -the close of the civil war, the not unusual -sight in Washington of an old veteran -hobbling along could have been seen on a -shady path that led from the executive -mansion to the war office. The old man -was in pain, and the pale, sunken cheeks -and vague, far-away stare in his eyes -betokened a short-lived existence. He -halted a moment and then slowly approached -a tall gentleman who was walking -along. “Good morning, sir. I am an -old soldier and would like to ask your -advice.”</p> - -<p>The gentleman turned, and smiling -kindly, invited the poor old veteran to a -seat under a shady tree. There he listened -to the man’s story of how he had fought -for the Union and was severely wounded, -incapacitating him for other work in life, -and begged directions how to apply for -back pay due him and a pension, offering -his papers for examination.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[64]</a></span></p> - -<p>The gentleman looked over the papers -and then took out a card and wrote directions -on it, also a few words to the -pension bureau, desiring that speedy attention -be given to the applicant, and -handed it to him.</p> - -<p>The old soldier looked at it, and with -tears in his eyes, thanked the tall gentleman, -who, with a sad look, bade him -good luck and hurried up the walk. Slowly -the old soldier read the card again, and -then turned it over to read the name of -the owner. More tears welled in his eyes -when he knew whom he had addressed -himself to, and his lips muttered: “I -am glad I fought for him and the country, -for he never forgets. God bless Abraham -Lincoln!”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="A_SAMPLE_OF_LINCOLNS_STATESMANSHIP">A SAMPLE OF LINCOLN’S STATESMANSHIP.</h2> - -<p>President Lincoln, the man who said -and did so many kindly things, taught -Seward how to write state papers. He -was not only master of the situation in this -country, but when England and France -were about combining to recognize the -Confederacy he so won the admiration of -Lord Lyon, the British ambassador at -Washington, that that official informed -Lord Russell that he was in error when he -sent instructions to prepare the government -for the recognition of the South by -England, and Lord Lyon afterwards resigned -his office in consequence of the -opposition to Lincoln. At that time there -was a Russian fleet in New York harbor -under sealed instructions, to be opened<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[65]</a></span> -when France and England made their -move, and the instructions were afterward -found to be a command to the admiral to -report to his excellency, President Lincoln.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="TWO_GOOD_STORIES">TWO GOOD STORIES.</h2> - -<p>At a cabinet meeting once the advisability -of putting a legend on greenbacks -similar to the In God We Trust legend -on the silver coins was discussed, and the -President was asked what his view was. -He replied: “If you are going to put a -legend on the greenbacks I would suggest -that of Peter and Paul: ‘Silver and gold -we have not, but what we have we’ll give -you.’”</p> - -<p>On another occasion when Mr. Lincoln -was going to attend a political convention -one of his rivals, a liveryman, provided -him with a slow horse, hoping that he -would not reach his destination in time. -Mr. Lincoln got there, however, and when -he returned with the horse he said: “You -keep this horse for funerals, don’t you?” -“Oh, no,” replied the liveryman. “Well, -I’m glad of that, for if you did you’d -never get a corpse to the grave in time -for the resurrection.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_RAISES_A_WARNING_VOICE">LINCOLN RAISES A WARNING VOICE -AGAINST THE CONCENTRATION -OF GREAT WEALTH.</h2> - -<p>“Liberty cannot long endure,” said -Webster, “when the tendency is to concentrate -wealth in the hands of a few.”</p> - -<p>President Lincoln, in a message to Congress, -said of this danger: “Monarchy itself<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[66]</a></span> -is sometimes hinted at as a possible -refuge from the power of the people. In -my present position I could scarcely be -justified were I to omit raising a warning -voice against approaching despotism. -There is one point to which I ask a brief -attention. It is the effort to place capital -on an equal footing with, if not above, -labor in the structure of the government. -Let them beware of surrendering a political -power which they already have, and -which if surrendered will surely be used to -close the door of advancement against -such as they, and to fix new disabilities -and burdens upon them till all liberty shall -be lost.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AND_THE_DYING_SOLDIER">LINCOLN AND THE DYING SOLDIER -BOY.</h2> - -<p>One day in May, 1863, while the great -war was raging between the North and -South, President Lincoln paid a visit to -one of the military hospitals, says an exchange. -He had spoken many cheering -words of sympathy to the wounded as he -proceeded through the various wards, and -now he was at the bedside of a Vermont -boy of about sixteen years of age, who lay -there mortally wounded.</p> - -<p>Taking the dying boy’s thin, white -hands in his own, the President said, in a -tender tone:</p> - -<p>“Well, my poor boy, what can I do for -you?”</p> - -<p>The young fellow looked up into the -President’s kindly face and asked: “Won’t -you write to my mother for me?”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[67]</a></span></p> - -<p>“That I will,” answered Mr. Lincoln; -and calling for a pen, ink and paper, he -seated himself by the side of the bed and -wrote from the boy’s dictation. It was a -long letter, but the President betrayed no -sign of weariness. When it was finished, -he rose, saying:</p> - -<p>“I will post this as soon as I get -back to my office. Now is there anything -else I can do for you?”</p> - -<p>The boy looked up appealingly to the -President.</p> - -<p>“Won’t you stay with me?” he asked. -“I do want to hold on to your hand.”</p> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln at once perceived the lad’s -meaning. The appeal was too strong for -him to resist; so he sat down by his side -and took hold of his hand. For two hours -the President sat there patiently as though -he had been the boy’s father.</p> - -<p>When the end came he bent over and -folded the thin hands over his breast. As -he did so he burst into tears, and when, -soon afterward, he left the hospital, they -were still streaming down his cheeks.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THE_DANDY_THE_BUGS_AND_THE">THE DANDY, THE BUGS AND THE -PRESIDENT.</h2> - -<p>President Lincoln appointed as consul to -a South American country a young man -from Ohio who was a dandy. A wag met -the new appointee on his way to the White -House to thank the President. He was -dressed in the most extravagant style. -The wag horrified him by telling him -that the country to which he was assigned -was noted chiefly for the bugs that -abounded there and made life unbearable.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[68]</a></span> -“They’ll bore a hole clean through you -before a week has passed,” was the comforting -assurance of the wag as they -parted at the White House steps. The -new consul approached Lincoln with disappointment -clearly written all over his -face. Instead of joyously thanking the -President, he told him the wag’s story of -the bugs. “I am informed, Mr. President,” -he said, “that the place is full of -vermin and that they could eat me up in -a week’s time.” “Well, young man,” replied -Lincoln, “if that’s true all I’ve got -to say is that if such a thing happened -they would leave a mighty good suit of -clothes behind.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_UPHELD_THE_HANDS_OF">LINCOLN UPHELD THE HANDS OF -GENERAL GRANT.</h2> - -<p>In his “Campaigning With Grant,” in -the Century, Gen. Horace Porter told of -Gen. Halleck’s fear of trouble from enforcing -of the draft, and his desire that -Grant should send troops to the Northern -cities. Gen. Porter says:</p> - -<p>On the evening of August 17 General -Grant was sitting in front of his quarters, -with several staff officers about him, when -the telegraph operator came over from his -tent and handed him a dispatch. He -opened it, and as he proceeded with the -reading of it his face became suffused with -smiles. After he had finished it he broke -into a hearty laugh. We were curious to -know what could produce so much merriment -in the general in the midst of the -trying circumstances which surrounded -him. He cast his eyes over the dispatch<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[69]</a></span> -again, and then remarked: “The President -has more nerve than any of his advisers. -This is what he says after reading -my reply to Halleck’s dispatch.” He then -read aloud to us the following:</p> - -<p>“I have seen your dispatch expressing -your unwillingness to break your hold -where we are. Neither am I willing. Hold -on with a bulldog grip, and chew and -choke as much as possible.</p> - -<p class="right">“A. LINCOLN.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="WHY_LINCOLN_TOLD_STORIES">WHY LINCOLN TOLD STORIES.</h2> - -<p>Mr. Edward Rosewater, editor of the -Omaha Bee, said he believed Lincoln got -relaxation by his story telling, and that the -hearing of a good story gave him the -mental rest that he so much needed during -those brain-taxing days. These stories -came out under the most trying circumstances -and at the most solemn times. -A striking instance of this was just after -the battle of Fredericksburg. After the -Union armies were defeated an official who -had seen the battle hurried to Washington. -He reached there about midnight and went -directly to the White House. President -Lincoln had not yet retired, and the man -was at once received. Lincoln had already -heard some reports of the battle. -He was feeling very sad and rested his -head upon his hands while the story was -repeated to him. As the man saw his intense -suffering he remarked:</p> - -<p>“I wish, Mr. President, that I might be -a messenger of good news instead of bad. -I wish I could tell you how to conquer or -to get rid of those rebellious States.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[70]</a></span></p> - -<p>At this President Lincoln looked -up and a smile came across his -face as he said: “That reminds me -of two boys out in Illinois who took -a short cut across an orchard. When -they were in the middle of the field -they saw a vicious dog bounding toward -them. One of the boys was sly enough to -climb a tree, but the other ran around the -tree, with the dog following. He kept -running until, by making smaller circles -than it was possible for his pursuer to -make, he gained upon the dog sufficiently -to grasp his tail. He held on to the tail -with a desperate grip until nearly exhausted, -when he called to the boy up the -tree to come down and help.</p> - -<p>“What for?” said the boy.</p> - -<p>“I want you to help me let this dog go.”</p> - -<p>“Now,” concluded President Lincoln, -“if I could only let the rebel States go it -would be all right. But I am compelled -to hold on to them and make them stay.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_REWARDS_A_MAN_FOR_KINDNESS">LINCOLN REWARDS A MAN FOR KINDNESS -THIRTY YEARS AFTER -THE OCCURRENCE.