Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1860-05-19
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As a Western man, wish space 70 give
vent 70 my enthusissm over the nomination
Of Hon. Abraham Lincoln for President Of
the United States. Mr. Lincoln, or "0ld
Aba as his friends faniliarly call him, is self
made man. A Kentuckian by birth, he emigra-
ted to Illinois in is bOyhoOd, where he earn
ed bis living At the anvil, devotng bis leisure
hours to study. Having chosen the law as
bis future calling, be devoted himself assid-
uously 70 its mastery, contending at every
step with adverse fortune. During this period
Of study, he for some time found home un-
der the hOspitable roof Of one Armstrong,
farmer who lived in log house some eight
miles from the village Of Petersburg Menard
county. here, clad in hOme-spun, with ell
bows out and knees covered with patches,
young Lincoln would master bis lessons by
the freight Of the cabin, and then walk to
town for the purpose of recitation. This
man Armstrong was himself poor, but he saw
the genius struggling in the young student
and opened to him his rude home and bid
him welcome to his coarse fare. How Lin
coin graduated with prOmise-how ne has
more than fulfilled that promise-how honor
ably be acquitted himself alike on the battle
field, in defending our border settlements
against the rayages Of savage foes, and in
the halls Of our national legislature, are mat
ters Of history, and need no repetition here
But one little incident Of more private
nature, standing as It does as sort of Sc
quel to some things already alluded to, deem
worthy Of record. Some few years since
the Oldest son Of Mr. Lincoln's old friend
Armstrong, the chief support of his widowed
mother-the good old man having some time
previously passed from earth--was arrested
on the charge Of murder. A young man
had been killed during riOtOus melee, in the
night time, at camP-meeting, and one of
bis associates stated that the death-wound
was inflicted by the hand of yOungArmsrong.
A preliminary examination was gone into, at
which the accuser testified so positively that
there seemed no doubt of the guilt of the pris-
oner, and therefore be was held for trial
As is too often the case, the bloody act caused
an undue degree of excitement in the public
mind. Every improper incident in the life Of
the pFisoner-each aet which bore the least
semblance ofrowdyism- schoolboy quar-
rel-was suddenly remembered and magnifed,
until they pictured him as fend Of the most
horrid hue As these rumOrs spread abroad,
they were received as gospel truth, and a
feverish desire for vengeance seized upon the
infatuated pOpulace, whilst only prison bars
prevented horrible death at the hands of a
mob. The events wereheralded in the county
papers, painted in highest oolors, accompanied
by rejoicing over the certainty Of punishment
being meted out to the guilty party. The
prisoner, overwhelmed by the the eircum-
stances under which he found himself placed,
fell into melancholy condition bordering
upon despair; and the widowed mother
looking through her lears, saw no cause for
hope from earthly aid. At this juncture, the
widow received letter from Mr.. Lincoln,
volunteering his services IN an effort to save
the youth from the impending stroke. Gladly
was his aid accepted, although it seemed i'm
possible for even his sagacity to prevail in such
q desperate case but the heart of the attorney
u5s-' In hip srarl-, and he set about it with q
will that knew no such word as fall
Feeling that the poisoned condition Of the
public mind was such as to preclude the posi-
bility Of impannelinq An impartial inry ira thA
court having jurisdiction, be procured change
of venue and postponement of the trial. de
then went studio iousIyto work unravelingthe his
-, a.. ---i-asli t11S CIl-
ent was the victim of malice, and that the state
ments Of the aeeuser were tissue Of false
hoods. When the trial was called on, the
prisoner, pale and emacinted, with hopeless
ness written on every feature, and accompanied
by his halfhoping, halfdespairing mother
whose only hope was in mothers belief Of her
sons innocence, in the justice of the God she
wcrshipped, and in the noble counsel, who,
without hope Of fee or reward upon earth,
had undertaken his cause-took bis seat in
the prisoners box, and with "stony firm
ness listened TO the reading Of The indictment.
Lincoln sat quietly by, whilst the large audi
tory looked on him as though wondering
what be could say in defence Of one whose
guilt they regarded as certain. The exami- [
nation Of the witnesses for the State was be-
gun, and well arranged mass of evidence,
circumstantisl and positive, was introduced, 4.
which seemed to impale the prisoner beyond I
the possibility Of extricstion The counsel |
for the defence propounded but few questions, /
and those Of a character which excited no un- (
easiness on the part Of the prosecutor merely, /,
in most cases, requiring the main witness to .
be definite as TO time and place. When |
the evidence Of the prosecution was ended, /
Lincoln introduced a few witnesses to re-
move some erroneous impressions in regard 1
to the previous character Of his client, who, /
though somewhat roRdyish, had never been /
known to commit vicious act and to show
that a greater decree Of IN feeling existed be-
tween the aecdser and the accused than the
accused ana the deceased. The prosecutor
felt that fhe case was a clear one, and his
opeuipE speech was brief and formal. Lin
colp arose, while deathly silence pervaded
sbe vast audience, and in 8 clear but modsr-
ate tone began his argument. Slowly and
carefully he reviewed the testimony, pointing
uGN AAA0 4AAAgAf ~ AAA0DacENCA uA1lA pdlIAG1 N
the statements Of the principal witness. That
which had seemed plain and plausible, he
made to appear crooked as a serpentis path.
The witness had stated that the affair took
place at q certain hour in the evening,
and that, BY the aid Of the brightly-shining
moon, he saw the prisoner infict the death
blow with slung shot. Mr. Lincoln showed
that at the hour referred 10, the moon had
not, yet appeared above the horizon, and con-
the whole tale was fabrication.
An almost instantaneous change scanned 70
have been wrought in the minds Of his audi
tors, and the verdict Of 'inot guilty" was at
tbe end Of every tongue But the advocate
was not content with this intellectual achieve
ment. His whole being had for months been
bound up in this work Of gratitude and mer-
cy, and, IS the lava Of the Over-charged Gre
tar bursts from It's imprisonment, so great
thoughts and burning words Ieaped forth
from the soul Of the eloquent Lincoln. BE
drew apieture Of the peEiurer so horrid and
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