The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1860-06-07
A Visit to Lincoln.

more for Lincoln
A Visit 70 Lincoln.
A gentleman who was among num-
/ Der Of others that went 20 Springfield
after the adjournment Of the Chicago
| Convention, to call upon the Republi
can candidate for the Presidency, has
described the visit in a private com
munication to the N. Y. Post, from
which we make the following extract:
"It had been reported by some Of Mr..
Lincoln'5. political enemies that he was
man who lived in the lowest Hoosior
istyle, aud I thought I would see for
myself Accordingly, as soon as the
! business of the Convention was closed.
took the cars for Springfield. I
found Mr.. Lincoln living in a hand.
some but not pretentjous double two
story frame house, having a wide hall
running through the center, with par
lors on both sides, neatly but not os-
teutatiously furnished. 1t was Just
such a dwelling as a majority Of the
woll-to-do residents of these fine west
ern towns occupy Everything abou5
| il had a look Of comfort and indopend-
once. The library I remarked in pass
| ing, particularly, and 1 was pleased to
see long rows Of books, which told Of
the scholarly tastes and culture of tho
| family.
"Lincoln received us with great, aud,
to me, surprising urbanity. ] had seen
him before in New York, and brought
with me an impression of his awkward
and ungaiuly manner; but in his own
house, where he doubtless feels him
self freer than in the strange New York
circles, he had thrown this off. and ap-
peared easy, if not graceful. He is, as
| you know, tall, lank man, with long
neck, and his ordinary movements arc
unusually angular even out west AS
soon, however, as he gets interested in
conversation, his face lights up and his
attitudes and gestures assume a certain
dignity and impressiyencss. His con-
versadon is dueht, agreeable and polite.
| You see at once from it that he is
man Of decided and original character
/ His views are all his own; such as he
has worked out from a patient and va
| ried scrutiny of life, and not such as ho
has learned from others Yet he can
not be called opinionated. He listens
/ to others like one eager to learn, and
| his replies evince at the same time both
modesty and selfreliance. / should say
that sound common sense was the prin-
cipal quality of his mind, although at
times striking phrase or word reveals
a peculiar vein of thought. He tells a
story well, with a strong idiomatio
smack, and seems to relish humor both
In himself and others. Our converse
ton was mainly political, but of a gen
eral nature. One thing Mr.. Lincoln
remarked, which I will venture to re-
peat. He said that in the coming
! Presidential canvass he was wholly Un-
committed to any cabals OF cliques, and
that he meant to keep himself free from
them, and from all pledges and prom
ises
"I had the pleasure, also, of brief
interview with Mrs Lincoln, and, in
the circumstances of these persons, I
trust I am not trespassing on the sane
titles of private life in saying a word in
regard to the lady. Whatever Of awk-
wardness there may be ascribed to her
husband, there is none Of it in her
! On the contrary, she is quite pattern
Of lady-liko courtesy and polish. She
converses with freedom and grace and
is thoroughly az fat in all the little
amenities of society. Mrs Lincoln be-
longs, by the mothers side, to the Pres
ton family Of Kentucky, has received a
! liberal aud refined education, and,
should she ever reach it, will adorn the
t.. White House She is, 1 am told,
strict and consistent member Of the
| Presbyterian Church.
"Not man of us who saw Mr.. Lin
coin but was impressed by his ability
and character. La illustration Of the
last let me mention one or two things,
which your readers / think, will bo
/ pleased to hear Mr. Liucoln's early
/ life, as you know, was passed In the
/ roughest experience on the frontier,
and among the roughest sort Of people.
/ Yet have been told that, In the face
of all these influences he is strictly
temperate man, never using wine or
strong drink; and, stranger still he
/ does not twist the filthy weed, nor
smoke, nor use profano language Of any
kind. When we consider how commons
these vices are all over the country, par
ticularly in the West it must be ad-
mitted that it exhibits no little strength
Of character to have refr ined from them
"Mr. Lincoln is popular with bis
friends and neighbors; the habimal
equity Of his mind points him out as q
peace-maker and composer of difficult
ties; his integrity is proverbiaL and his
legal abilities are regarded as Of tho
highest order The soubrigust Of Hon
est Old Abe has been won by years Of
upright conduct, and is the popular
homage to his probity. He carries tho
marks Of honesty 10 his face and entire
department
~ am the more convinced by this
personal intercourse with Mr. Lincoln,
that the action of our Convention was
i. altogether judicious and proper ~