</h2> - -<p>Lincoln’s indebtedness, in consequence -of the closing out of his general store -at New Salem, was such that it took him -many years to extinguish all. There was -one man among his creditors who would -not wait, but secured a judgment against -Lincoln and his personal effects were -levied upon. Among them was his surveying -instrument on which he depended -for his living. At the sale a farmer friend -of Lincoln’s named James Short bought -the horse and surveying instruments for<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[71]</a></span> -$120 and generously turned them over to -their former owner. This kindness deeply -touched the future President of the United -States, who, some years later, repaid with -interest the money so kindly advanced by -Mr. Short.</p> - -<p>Thirty years later, while Lincoln was -President, he heard that James Short was -living in California. Financial reverses -had overtaken him some years previously -and he left his home near New Salem and -emigrated with his family to the State on -the Pacific Ocean. One day Mr. Short -received a letter from Washington informing -him that he had been appointed an -Indian agent. It will thus be seen that -Lincoln never forgot a benefactor.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_A_MERCIFUL_MAN">LINCOLN A MERCIFUL MAN.</h2> - -<p>Abraham Lincoln had a heart that was -full of mercy; he could not bear to see -even an animal suffer, and would not tolerate -any wanton cruelty to animals. -There are numerous instances of his mercifulness, -but the following story will serve -to show how kindly disposed the man was:</p> - -<p>One day the major-general commanding -the forces in and around Washington, -came to the office of Mr. Dana with a spy -whom one of his men had captured. Mr. -Dana was assistant secretary of war. The -officer informed Mr. Dana that the spy -had been tried by court-martial and had -been sentenced to death. He handed Mr. -Dana the warrant for his execution, which -was to take place at six o’clock the following -morning. The warrant must be signed -by the President, or in his absence by<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[72]</a></span> -some officer with authority to sign it. -President Lincoln was absent from Washington -at that time and was not expected -back before the afternoon of the next day. -It therefore became necessary for Mr. Dana -to sign the warrant for the execution of -the spy, in accordance with the decision -of the court. But President Lincoln got -home at two o’clock in the early morning -and on learning of the affair at once -stopped the whole thing and thus spared -the man’s life. It may be here stated that -the law of nations in regard to the punishment -of spies when captured is death.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_HUMOROUS_ADVICE_TO_A">LINCOLN’S HUMOROUS ADVICE TO A -DISTINGUISHED BACHELOR.</h2> - -<p>When the Prince of Wales was betrothed -to the Princess Alexandria, Queen Victoria -sent a letter to every sovereign of -Europe, and to President Lincoln, announcing -the fact. The ambassador of -England then at Washington was Lord -Lyons, and he was a bachelor. He requested -an audience with President Lincoln -in order that he might present the -important letter in person.</p> - -<p>He called at the White House in company -with Secretary Seward and addressed -the President as follows:</p> - -<p>“May it please your Excellency, I hold -in my hand an autograph letter from my -royal mistress, Queen Victoria, which I -have been commanded to present to your -Excellency. In it she informs your Excellency -that her son, his Royal Highness -the Prince of Wales, is about to contract -a matrimonial alliance with her Royal<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[73]</a></span> -Highness the Princess Alexandria of Denmark.”</p> - -<p>After the use of such diplomatic and -high-sounding language one would naturally -suppose Lincoln would require a few -moments to collect his thoughts and reply -in kind. Not so, however. His reply -was short, simple and expressive, as follows:</p> - -<p>“Lord Lyons, go thou and do likewise.”</p> - -<p>A witness of the above incident said: -“It is doubtful if an English ambassador -was ever addressed in this manner before, -and it would be interesting to learn what -success he met with in putting the reply in -diplomatic language, when he reported it -to her Majesty.”—From Lincoln’s Stories, -by J. B. McClure.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HOW_LINCOLN_ANSWERED_A_DELICATE">HOW LINCOLN ANSWERED A DELICATE -QUESTION.</h2> - -<p>At the time when the Union soldiers -were hunting for Jeff Davis, some one -asked the President: “Mr. Lincoln, suppose -they were to find Davis, and, in order -to capture him, it was necessary to shoot -him. Would you want them to do so?”</p> - -<p>Mr. Lincoln said: “When I was a boy, -a man lecturing on temperance stayed -at our house over night. It was a cold, -stormy night, and the man was quite -chilled when he reached home after the -meeting. He said if they would give him -a hot lemonade he thought it would prevent -his taking cold. Some one suggested -that some spirits added would be beneficial. -‘Well,’ he said, ‘you might put in -some unbeknown to me!’”</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[74]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_ILLUSTRATES_A_CASE">LINCOLN ILLUSTRATES A CASE -HUMOROUSLY.</h2> - -<p>On one occasion, exasperated at the -discrepancy between the aggregate of -troops forwarded to McClellan and the -number the same general reported as -having received, Lincoln exclaimed, -“Sending men to that army is like shoveling -fleas across a barnyard—half of them -never get there.”</p> - -<p>To a politician who had criticized his -course he wrote, “Would you have me -drop the war where it is, or would you -prosecute it in future with elder stalk -squirts charged with rosewater?”</p> - -<p>When, on his first arrival in Washington -as President, he found himself besieged -by office seekers, while the war was -breaking out, he said, “I feel like a man -letting lodgings at one end of the house -while the other end is on fire.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="WHY_LINCOLN_MISTOOK_A_DRIVER_TO">WHY LINCOLN MISTOOK A DRIVER TO -BE AN EPISCOPALIAN.</h2> - -<p>The first corps of the army commanded -by General Reynolds was once reviewed -by the President on a beautiful plain at the -north of Potomac Creek, about eight miles -from Hooker’s headquarters. The party -rode thither in an ambulance over a rough, -corduroy road, and as they passed over -some of the more difficult portions of the -jolting way the ambulance driver, who sat -well in front, occasionally let fly a volley of -suppressed oaths at his wild team of six -mules.</p> - -<p>Finally, Mr. Lincoln, leaning forward, -touched the man on the shoulder, and said:</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[75]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Excuse me, my friend, are you an -Episcopalian?”</p> - -<p>The man, greatly startled, looked around -and replied:</p> - -<p>“No, Mr. President; I am a Methodist.”</p> - -<p>“Well,” said Lincoln, “I thought you -must be an Episcopalian, because you -swear just like Governor Seward, who is -a church warden.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="A_CLERGYMAN_WHO_TALKED_BUT">A CLERGYMAN WHO TALKED BUT -LITTLE.</h2> - -<p>A clergyman of some prominence was -one day presented to Lincoln, who gave -the visitor a chair and said, with an air of -patient waiting:</p> - -<p>“I am now ready to hear what you have -to say.”</p> - -<p>“Oh, bless you, sir,” replied the clergyman, -“I have nothing special to say. I -merely called to pay my respects.”</p> - -<p>“My dear sir,” said the President, rising -promptly, his face showing instant relief, -and with both hands grasping that of his -visitor; “I am very glad to see you, indeed. -It is a relief to find a clergyman, or any -other man, for that matter, who has nothing -to say. I thought you had come to -preach to me.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HOW_LINCOLN_RECEIVED_A_JACKKNIFE">HOW LINCOLN RECEIVED A JACKKNIFE -AS A PRESENT.</h2> - -<p>Considering his own personality Lincoln -was very indifferent. He was perfectly -aware that many people talked about his -“awkwardness” and homely personal appearance. -Far from feeling hurt at the remarks -occasionally flung at him he rather -enjoyed them.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[76]</a></span></p> - -<p>One day he was traveling in a train. He -was addressed, without any formal introduction, -by a stranger in the car, who said:</p> - -<p>“Excuse me, sir, but I have an article -in my possession which belongs to you.”</p> - -<p>“How is that?” Lincoln inquired, much -surprised.</p> - -<p>The stranger took a jackknife from his -pocket.</p> - -<p>“This knife,” said he, “was placed in -my hands some years ago, with the injunction -that I was to keep it until I found -a man uglier than myself. I have carried -it from that time to this. Allow me to -say now, sir, that I think you are fairly -entitled to the property.”</p> - -<p>Lincoln related the above story to his -friends again and again during his lifetime.—From -Lincoln’s Stories, by J. B. McClure.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THE_BEST_CAR_FOR_HIS_CORPSE">THE BEST CAR FOR HIS CORPSE.</h2> - -<p>Lincoln had the following good story -on President Tyler:</p> - -<p>“During Mr. Tyler’s incumbency of the -office he arranged to make an excursion -in some direction and sent his son, ‘Bob,’ -to arrange for a special train. It happened -that the railroad superintendent was a -strong Whig. As such he had no favors -to bestow upon the President and informed -Bob that the road did not run any special -trains for the President.</p> - -<p>“‘What,’ said Bob Tyler, ‘did you not -furnish a special for the funeral of Gen. -Harrison?’</p> - -<p>“‘Yes,’ said the superintendent, ‘and if -you’ll bring your father in that condition<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[77]</a></span> -you shall have the best train on the -road.’”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HIS_TITLE_DID_HOT_HELP_ANY">HIS TITLE DID HOT HELP ANY.</h2> - -<p>During the war an Austrian count applied -to President Lincoln for a position -in the army. He was introduced by the -Austrian Minister, but as if fearing that -his importance might not be duly appreciated, -he proceeded to explain his nobility -and high standing. With a merry -twinkle in his eye, Mr. Lincoln laid his -hand on the count’s shoulder and said:</p> - -<p>“Never mind: you shall be treated with -just as much consideration for all that.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="ONE_OF_MR_LINCOLNS_AUTOGRAPHS">ONE OF MR. LINCOLN’S AUTOGRAPHS.</h2> - -<p>Abraham Lincoln once received a letter -asking for a “sentiment” and his autograph. -He replied: “Dear Madam: -When you ask a stranger for that which -is of interest only to yourself always inclose -a stamp. Abraham Lincoln.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_SUBSTITUTE">LINCOLN’S SUBSTITUTE.</h2> - -<p>It is not generally known that Abraham -Lincoln sent a substitute to the war -against the South, but such is a fact. During -the earlier days of the war it seems -to have been the desire of all prominent -men in Washington to have a representative -in the ranks, and Lincoln was no exception -to the rule. At that time there -was a minister named Staples in Washington, -one of whose sons, then aged nineteen, -had a desire to go to the front. Lincoln -heard of him, and after a conference -selected him as his representative, and<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[78]</a></span> -he proved worthy, for he won honor on -the field. He survived the war and -finally died in Stroudsburg. The inscription -on the stone over his grave reads as -follows: “J. Summerfield Staples, a private -of Company C, One Hundred and -Seventy-sixth Regiment, P. V. Also a -member of the Second regiment, D. C. -Vols., as a substitute for Abraham Lincoln.”—Philadelphia -Record.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_ESTIMATE_OF_THE_FINANCIAL">LINCOLN’S ESTIMATE OF THE FINANCIAL -STANDING OF A NEIGHBOR.</h2> - -<p>A New York firm applied to Abraham -Lincoln some years before he became -President for information as to the financial -standing of one of his neighbors. Mr. -Lincoln replied:</p> - -<p>“I am well acquainted with Mr. ——, -and know his circumstances. First of all, -he has a wife and baby; together they -ought to be worth $50,000 to any man. -Secondly, he has an office in which there -is a table worth $1.50 and three chairs -worth, say, $1. Last of all, there is in one -corner a large rat hole, which will bear -looking into. Respectfully, A. Lincoln.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_QUERY_PUZZLED_THE_MAN">LINCOLN’S QUERY PUZZLED THE MAN.</h2> - -<p>At a time when the war crisis was at its -height one of those persons who were ever -ready to give the President free advice on -how to conduct the war, had just finished -explaining an elaborate idea, when Mr. -Lincoln remarked:</p> - -<p>“That reminds me of a man in Illinois, -who, in driving the hoops of a hogshead<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[79]</a></span> -to ‘head it up,’ was much annoyed by the -constant falling in of the top. At length -a bright idea struck him of putting his -little boy inside to hold it up. This he -did. But when the job was completed -there arose the more serious question, how -to get the boy out of the hogshead. Your -plan sounds feasible, but how are you to -get the boy out?”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_INAUGURATION">LINCOLN’S INAUGURATION.</h2> - -<p>In the March “Ladies’ Home Journal” -Stephen Fiske graphically recalls the excitement -and apprehension and the condition -of the country “When Lincoln Was -First Inaugurated.” He tells the incidents -of the memorable journey to the -capitol, of Mr. Lincoln’s reception, and -gives a rather grewsome picture of the -inaugural ceremonies. “As I walked up -to the capitol the wide, dusty streets -were already crowded,” he writes; “regular -troops were posted at intervals along -Pennsylvania avenue. Sharpshooters -were climbing over the roofs of the -houses. A mounted officer at every corner -was ready to report to General Scott -the passage of the procession. Detectives -in plain clothes squirmed through -the masses of people. The policemen had -been instructed to arrest for ‘disorderly -conduct’ any person who called Mr. Lincoln -an opprobrious name or uttered a -disloyal sentiment. There was much suppressed -excitement, and the prophetic -word ‘assassination’ was in every mind.</p> - -<p>“President Buchanan, whose term expired -at noon, was engaged until half an<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[80]</a></span> -hour later in signing the bills that had -been hurriedly passed, but the congressional -clock had been put back to legalize -the transaction. At last he drove -down to Willard’s, and the procession -was formed. The President and President-elect -rode in an open barouche; but -this confidence in the people was more -apparent than real. On the front seat -were Senators Baker and Pearce; a guard -of honor of the regular cavalry surrounded -the carriage; beyond were -mounted marshals four files deep. From -the sidewalks no one could accurately distinguish -Mr. Lincoln. Close behind -marched regiments of regulars and marines, -fully armed. It seemed more like -escorting a prisoner to his doom than a -President to his inauguration. Little -cheering and no enthusiasm greeted the -procession. Every now and then an arrest -for ‘disorderly conduct’ was quickly -and quietly made in the crowd. The sunshine -was bright, but the whole affair -was as gloomy as if Mr. Lincoln were riding -through an enemy’s country—as, indeed, -he was.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="JOHN_SHERMANS_FIRST_MEETING">JOHN SHERMAN’S FIRST MEETING -WITH LINCOLN.</h2> - -<p>Secretary Sherman says he never will -forget his first meeting with a President. -It was shortly after Lincoln’s inauguration, -and he attended a public reception, -fell into line, and awaited an hour or two -for a chance to shake hands with the -Great Emancipator.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[81]</a></span></p> - -<p>“During this time,” says Mr. Sherman, -“I was wondering what I should say and -what Lincoln would do when we met. At -last it came my turn to be presented. Lincoln -looked at me a moment, extended -his hand, and said: ‘You’re a pretty tall -fellow, aren’t you? Stand up here with -me, back to back, and let’s see which is -the taller.’</p> - -<p>“In another moment I was standing -back to back with the greatest man of his -age. Naturally I was quite abashed by -this unexpected evidence of democracy.</p> - -<p>“‘You’re from the West, aren’t you,’ -inquired Lincoln.</p> - -<p>“‘My home is in Ohio,’ I replied.</p> - -<p>“‘I thought so,’ he said; ‘that’s the kind -of men they raise out there.’”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_AND_THE_SENTINEL">LINCOLN AND THE SENTINEL.</h2> - -<p>A slight variation of the traditional -sentry story is related by C. C. Buel, in -the current Century. It was a cold, blusterous -winter night. Says Mr. Buel:</p> - -<p>“Mr. Lincoln emerged from the front -door, his lank figure bent over as he drew -tightly about his shoulders the shawl -which he employed for such protection; -for he was on his way to the War Department, -at the west corner of the grounds, -where in times of battle he was wont to -get the midnight despatches from the -field. As the blast struck him he thought -of the numbness of the pacing sentry, and -turning to him, said: ‘Young man, you’ve -got a cold job to-night; step inside, and -stand guard there.’</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[82]</a></span></p> - -<p>“‘My orders keep me out here,’ the soldier -replied.</p> - -<p>“‘Yes,’ said the President, in his argumentative -tone; ‘but your duty can be -performed just as well inside as out here, -and you’ll oblige me by going in.’</p> - -<p>“‘I have been stationed outside,’ the -soldier answered, and resumed his beat.</p> - -<p>“‘Hold on there!’ said Mr. Lincoln, as -he turned back again; ‘it occurs to me -that I am commander-in-chief of the -army, and I order you to go inside.’”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="ORIGIN_OF_WITH_MALICE_TOWARD">ORIGIN OF “WITH MALICE TOWARD -NONE, ETC.”</h2> - -<p>It was during Lincoln’s second inauguration -as President of the United States -that he gave voice to these famous and oft-quoted -words:</p> - -<div class="poetry-container"> -<div class="poetry"> -<div class="verse">“With malice toward none,</div> -<div class="verse">With charity for all.”</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The above occur in the last paragraph -in his second inaugural speech, delivered -at Washington, D. C., March 4, 1865.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HIS_GOOD_MEMORY_OF_NAMES">HIS GOOD MEMORY OF NAMES.</h2> - -<p>The following story illustrates the power -of Mr. Lincoln’s memory of names and -faces. When he was a comparatively young -man and a candidate for the Illinois Legislature, -he made a personal canvass of the -district. While “swinging around the -circle” he stopped one day and took dinner -with a farmer in Sangamon county.</p> - -<p>Years afterward, when Mr. Lincoln had -become President, a soldier came to call -on him at the White House. At the first -glance the Chief Executive said: “Yes, I -remember; you used to live on the Danville<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[83]</a></span> -road. I took dinner with you when -I was running for the Legislature. I recollect -that we stood talking out at the -barnyard gate, while I sharpened my jackknife.”</p> - -<p>“Y-a-a-s,” drawled the soldier; “you -did. But say, wherever did you put that -whetstone? I looked for it a dozen times, -but I never could find it after the day you -used it. We allowed as how mabby you -took it ’long with you.”</p> - -<p>“No,” said Lincoln, looking serious and -pushing away a lot of documents of state -from the desk in front of him. “No, I -put it on top of that gatepost—that high -one.”</p> - -<p>“Well!” exclaimed the visitor, “mabby -you did. Couldn’t anybody else have put -it there, and none of us ever thought of -looking there for it.”</p> - -<p>The soldier was then on his way home, -and when he got there the first thing he -did was to look for the whetstone. And -sure enough, there it was, just where Lincoln -had laid it fifteen years before. The -honest fellow wrote a letter to the Chief -Magistrate, telling him that the whetstone -had been found, and would never be lost -again.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_GRIEF_OVER_THE_DEFEAT">LINCOLN’S GRIEF OVER THE DEFEAT -OF THE UNION ARMY.</h2> - -<p>We had been talking of the war, and -the late Governor Curtin, of Pennsylvania, -broke out suddenly and said:</p> - -<p>“It was just after the battle of Fredericksburg. -I had been down there and -came up to Washington by the night<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[84]</a></span> -boat. I arrived at the foot of Seventh -street a little after midnight. Just as I -landed a messenger met me, saying that -the President wanted to see me at once -at the White House. I took a carriage -and went directly there. I sent in my -card, and word came back that the President -had retired, but that he requested -me to come up to his bedroom. I found -him in bed, and as I entered the room he -reached out his hand, shook hands, and -said:</p> - -<p>“‘Well, Governor; so you have been -down to the battle-field?’</p> - -<p>“‘Battle-field? Slaughter-pen! It was -a terrible slaughter, Mr. Lincoln.’ I was -sorry in a moment, that I had said it, for -he groaned, and began to wring his hands -and took on with terrible agony of spirits. -He sat up on the edge of the bed, and -moaned and groaned in anguish. He -walked the floor of the room, and uttered -exclamations of grief, one after another, -and I remember his saying over and over -again: ‘What has God put me in this -place for?’ I tried to comfort him, and -could hardly forgive myself for not being -more careful and considerate of his feelings.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THREE_STORIES_OF_LINCOLN_BY">THREE STORIES OF LINCOLN BY -SENATOR PALMER.</h2> - -<p>“Speaking of Lincoln’s birthday,” said -Senator Palmer yesterday, “reminds me -that the very last case Lincoln ever tried -was one in which I, too, was engaged. It -was in Springfield, in June, 1860, after Mr. -Lincoln had received the Presidential<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[85]</a></span> -nomination. Old David Baker, who had -been a Senator in the early days, had sued -the trustees of Shurtleff College, my alma -mater, for expelling his grandson, a lad -named Will Gilbert. Mr. Lincoln appeared -for the prosecution. I was the college attorney. -Mr. Lincoln came into court and -the Judge said to him: ‘Mr. Lincoln, I’ll -argue this case for you. You have too -much on your hands already. You haven’t -any case.’ And he explained the law and -application.</p> - -<p>“‘Well,’ said Mr. Lincoln, with a smile, -‘don’t you want to hear a speech from -me?’</p> - -<p>“‘No,’ said the Judge, and the last case -Mr. Lincoln tried he—well, he didn’t try it -at all.”</p> - -<p>“The first time I met Mr. Lincoln was in -1839, when I went to Springfield to be admitted -to the bar. He was already recognized -as a Whig leader. He wore, I remember, -a suit of linsey woolsey, that -could not have been worth more than $8 -even in those days. The last time I saw -him was in February of 1865. I had come -to Washington at the request of the Governor, -to complain that Illinois had been -credited with 18,000 too few troops. I saw -Mr. Lincoln one afternoon, and he asked -me to come again in the morning.</p> - -<p>“Next morning I sat in the ante-room -while several officers were relieved. At -length I was told to enter the President’s -room. Mr. Lincoln was in the hands of -the barber.</p> - -<p>“‘Come in, Palmer,’ he called out, ‘come<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[86]</a></span> -in. You’re home folks. I can shave before -you. I couldn’t before those others, -and I have to do it some time.’</p> - -<p>“We chatted about various matters, and -at length I said:</p> - -<p>“‘Well, Mr. Lincoln, if anybody had -told me that in a great crisis like this the -people were going out to a little one-horse -town and pick out a one-horse lawyer -for President I wouldn’t have believed -it.’</p> - -<p>“Mr. Lincoln whirled about in his chair, -his face white with lather, a towel under -his chin. At first I thought he was angry. -Sweeping the barber away he leaned forward, -and placing one hand on my knee -said:</p> - -<p>“‘Neither would I. But it was a time -when a man with a policy would have -been fatal to the country. I have never -had a policy. I have simply tried to do -what seemed best each day, as each day -came.’</p> - -<p>“Lincoln was not an eloquent man. He -was a strong lawyer, and an ingenious one. -His stronghold was his ability to reason -logically and clearly. He was a very self-contained -man, and not easily excited. I -remember the night when the news of his -election was received at Springfield. The -patriotic ladies of the town were serving -a lunch in an upper room opposite the -capitol. Mr. Lincoln was there, and read -the returns as they were brought to him. -The returns from New York decided the -day. Mr. Lincoln stood up and read the -telegram. He was the calmest man in the<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[87]</a></span> -room. When he had finished he said, -simply, ‘Well I must go and tell my -wife.’”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="HIS_FAMOUS_SECOND_INAUGURAL">HIS FAMOUS SECOND INAUGURAL -ADDRESS.</h2> - -<p>Lincoln was an orator as well as a -statesman and many of his speeches will -go down in history through all time. In -his second inaugural address he made use -of the following striking expressions:</p> - -<p>“On the occasion corresponding to this -four years ago all thoughts were anxiously -directed to an impending civil war. -Both parties deprecated war, but one of -them would make war rather than let -the Nation survive, and the other would -accept war rather than let it perish; and -the war came. Both read the same Bible -and pray to the same God, and each invokes -His aid against the other. It may -seem strange that any men should dare to -ask a just God’s assistance in wringing -their bread from the sweat of other men’s -faces; but let us judge not, that we be -not judged. The prayer of both could not -be answered. That of another has been -answered fully. With malice towards none, -with charity for all, with firmness in the -right, as God gives us to see the right, -let us finish the work we are in, to bind -up the Nation’s wounds, to care for him -who shall have borne the battle, and for -his widow and his orphans, to do all -which may achieve and cherish a just and -a lasting peace among ourselves and with -all Nations.”</p> - -<p>Eloquent, is it not? Beautiful, is it not?<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[88]</a></span> -And yet there is not a word in it that a -child could not understand. Lincoln’s -English was like himself, simple, forcible, -direct, natural, eloquent, full of heart-throbs. -As his unadorned language still -stirs the heart of every American like the -roll of a drum, and as beside it the tinsels, -and flowers, and gewgaws of polished -speech are but as pulseless marble, so the -rugged nature of America’s greatest man -looms above all lesser public men, the -spotless, genius-crowned Shasta of our -National history.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_SAID_EVEN_A_REBEL_COULD">LINCOLN SAID EVEN A REBEL COULD -BE SAVED.</h2> - -<p>This story well illustrates Lincoln’s -humanity of character which found expression -in his famous words of “charity -for all, and malice toward none.” It appears -that Mr. Shrigley, of Philadelphia, -a Universalist, had been nominated for -hospital chaplain. A protesting delegation -went to Washington to see President -Lincoln on the subject. The following -was the interview:</p> - -<p>“We have called, Mr. President, to confer -with you in regard to the appointment -of Mr. Shrigley, of Philadelphia, as hospital -chaplain.”</p> - -<p>The President responded: “Oh, yes, -gentlemen. I have sent his name to the -Senate, and he will no doubt be confirmed -at an early date.”</p> - -<p>One of the young men replied: “We -have not come to ask for the appointment, -but to solicit you to withdraw the nomination.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[89]</a></span></p> - -<p>“Ah!” said Lincoln, “that alters the -case; but on what grounds do you wish -the nomination withdrawn?”</p> - -<p>The answer was: “Mr. Shrigley is not -sound in his theological opinions.”</p> - -<p>The President inquired: “On what -question is the gentleman unsound?”</p> - -<p>Response: “He does not believe in -endless punishment; not only so, sir, but -he believes that even the rebels themselves -will be finally saved.”</p> - -<p>“Is that so?” inquired the President.</p> - -<p>The members of the committee responded, -“Yes, yes.”</p> - -<p>“Well, gentlemen, if that be so, and -there is any way under Heaven whereby -the rebels can be saved, then, for God’s -sake and their sakes, let the man be appointed.”</p> - -<p>It is almost needless to add that Mr. -Shrigley was appointed, and served until -the close of the war.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="WASHINGTON_AND_LINCOLN_COMPARED">WASHINGTON AND LINCOLN COMPARED.</h2> - -<p>At a banquet given in his honor on -Washington’s birthday, in New York, -February 22, 1897, the eloquent and gifted -Chauncey M. Depew made the following -comparison between America’s two greatest -heroes:</p> - -<p>“This February, for the first time, both -Washington’s and Lincoln’s birthdays -have been made legal holidays. Never -since the creation of man were two human -beings so unlike, so nearly the extremes -of opposition to each other, as Washington -and Lincoln. The one an aristocrat<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[90]</a></span> -by birth, by breeding, and association, the -other in every sense and by every surrounding -a democrat. As the richest man -in America, a large slave-holder, the possessor -of an enormous landed estate, and -the leader and representative of the property, -the culture, and the colleges of the -colonial period, Washington stood for the -conservation and preservation of law and -order.</p> - -<p>“And yet millionaire, slaveholder and -aristocrat, in its best sense, that he was, -as he lived, so at any time he would have -died for the immortal principle put by the -Puritans in their charter, adopted in the -cabin of the Mayflower, reënacted in the -Declaration of Independence, of the -equality of all men before the law and -of the equal opportunity for all to rise. -Lincoln, on the other hand, was born in -a cabin, among that class known as -poor whites in slaveholding times, who -held no position and whose condition was -so helpless as to paralyze ambition and -effort. His situation so far as his surroundings -were concerned had considerable -mental but little moral improvement -by the removal to Indiana and subsequently -to Illinois.</p> - -<p>“Anywhere in the Old World a man -born amidst such environments and teachings, -and possessed of unconquerable -energy and ambition and the greatest -powers of eloquence and constructive -statesmanship, would have been a Socialist -and the leader of a social revolt. He -might have been an Anarchist. His one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[91]</a></span> -ambition would have been to break the -crust above him and shatter it to pieces. -He would see otherwise no opportunity -for himself and his fellows in social or -political or professional life. But Lincoln -attained from the log cabin of the -poor white in the wilderness the same position -which Washington reached from his -palatial mansion and baronial estate on -the Potomac; he made the same fight unselfishly, -patriotically, and grandly for the -preservation of the republic that Washington -had done for its creation and foundation. -Widely as they are separated, these -two heroes of the two great crises of our -national life stand together in representing -the solvent powers, the inspiring processes, -and the hopeful opportunities of -American liberty.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_REMEMBERED_HIM">LINCOLN REMEMBERED HIM.</h2> - -<p>A stair-carpenter happened to see a -picture of the martyred President. Instantly -the tones of his voice softened, his -eyes grew moist with tears, and the whole -expression of his face changed.</p> - -<p>Then he told us his “story of Lincoln.” -He had been shot through the lungs when -on picket in ’63, and was in the hospital -at Fortress Monroe.</p> - -<p>For weeks he had been lying there, till -he had grown dreadfully homesick, and -felt as if the only thing that could cure him -was to get home to Maryland.</p> - -<p>One morning Lincoln visited the hospital, -and as he was passing around, -pausing before each cot to speak a word -of cheer to each wounded soldier, this one<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[92]</a></span> -made up his mind that if he gave him a -chance, he would make known his wants.</p> - -<p>At last his turn came.</p> - -<p>“You seem very comfortable, my -friend,” Lincoln said.</p> - -<p>“Not so comfortable as I should be if -I could get home to Maryland,” was the -reply.</p> - -<p>“What is your name?”</p> - -<p>“S. Stover, Co. H, 2d Maryland Volunteers,” -was promptly answered, and Lincoln -passed on.</p> - -<p>In just three days came an order from -the President to transfer Private Stover, -Co. H, 2d Md. Vols., by water to the -hospital at Annapolis.</p> - -<p>“I was surprised myself,” he said; “for -I had watched him as long as he was in -sight, and when I saw him go through the -door without writing down my name and -company, I gave up all hope of seeing my -Maryland again.</p> - -<p>“And it has always been a mystery to -me that a man with so much to think of -should keep in mind the name, regiment -and company of a private soldier.”</p> - -<p>As he turned away to conceal the tears -he could not keep back, it was plain how -large a place the thoughtful kindness of -that great man had won in the heart of the -poor, homesick, wounded soldier.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="WHY_LINCOLN_PARDONED_THEM">WHY LINCOLN PARDONED THEM.</h2> - -<p>It was President Lincoln’s intense love -for his fellow men that led him to disapprove -of the findings of court-martial, -whenever there was a possible excuse, -particularly in the cases of soldiers<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[93]</a></span> -charged with desertion, with having fallen -asleep at a post of duty, or with other offenses.</p> - -<p>Secretary Stanton always insisted upon -the strictest discipline in the army and -frequently urged that derelict soldiers receive -the severest punishment of military -law and custom, but Lincoln rarely took -any advice on such matters. He had meditated -deeply on that subject and consulted -his own judgment in disposing of -cases of that kind that came before him.</p> - -<p>The late Joseph Holt, who recently died -at Washington, was judge advocate general -of the army during the whole period of -the war and it became his duty to report -many cases of alleged cowardice of soldiers -as well as other offenses. President -Lincoln carefully read every line of the -charges against such men, and as soon as -he saw the slightest chance to excuse the -poor fellow, a gleam of satisfaction would -pass over his serious face. Then folding -the papers together he placed them in a -pigeon hole of his desk, and with his big -eyes looking into those of the judge advocate -standing before him, he would say:</p> - -<p>“Holt, we will let those soldiers go. -Order them set free.”</p> - -<p>It was after the battle of Chancellorsville -that charges were brought against -several men for failing to march with their -regiments into the fight at a time when -they were most needed. The charge of -desertion was made.</p> - -<p>When Secretary Stanton heard of these -cases he commanded Judge Holt to present<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[94]</a></span> -the charges against the men to the -President in the strongest possible terms.</p> - -<p>“We need stronger discipline in the -army,” said the stern secretary of war to -the judge advocate. “The time has come -when the President must yield to our -opinion.”</p> - -<p>Judge Holt was himself one of the -ablest lawyers of his day, and had won -fame as a forensic orator long before the -war.</p> - -<p>“In presenting these cases,” said he to -the writer a few months before his death, -“in obedience to the wish of the secretary -of war, I used all the legal acumen at -my command. One morning, with my -papers all ready (and I was deeply in -earnest in the matter), I proceeded to the -White House; and, as I entered his private -office, the President looked up with -his long, sad face, saying:</p> - -<p>“‘Ah! Holt, what have you there?’</p> - -<p>“‘I have some important cases for your -careful consideration, Mr. President, with -documentary evidence sufficient to condemn -every man.’</p> - -<p>“He took the papers and read them -carefully, stopping at times to reflect, then -read on until he finished. There was no -change in his countenance this time, unless -that it grew more sad and his expression -more serious. I had covered the -cases in question with strong and convincing -argument and evidence. He -finally raised his eyes from the last paper -and gazed intently through the window at -some object across the Potomac. Then,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[95]</a></span> -rising from his chair, with the papers all -folded together, he placed them in a -pigeon hole already filled with similar documents. -With his tall, gaunt form facing -me, he spoke, in deep, sad tones, that -would have touched the heart of the sternest -officer of the army:</p> - -<p>“‘Holt (it was his custom to mention -only the last name), you acknowledge -those men have a previous record for -bravery. It is not the first time they have -faced danger; and they shall not be shot -for this one offense.’</p> - -<p>“I then thought it was my duty as the -head of my department of military justice -to make further argument. For I -knew Stanton would nearly explode with -rage when he heard of the President’s decision. -I began to speak and Lincoln sat -down again, giving me his closest attention. -Then, rising from his chair and -riveting his eyes upon me, he said:</p> - -<p>“‘Holt, were you ever in battle?’</p> - -<p>“‘I have never been.’</p> - -<p>“‘Did Stanton ever march in the first -line, to be shot at by an enemy like those -men did?’</p> - -<p>“‘I think not, Mr. President.’</p> - -<p>“‘Well, I tried it in the Black Hawk -war, and I remember one time I grew -awful weak in the knees when I heard the -bullets whistle around me and saw the -enemy in front of me. How my legs carried -me forward I cannot now tell, for I -thought every minute that I would sink -to the ground. The men against whom -those charges have been made probably<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[96]</a></span> -were not able to march into battle. Who -knows that they were able? I am opposed -to having soldiers shot for not facing danger -when it is not known that their legs -would carry them into danger. Send this -dispatch ordering them to be set free.’ -And they were set free that day.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THE_LINCOLN_PORTRAITS">THE LINCOLN PORTRAITS.</h2> - -<p>The Lincoln apotheosis is much more -satisfactory than the Napoleon apotheosis. -Lincoln is not only our own, but a greater, -purer, sweeter, really stronger man than -Napoleon. It is a good thing to bring -out the little-known portraits of Lincoln. -What a marvelous face! It is full of -strength—with just enough of the big -child in it to kindle love and sympathy. -Has anyone ever noticed the way in -which Lincoln’s face is cast on the lines -of the North American Indian? We have -never heard that Lincoln had Indian blood -in him; but take any of his good, beardless -portraits, with front or nearly front view; -add to it a shock of straight hair parted -in the middle and falling down, either -straight or in two braids, on the shoulders; -add a feather to it; clothe the body in a -blanket and let it take an Indian stoop; -and no one would question that the man -was an aborigine. The face has the -gravity of the Indian countenance, but -not the impassiveness that we read about; -but Indian faces, after all, are seldom impassive. -The face of Lincoln, who was -not an Indian, has more of the aborigine -in it than of that other great President, -Benito Juarez, who was an Indian.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[97]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_FAITH_IN_PROVIDENCE">LINCOLN’S FAITH IN PROVIDENCE.</h2> - -<p>The raid made by the Confederate general, -J. E. B. Stuart, in June, 1862, around -the Union army commanded by General -McClellan, caused great anxiety in Washington. -One of its results was the interruption -of communication between the -capital and the army of the Potomac. -What this portended no one could affirm. -That it suggested the gravest possibilities -was felt by all.</p> - -<p>While this feeling was dominating all -circles, several gentlemen, myself among -them, called on President Lincoln in -order to be definitely advised about the -condition of affairs as understood by him.</p> - -<p>To our question: “Mr. President, have -you any news from the army?” he sadly -replied: “Not one word; we can get no -communication with it. I do not know -that we have an army; it may have been -destroyed or captured, though I cannot so -believe, for it was a splendid army. But -the most I can do now is to hope that -serious disaster has not befallen it.”</p> - -<p>This led to a somewhat protracted conversation -relative to the general condition -of our affairs. It was useless to talk about -the Army of the Potomac; for we knew -nothing concerning its condition or position -at that moment. The conversation -therefore took a wide range and touched -upon the subject of slavery, about which -much was said.</p> - -<p>The President did not participate in this -conversation. He was an attentive listener, -but gave no sign of approval or disapproval<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[98]</a></span> -of the views which were expressed. -At length one of the active participants remarked:</p> - -<p>“Slavery must be stricken down wherever -it exists in this country. It is right -that it should be. It is a crime against -justice and humanity. We have tolerated -it too long. It brought war upon us. -I believe that Providence is not unmindful -of the struggle in which this nation is engaged. -If we do not do right I believe -God will let us go our own way to our -ruin. But, if we do right, I believe He -will lead us safely out of this wilderness, -crown our arms with victory, and restore -our now dissevered Union.”</p> - -<p>I observed President Lincoln closely -while this earnest opinion and expression -of religious faith was being uttered. I -saw that it affected him deeply, and anticipated, -from the play of his features and -the sparkle of his eyes, that he would not -let the occasion pass without making some -definite response to it. I was not mistaken. -Mr. Lincoln had been sitting in -his chair, in a kind of weary and despondent -attitude while the conversation progressed. -At the conclusion of the remarks -I have quoted, he at once arose -and stood at his extreme height. Pausing -a moment, his right arm outstretched towards -the gentleman who had just ceased -speaking, his face aglow like the face of -a prophet, Mr. Lincoln gave deliberate -and emphatic utterance to the religious -faith which sustained him in the great -trial to which he and the country were subjected.<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[99]</a></span> -He said: “My faith is greater -than yours. I not only believe that Providence -is not unmindful of the struggle -in which this nation is engaged; that if -we do not do right God will let us go -our own way to our ruin; and that if we -do right He will lead us safely out of this -wilderness, crown our arms with victory, -and restore our dissevered union, as you -have expressed your belief; but I also -believe that He will compel us to do right -in order that He may do these things, not -so much because we desire them as that -they accord with His plans of dealing with -this nation, in the midst of which He -means to establish justice. I think He -means that we shall do more than we have -yet done in furtherance of His plans, and -He will open the way for our doing it. -I have felt His hand upon me in great -trials and submitted to His guidance, and -I trust that as He shall further open the -way I will be ready to walk therein, relying -on His help and trusting in His -goodness and wisdom.”—From “Some -Memories of Lincoln,” by ex-Senator -James F. Wilson, in North American Review.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_LAST_WORDS">LINCOLN’S LAST WORDS.</h2> - -<p>The very last words Lincoln delivered -on the afternoon before the assassination—last -of those great utterances that for -six or seven years electrified and enlightened -half the world—were a message -of suggestion and encouragement to the -miners of the Rockies. Schuyler Colfax -was going thither and was paying his final<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[100]</a></span> -call at the White House. Lincoln said to -him:</p> - -<p>“Mr. Colfax, I want you to take a -message from me to the miners whom you -visit. I have very large ideas of the mineral -wealth of our nation. I believe it is -practically inexhaustible. It abounds all -over the western country, from the Rocky -mountains to the Pacific, and its development -has scarcely commenced. During -the war, when we were adding a couple of -million dollars every day to our national -debt, I did not care about encouraging the -increase in the volume of our precious -metals; we had the country to save first. -But now that the rebellion is overthrown, -and we know pretty nearly the amount -of our national debt, the more gold and -silver we mine, we make the payment of -that debt so much easier. Now, I am -going to encourage that in every possible -way. We shall have hundreds of thousands -of disbanded soldiers, and many have -feared that their return home in such -great numbers might paralyze industry -by furnishing suddenly a greater supply of -labor than there will be a demand for. I -am going to try to attract them to the -hidden wealth of our mountain ranges, -where there is room enough for all. Immigration, -which even the war has not -stopped, will land upon our shores hundreds -of thousands more from over-crowded -Europe. I intend to point them -to the gold and silver that wait for them -in the West. Tell the miners for me, that -I shall promote their interests to the best<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[101]</a></span> -of my ability, because their prosperity is -the prosperity of the nation; and we shall -prove in a few years that we are indeed -the treasury of the world.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="A_CHICAGOAN_WHO_SAW_LINCOLN">A CHICAGOAN WHO SAW LINCOLN -SHOT.</h2> - -<p>Mr. George C. Read, of Chicago, at the -time of President Lincoln’s assassination, -was a foot orderly under Generals Griffin -and Ayers. He was in Washington on -the fateful April 14, 1865, and was an eyewitness -to the tragedy. He tells of it as -follows:</p> - -<p>“Some time in the latter part of March, -1865, I was sent to Washington on account -of the loss of my voice. I remained there -most of the time in barracks on east Capitol -Hill. On the afternoon of the fated -April 14, 1865, I happened in the saloon -next door to Ford’s Theater to see the -barkeeper, one Jim Peck. While standing -near a stove about the center of the -room three men came into the place -laughing and talking loudly. They all -went to the end of the bar nearest the -door and ordered a drink. One was a tall, -handsome fellow, dressed in the latest -fashionable clothes, if I remember rightly, -and the others appeared like workmen of -some kind. Both were carelessly dressed, -and I think one was in his shirt sleeves. -They had their drink, and then the fine-looking -man turned toward where I was -standing and said, ‘Come up, soldier, and -have a drink.’ I declined, for the reason -that I had not at that time become addicted -to the habit of social drinking. He<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[102]</a></span> -then approached me and took me by the -arm and said, ‘Have something; take a -cigar.’ This I did not refuse, and he put -his hand in his vest pocket and, pulling out -a cigar, handed it to me without any further -remarks. He then returned to his -companions at the bar. They remained, if -I remember correctly, about five minutes -after, and then, all laughing at something -that Peck said, left the place. As soon -as they were gone I asked Peck who the -big man was, and he said that he was an -actor—one of the Booth family—John -Wilkes Booth. I had heard of him before, -but paid no further attention to it -except to remark that he seemed to be in a -happy frame of mind, when Peck stated -that he was on a ‘drunk,’ and associated -with the stage mechanics in the theater all -the time.</p> - -<p>“As I was about to depart, little thinking -what history would develop in a few short -hours, Peck asked me to accept a couple -of tickets to the theater for that night. I -was glad to get them, having no money to -purchase the same, and knowing that the -President would be at the play. Later I -found a young man, like myself, broke, and -invited him to accompany me to the play. -We were on hand early, and, having good -reserved seats about the center of the -house, were elated over our good luck.</p> - -<p>“Suffice it to say that the curtain went -up and ‘Our American Cousin’ was introduced. -I was intently interested and -cannot remember positively what act it was -that was on, except what is told in history,<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[103]</a></span> -when I heard a shot, and immediately -a man appeared at the front of the -President’s box and, without waiting, -jumped to the stage beneath. I, as well as -all others in the theater, was astonished. -He ran to about the center of the stage -and raised his left hand and said something -I did not catch, and then disappeared behind -the wings. As soon as I saw him I -recognized the handsome man I had seen -in the saloon that afternoon, and turned -to my comrade and said: ‘That’s Wilkes -Booth, the actor, and I think he is on a -drunk.’ Before I had finished even this -a cry went up that the President had been -shot, ‘Stop that man!’ and many other -exclamations I have forgotten. It was all -done so quickly that one had hardly time -to think. Immediately the audience rose -as one person and cries were heard all -over the house, ‘Stop that man!’ ‘The -President has been assassinated!’ and -many others. The people began to crush -each other and try to get out of the theater, -but they were quieted to a certain extent -and the provost guard on duty there -fought to make them keep their places. -Soon there was a movement on the side -aisle running from the President’s box, -and from where I was standing on my -seat I could see what appeared to be a -party of men carrying some one. Later -the rest of the party were conducted out of -the theater, and when I managed to get -outside I saw a crowd looking up at a -house opposite. On asking what it meant, -I was told that the President had been carried<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[104]</a></span> -there and was dying. I lost my comrade -in the crowd and have never met him -since.</p> - -<p>“It is unnecessary to go into any more -details of what occurred that night. I was -excited, as well as every one else in the -city, and got little rest. But that is my -experience, told as briefly as possible, -without any stretch of imagination. If I -had to do with the same again I think it -would have been better if I had told the -officials what I saw that afternoon, but, as -it was, all came out right, and the really -guilty ones suffered the penalty of their -crime. I met Peck the next year in New -York City, but have never heard of or -seen him since.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="MARTYRED_LINCOLNS_BLOOD">MARTYRED LINCOLN’S BLOOD.</h2> - -<p>An interesting and valuable relic, which -brings vividly to the mind the historic -scene in Ford’s Theater, Washington, on -the night of April 14, 1865, is owned by -Colonel James S. Case, at one time a resident -of Philadelphia, but whose home is -now in Brooklyn.</p> - -<p>It is only a play bill, but upon it is a -discoloration made by a tiny drop of President -Lincoln’s blood. It was picked up -just after the tragedy by John T. Ford, the -manager of the theater. He found it on -the floor of the box where it had fallen -from the President’s hand when the bullet -of Assassin Booth pierced his head. It -lay beneath the chair in which the citizen-hero -received his death wound. There was -a tiny spot of blood, still red as it came<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[105]</a></span> -from the great heart of Lincoln, on the -edge.</p> - -<p>Mr. Ford carried the precious paper -home, and only parted with it at the request -of the late A. K. Browne of Washington, -who was a warm personal friend -of the manager. It came into Mr. -Browne’s possession while the nation was -still mourning for its idol, and soon after -his assassin had met justly merited fate at -the hands of Sergeant Boston Corbett.</p> - -<p>The play bill is somewhat yellow from -age, but otherwise in an excellent state of -preservation. The bloodstain is now a -dark brown. The program was of “Our -American Cousin,” which was being given -for the benefit of Laura Keene. The -bloodstain is nearly half way down the -program, opposite the names of John -Dyott, and Harry Hawk, Miss Keene’s -leading support.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="A_STRANGE_COINCIDENCE_IN_THE">A STRANGE COINCIDENCE IN THE -LIVES OF LINCOLN AND HIS -SLAYER.</h2> - -<p>When President Lincoln was assassinated -on the night of April 14, 1865, while -witnessing a play at Ford’s Theater in -Washington, he was removed to the Peterson -house, which was directly opposite the -theater.</p> - -<p>The late John T. Ford related that he -had occasion to visit John Wilkes Booth -at the Peterson house once. The Davenport-Wallack -combination was playing -“Julius Cæsar” at Ford’s theater. Booth -had been cast to play Marc Antony and -was late in coming to rehearsal. Ford<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[106]</a></span> -went over to the house to ask him to hurry -up. He found Booth lying in bed studying -his lines. He little dreamed then that Lincoln -would so shortly die in the same -house, the same room and on that identical -bed, or that Booth would turn out to -be his assassin.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="WHERE_IS_THE_ORIGINAL_EMANCIPATION">WHERE IS THE ORIGINAL EMANCIPATION -PROCLAMATION?</h2> - -<p>When Lincoln went to Washington he -had a sale of the furniture of the Eighth -street home at Springfield. Most of the -articles were bought by a well-to-do family -named Tilton, who admired the President -in such a way as to make what had belonged -to him things to be treasured. -When the troops passed through Springfield -to the front they visited the house -“where Uncle Abe had lived,” and the Tiltons -used to confer great favor by permitting -the boys in blue to sit down in the -dining room and have a glass of milk off -the table from which Mr. Lincoln had -eaten many times. But the Tiltons moved -away to Chicago. They carried with them -the furniture which had been in the Lincoln -house, prizing it more than ever after -his death. In 1871 came the Chicago fire, -and with it went not only the Lincoln furniture, -but the original document, which, -if it were in existence now, would be preserved -with the zeal that guards the Declaration -of Independence—the Proclamation -of Emancipation. The draft of the -proclamation had been sent to Chicago to -be exhibited for some purpose and was -burned in that fire.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[107]</a></span></p> - -<h2 id="MR_GRIFFITHS_ON_LINCOLN">MR. GRIFFITHS ON LINCOLN.</h2> - -<p>“No other public man has been subjected -to such scrutiny from the time he -was born until the end of his tragic career -as was Lincoln,” said Mr. Griffiths in a -lecture. “He obtained his early education -from ‘Æsop’s Fables,’ ‘Robinson Crusoe,’ -the ‘Pilgrim’s Progress’ and a copy of the -Indiana statutes. This was before some -of our later legislatures had made their -records or his education might have been -marred instead of made.</p> - -<p>“When he was elected President,” Mr. -Griffiths continued, “he was a plodding -country lawyer whose library consisted of -twenty-two volumes. Through his public -addresses he blazed his way to the Presidency. -He believed the position of a -stump speaker to be one of sacred trust. -He had none of the platform graces. His -figure was ungainly; his voice was rasping. -He always made the most careful -preparation and gave his best thought to -the smallest audiences. He had marvelous -gift of expression and he knew more about -the Bible than Webster. He was not -learned in the law and he despised the -legal routine. On a lawsuit he always -dealt in the unexpected, which greatly discomfited -the opposing lawyer. He liked -stories, but he always told them to illustrate -a point. He was a deeply religious -man.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="A_FAMOUS_CHICAGO_LAWYERS_VIEWS">A FAMOUS CHICAGO LAWYER’S VIEWS.</h2> - -<p>“Into the story of the republic from 1861 -to 1865 the patriot does well to enter, -there to find for instruction and example<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[108]</a></span> -the manliest of Americans, the highest type -of Americanism, the central figure of the -century, Abraham Lincoln. The fierce -partisanship which assailed him during his -short period of leadership became silent at -his death, and each succeeding year but -serves to exalt his work and character.</p> - -<p>“The judgment of time has already -shown to be colossal him who was called -common—the honor that we offer to his -memory is only the spontaneous tribute of -contemporary history—our enthusiasm is -but the sum of the world’s calmest thinking. -For years in all lands gifted speech -has proclaimed his deeds and the pens of -poets have sketched his life. Thus does he -receive his tribute from the people.</p> - -<p>“In his mentality Lincoln shone in justice, -common sense, consistency, persistence, -and knowledge of men. In his words -he was candid and frank, but accurate and -concise, speaking strong Anglo-Saxon unadorned—powerful -in its simplicity. In -his sentiments he was kind, patriotic, and -brave. No leader ever combined more -completely the graces of gentleness with -rugged determination. In his morals -truth was his star, honesty the vital essence -of his life.</p> - -<p>“In his religion he was faithful as a -saint. Providence was his stay and he -walked with God. As President his life -and deeds were a constant sermon. Love -of men and faith in God were the fundamental -elements of his character. Poverty -had schooled him to pity and taught him<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[109]</a></span> -the equality of all mankind.”—Luther Laflin -Mills.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_WAS_PLAIN_BUT_GREAT">LINCOLN WAS PLAIN BUT GREAT.</h2> - -<p>Lincoln’s forefathers were independent -owners of the land they trod on, barons, -not serfs. You will say, perhaps, that -Lincoln had little education. We are apt -to say that of our great men. Lincoln -knew how to speak, read and write. What -more do we teach our boys to-day? He -knew the Bible, which cannot be said of -everybody in Boston. He read Burns, and -this with the Bible gave him his inspiration -and sentiment. Æsop and “Pilgrim’s -Progress” taught him aptness and pregnant -illustration.</p> - -<p>The incidents of his life were few but -notable. He was a resident of three states -before he was 21, and made a river trip to -New Orleans, longer than Thomas Jefferson -had taken at his age. At New Orleans -he saw for the first time the auction -and whipping of slaves, which made so -deep an impression on him that it may be -said to be the birth of his anti-slavery -sentiment.</p> - -<p>The choice of Mr. Lincoln for President -was not a strained one. He was the logical -selection. Lincoln’s qualities, that -sympathy with the common people, that -homely sincerity, have given him a place -in the people’s hearts a little closer, a -little dearer, than is held by any other public -man. He had faults, but they were -small compared with his virtues. He had -not Washington’s grandeur, the mental -alertness of Hamilton, or the intellectual<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[110]</a></span> -force of Webster. His greatness was made -up of natural qualities, as of a hillside towering -o’er a plain, yet a part of it. Lincoln -was surpassed in certain qualities by other -of our historically great men, but there are -none, we feel sure, who would have filled -the place he filled as well as he.—Secretary -of War Long.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLNS_SPECIFIC_LIFE_WORK">LINCOLN’S SPECIFIC LIFE WORK.</h2> - -<p>One often thinks of his life as cut off, -but no great man since Cæsar has seen his -life work ended as did Lincoln. Napoleon -died upon a desert rock, but not until Austerlitz -and Wagram had become memories, -and the dust of the empire even as -all dust. Cromwell knew that England -had not at heart materially altered. Washington -did not know that he had created -one of the great, perhaps the greatest, empires -to be known to man. But Lincoln -had a specific task to do—to save his country -and to make it free—and on that fateful -14th of April he knew that he had -accomplished both things.</p> - -<p>There are those who would say that -chance put this man where he was to do -this work. To the thoughtful mind it was -not chance, however, but design, and that -the design of which all greatness is a part. -War is indeed the crucible of the nations. -It is the student of a century hence who -shall properly place the civil war in American -history. But, whatever that place be, -there can be no doubt of the position in -it of the war President. Like William the -Silent, his domination of all about him -was a matter not of personal desire, but of<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[111]</a></span> -absolute and constant growth. There are -few more interesting characters in history -than Lincoln. There is none who in quite -the same manner fits himself so absolutely -into his circumstances. It is the highest -form of genius that so produces as to -make production seem effortless, and it is -perhaps the greatest of all tributes to Lincoln -that what he did seems sometimes -only what the average man would have -done in his place.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THE_PROPOSED_PURCHASE_OF_THE">THE PROPOSED PURCHASE OF THE -SLAVES.</h2> - -<p>The discussion on the question of -whether or not Abraham Lincoln suggested -at the conference with the southern -commissioners at the so-called Fortress -Monroe meeting, that he was prepared to -pay $400,000,000 for the slaves in the -Southern States provided peace with union -could be obtained, is hardly likely to lead -to any definite conclusion, for the reason -that the few who should have known definitely -about it are distinctly divided in -their opinions. We are inclined to believe -that, if the proposition was made, Mr. -Lincoln, notwithstanding the immense influence -that he then possessed, would have -found it exceedingly difficult to convince -Congress and a majority of the people of -the North of the wisdom of the suggestion. -As a business proposition, entirely apart -from sentiment, it might have been, even -at that late day, a wise plan to adopt. -But the war had then been going on for -years, and the hard feelings engendered -would apparently have made the scheme a<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[112]</a></span> -less tenable one then than at an earlier -day. It will, we imagine, appear to future -historians that, in spite of the example -which had been set by England in the -West Indies, those representing both the -North and the South showed themselves, -just prior to the war, wanting in the true -elements of statesmanship in not realizing -that it was better to peaceably adjust their -differences than have recourse to physical -force. It is now well understood, and -might have been well understood at the -time, that the main issue was the slave -issue, and that once out of the way, all -other sources of division were insignificant. -We could have well afforded to vote, if -need be, several thousands of millions of -dollars to purchase the freedom of the -slaves if by that means the civil war with -all of its wastes and sufferings could have -been avoided; and if not now, a generation -or two hence, we feel convinced that the -people, both of the North and the South, -will be of the opinion that such an outcome -of the contention would have been possible -if we had had on both sides of the -quarrel, statesmen of the caliber of Washington, -Jefferson, Franklin, John Quincy -Adams and other eminent Americans who -have made their mark in our national history.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="SENATOR_THURSTONS_SPEECH">SENATOR THURSTON’S SPEECH.</h2> - -<p>Senator John M. Thurston said in part -at a banquet of the Baptist Social Union, -New York, on Lincoln’s birthday, in 1897:</p> - -<p>“This is an entirely different gathering -than that to which I have been recently<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[113]</a></span> -accustomed. I come from a forty days’ -session of a moot court, in which the -question of silver has been discussed and -passed upon without any hope of legislation. -There I have been used to having -my audiences rise and leave as soon as I -began to speak.</p> - -<p>“Mr. President, if I have any purpose -to-night, it is to strengthen the belief in a -Divine Providence; and if I have any further -purpose in this time of wars and rumors -of wars, it is to show that God Almighty -has made nations for higher purposes -than mere money making. I am to -speak to-night of Abraham Lincoln, the -simplest, serenest, sublimist character of -the age. Seventy millions of people join -in commemorating his greatness. It is -not my purpose to review his life; that is -too much a part of history. That history -should be taught in every American public -school and preached from every Christian -pulpit. The story of Abraham Lincoln, -citizen, President, liberator and martyr, -should be in the heart of every American -child. I prefer to speak of only one event -in his history. Yet that event was the -harbinger of a new civilization.</p> - -<p>“Not long since, as I sat in a crowded -court room, engaged in the trial of a case -involving the title to a valuable tract of -real estate, there came to the witness stand -a venerable, white-haired negro. Written -all over his old black face was the history -of three-quarters of a century of such an -existence as few persons have ever known. -Born a slave, he had stood upon the auction<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[114]</a></span> -block and been sold to the highest -bidder; he had seen his wife and children -dragged from his side by those who -mocked his breaking heart; he bore upon -his back the scars and ridges of a master’s -lash. Now he came into a court of justice -to settle, by the testimony of his black lips, -a controversy between white men. When -asked his age he drew himself proudly up -and said: ‘For fifty years I was a chattel. -On the first day of January, 1863, old -Uncle Abe made me a man.’</p> - -<p>“The act which set that old man free was -the crowning glory of Lincoln’s life, for -by it he not only saved his country, but -emancipated a race. When Abraham Lincoln -took his pen to sign the Emancipation -Proclamation he knew that the supreme -moment had come. He had known -it years before, when he said: ‘A house -divided against itself cannot stand. I believe -that this government cannot exist -permanently, half slave and half free, but -I do not expect this house to fall, this -government to be dissolved.’</p> - -<p>“God has always raised up a great -leader for a great crisis. Moses, initiated -into the sublime mysteries of the house of -Pharaoh, himself a ruler and almost a -king, led the children of Israel through the -parted waters of the Red Seas into the -wilderness in the strange hope of a deliverance. -A shepherdess on the hills of -France felt herself stirred at the sore trials -of her race. Joan d’Arc, the savior of her -country, was the instrument of God.</p> - -<p>“Who can doubt that Providence put -the preposterous notion of a round world<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[115]</a></span> -into the head of the Genoese sailor? Who -can doubt that Providence designed -Christopher Columbus, George Washington, -Abraham Lincoln and Ulysses S. -Grant each for his own mission? The -Declaration of Independence was the -Genesis of American liberty, but the gospel -of its New Testament was the Emancipation -Proclamation. Until the Emancipation -Proclamation the tide of success -set strongly against the Union shore. -But afterward the soldiers of the Union -marched steadily from Chattanooga to Atlanta -and from Atlanta to the sea. From -the time the flag of liberty became the flag -of freedom and the Stars and Stripes no -longer floated over slaves, the Union -never wavered in its onward march.</p> - -<p>“Almost a third of a century has passed -away. Blue and gray they lie together beneath -the sod. Heroes all, they fell face to -face, brother against brother. But through -the mingled tears that fall alike upon the -dead of both sections, the eyes of all turn -toward a new future under the old flag. -To the North and South, to the white and -the black, Abraham Lincoln was God’s -special providence. What is the heritage -to us? In his own words, ‘A government -of the people, by the people, and for the -people.’</p> - -<p>“I wish that my voice could reach from -one end of the land to the other while I -tell what true Americanism is. I come -from a State that has as great local necessities, -perhaps, as any other. The State of -Nebraska put one star into the flag. The<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[116]</a></span> -great State of New York put another. But -when they set them there, they ceased to -shine for themselves, but for the whole -Union.</p> - -<p>“What we need in this country is the -Emancipation Proclamation and the Stars -and Stripes at every polling place. We -need a revival of the American flag. Let -it float over every American battlefield, be -taught in every public school. Set the -Stars of the Union in the hearts of our -children and the glory of the Republic will -remain forever. It does not matter -whether the American cradle is rocked to -the music of ‘Yankee Doodle’ or the lullaby -of ‘Dixie’ if the flag of the nation is -displayed above it, and the American baby -can be safely trusted to pull about the floor -the rusty scabbard and the battered canteen, -whether the inheritance be from blue -or gray, if from the breast of a true mother -and the lips of a brave father, its little soul -is filled with the glory of the American -constellation.</p> - -<p>“The memory of Lincoln cannot perish. -On freedom’s roll of honor the name of -Lincoln is written first. His colossal -statue stands on a pedestal of the people’s -love, and in its protecting shadow, liberty -and equality are the heritage of every -American citizen.”</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="LINCOLN_ANALYZED">LINCOLN ANALYZED.</h2> - -<p>There is something in Washington or -in Lincoln or Grant, that defies analysis. -It is a moral elevation, a magnanimity, a -nobleness and profoundness of mind. It<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[117]</a></span> -is force of character and ability by which -man is able to meet great emergencies. -This is true greatness.</p> - -<p>Nothing discloses real character like the -use of power. If you wish to know what -a man really is, give him power. This is -the supreme test.</p> - -<p>Judged by this standard Abraham Lincoln -stands out one of the purest, grandest -and noblest characters of all time. -Greatness was never more unconscious of -itself than it was in him. It consisted in -the fact that he made mistakes but rose -above them.</p> - -<p>Lincoln was a man of marvelous -growth. The statesman or the military -hero born and reared in a log cabin is a -familiar figure in American history; but we -may search in vain among our men of -honor and fame for one whose origin and -early life equaled Abraham Lincoln’s in -obscurity and lack of education.</p> - -<p>He sprang from the poorest class in the -border south. Hard work his early lot; -his education a minus factor. In the year -of his majority his father moved to Illinois. -Here Lincoln began for himself the -hard battle of life. He became an ambitious -young man. Unquestionably in -some mysterious way, he arrived at the -conclusion that this world had something -far higher for him than neighborhood -joker, champion wrestler or prize wood -chopper.</p> - -<p>A lawyer lent him a copy of Blackstone -and he commenced the study of law; was -admitted to the bar in 1836; rose rapidly<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[118]</a></span> -in his profession and became an eminent -lawyer. Being more adapted to the part -of a jurist than an advocate, owing to the -striking uprightness of his character, he -applied himself to this branch of his profession, -and it may truly be said that his -vivid sense of truth and justice had much -to do with his effectiveness as a jurist. -When he felt himself to be the protector of -innocence, the defender of justice, or the -prosecutor of wrong, he frequently disclosed -such unexpected resources of reasoning, -such depth of feeling, and rose to -such fervor of appeal as to astonish and -overwhelm his hearers, and make his appeal -irresistible.</p> - -<p>He continued to “ride the circuit,” read -books, tell funny stories to his fellow lawyers -in the tavern, chat familiarly with his -neighbors and become more and more -widely known, trusted and beloved among -the people of his State for his ability as a -lawyer and politician, for the integrity of -his character and the ever-flowing spring -of sympathetic kindness in his heart. His -main ambition was that of political distinction, -yet no one, at that time, would -have suspected that he was the man destined -to lead the nation through the greatest -crisis of the century.</p> - -<p>Nevertheless, he was growing, indeed, -this is one prominent fact in Lincoln’s life—he -never ceased growing. As captain in -the Black Hawk war, as candidate for the -legislature, as storekeeper, postmaster, -surveyor and law student, he was always -growing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[119]</a></span></p> - -<p>In 1846 he was elected to congress -where he distinguished himself as a humorous -speaker and rapidly advanced to the -front as a statesman.</p> - -<p>Lincoln was a statesman in the truest -and grandest sense of the word. He was a -type of honesty and moral integrity. He -had a conscience “void of offense toward -God, and toward men.” A lover of the -truth and men learned to trust him. He -was just and for that reason would not -put upon others that which he would not -put upon himself. He studied the questions -of the day and founded his opinions -on truth and justice.</p> - -<p>It was not until 1854 when the slavery -question had been thrust into politics as -the paramount issue, that Lincoln’s powers -were aroused to their fullest capacity. He -plunged into arduous study of the question, -in its legal, historical and moral aspects, -until his mind became a complete -arsenal of argument.</p> - -<p>Now he was able to cope with any political -antagonist. The time had come when -the Republican party required a man to -put forward as their standard bearer one -who would be equal for the coming election.</p> - -<p>They found in Lincoln all the antecedents -of his life to be such as to produce -in him the rarest qualifications for -the Presidency, to which he was now called -by his party. It was during this canvass -that he first revealed, in his great debates -with Stephen A. Douglas, the full scope -of his originality and genius. Subsequent<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[120]</a></span> -to this combat of giants, he was duly -elected President.</p> - -<p>No President, before or since, ever took -his seat under such difficulties. The situation -which confronted him was appalling; -secession of the Southern States was fully -organized, and less than a month before his -inauguration seven of them had already -seceded.</p> - -<p>During his inaugural address he declared -his fixed purpose to uphold the Constitution -and preserve the integrity of the -Union. It was his policy to ignore the -action of the seceded States as a thing in -itself null, void and of no effect.</p> - -<p>Lincoln was the man whom Providence -placed at the head of the nation in the supreme -hour of its destiny. When he assumed -the reins of government he was surrounded -by traitors. The government was -without army, without navy, without -credit. He spoke, and two millions of men -sprang, as from the ground. He breathed, -and the bosom of the ocean was covered -with ships of war. He placed his hand upon -Wall street and the credit of the government -was secured. He surrounded -himself with the best and truest counselors -of the time.</p> - -<p>He signed his name and the shackles fell -from the limbs of four million of slaves. -His was a greatness for the time. He was -the Moses of a new dispensation—called of -God to lead the hosts of captives out of -the bondage house of their oppression. -Like his great prototype he was not permitted -to see the land of promise. He led<span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[121]</a></span> -the people safely through, but he was not -allowed to guide them across the Jordan.</p> - -<p>On the morning of April 15, 1865, God -called Abraham Lincoln away from mortal -sight.</p> - -<p>Measured by what he did as a statesman -and leader, he stands head and shoulders -above all rulers of men in the annals of the -six thousand years of Human History.</p> - -<p>While a “solitary stripe remains in our -banner,” while a “single star is blazoned -on its field of blue,” so long will the deeds, -the heroism and the loyalty of Abraham -Lincoln be told to generations yet unborn.</p> - -<hr /> - -<h2 id="THE_RELIGION_OF_THE_PRESIDENTS">THE RELIGION OF THE PRESIDENTS.</h2> - -<p>George Washington was a communicant -of the Episcopal Church.</p> - -<p>Thomas Jefferson was a member of no -church. He was a deist.</p> - -<p>John Adams was a Unitarian.</p> - -<p>James Madison was an Episcopalian.</p> - -<p>James Monroe was an Episcopalian.</p> - -<p>John Quincy Adams was a Unitarian.</p> - -<p>Andrew Jackson became a member of -the Presbyterian Church after the death of -his wife.</p> - -<p>Martin Van Buren regularly attended -the Dutch Reformed Church at Kinderhook, -N. Y., but was not a member.</p> - -<p>William Henry Harrison was a communicant -in the Episcopal Church. His -pew in Christ Church, Cleveland, Ohio, -bore his silver plate for years after his -death.</p> - -<p>John Tyler was a member of the Episcopal -Church.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[122]</a></span></p> - -<p>James K. Polk never united with any -denomination. While he was President he -attended the Presbyterian Church out of -deference to his wife’s wishes. On his -death-bed he was baptized by a Methodist -preacher, an old friend and neighbor.</p> - -<p>Zachary Taylor was an attendant of the -Episcopal Church, and is said to have -been a member.</p> - -<p>Millard Fillmore was a Unitarian.</p> - -<p>Franklin Pierce was a Trinitarian -Congregationalist.</p> - -<p>James Buchanan was a Presbyterian.</p> - -<p>Andrew Johnson was not a member, but -attended the Presbyterian Church.</p> - -<p>Abraham Lincoln belonged to no -church, but usually attended the Presbyterian -services.</p> - -<p>Ulysses S. Grant attended the Methodist -Church, but was not a member.</p> - -<p>Rutherford B. Hayes was a Methodist.</p> - -<p>James A. Garfield was a member of the -Church of the Disciples.</p> - -<p>Chester A. Arthur was an Episcopalian.</p> - -<p>Grover Cleveland joined the Presbyterian -Church after his marriage.</p> - -<p>Benjamin Harrison is a member of the -Presbyterian Church.</p> - -<p>William McKinley is a member of the -Methodist Church.</p> - -<hr /> - -<div class="transnote"> - -<h2>Transcriber’s Note</h2> - -<p>On <a href="#Page_53">page 53</a> the line “men then in vogue he -remarked how much” was omitted completely from the original printing; it -has been restored by comparison with another edition.</p> - -<p>On <a href="#Page_114">page 114</a> the line “emancipated a race. -When Abraham Lin-” was printed, in the original, in the middle of an -unrelated paragraph several pages earlier; it has been moved to where it -belongs.</p> - -<p>In the <a href="#CONTENTS">Table of Contents</a> an entry has been -added for the story “A Clergyman Who Talked But Little”, omitted in the -original.</p> - -<p>A few other minor printing errors, of punctuation, spelling, page -numbering, etc., have been corrected without note.</p> - -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Best Lincoln stories, tersely told, by -James E. 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