The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1860-07-18

/ campaign in 1888, at ottawa:
I sin the remarks have made on this
/ platform, and the position of Mr.. Lincoln
| upon it, l mean nothing personally disre-
4 spectful or unkind to that gentleman.
/ have known him for nearly twenty-five
! years. There were many points Of sympa-
/ thy between US when we first got acquaint-
ed We were both comparatively boys, and
both struggling with poverty in strange
] land. | was school teacher in the town
of Winchester, and he hourishing grocery
keeper in the town of Salem. he was more
successful in his occupation than | was in
mine and hence more fortunate in this
worlds goods. Lincoln is one Of those pc
caliar men acho perform Nth admirable skill
everything a0hich they undertake. Lincoln
and Douglas Debates, page So.
The last sentence in the above extract is
worthy of especial note. Such compli-
ment extorted from his bitterest adversary
has greatly enhanced value. When Mr..
| Lincoln shall have undertaken the admins
tration of the Government of this great
country, the people will agree with Mr..
Douglas that
" Lincoln as one Of those peculiar men aoho
perform aoith admirable skiEbeUerything aohich
thea undertake"
Again Mr.. Douglas, in speech in the
Senate of the United States, January %,
1860, refers to Mr.. Lincoln as one of " the
abGest and most clearheaded men of the Re-
publican party.
1t may be proper, however, here, to let
the following reply of MIR. Lincoln be heard
in regard to his being "fourishing gro
Gerry keeper :"
1.-THE Judge is wofully at fault about his
early friend Lincoln being p grocery keep
er. l don't know as it would be great
sin, if l had been; but he is mistaken.
Lincoln never kept grocery anywhere in
the world. 1t is true that Lincoln did work
the latter part of one winter in little still
house, up at the head of hollow"
Now it is proposed, that as Lincoln spent
apart of the winter in little ShLk-house,
up at the head of hollow" he shall spend
the whole of four winters, at least, in large
qohite house at the head of Pennsylvania
avenue.
The Black Hawk war having broken out,
Mr. Lincoln was among the first to raise Il
company of volunteers for that service, and
he acquitted himself with credit. Return
ing from that campaign, he began in earn
est to devote the energies of his great in
tellect and superior will to the acquisition
of knowledge. He first acquired knowl-
edge of the art of surveying, but the demand
for his services in that line of business was
not sufficient to support him, and he was
compelled to surrender up his mathematical
and surveying instruments TO the sheriff, to
be sold on execution.
Nothing dauni ed by his misfortune, then
it was he com menced tie study of that pro-
fesSsion upon " hich lie has conferred so
much honor, and ia which he has attained
so great a distinction. Borrowing a few
elementary law books, he learned the rudi-
ments of the profession by the dim light
thrown out from the fireplace of log
cabin.
In 1886 he was placed in nomination, by
the Wings Of Sangamon county, for a seat
in the lower branch of the Legislature,
which then met at Yandalia- He was elect
ed, and gave early evidence of the superior
qualities of his mind, and his skill and pow
er as debater. He was reelected, and served
two subsequent sessions. Wider avenues
were now opened to him in the acquisition
of general knowledge, and of the knowl-
edge of the law, which he improved TO the
utmost. Changing his residence from q
precinct in the county to Springfield which
had then become the capital OF the State,
and where he has ever since resided, he was
admitted to the bar, and embarked i'll his
profession. His success was Immediate
he displayed a knowledge of the principles
Of the law almost intuitive, and his argu-
ments were marked by strength of reason
ing, keenness of logic, rough eloquence,
and a flow of wit and humor. His fairness
to his adversary, his disdain of all the little
tricks which sometimes disgrace TIE profess
sion, his entire candor and truthfulness, his
original and easy mode of illustration, made
| him all powerful before a jury. He now
ranks as the ablest and most successful law
yer in the State.
My first knowledge of Mr.. Lincoln was in
the great campaign of 1910. lie was then
an elector on the Harrison electoral ticket
He stumped all the middle and lower part
of the State with great effect, travelling
from the Wabash to the Mississippi in the
hot months of July and August, shaking
with the ague one day, and addressing the
people the next, and establishing a reputa-
ton rs one of the most effective and popu-
lar speakers in the State, reputation which
he has ever since maintained.
From Ii $40 to 844 Mr.. Lincoln devoted
himself entirely to the active pursuit of his
profession. The Clay campaign of 1914
brought him again into the political arena,
and he headed the Wing electoral ticket in
that canvass. He stumped the State, speak
ing TO immense audiences everywhere he
went, winning the applause of his friends
and extorting the admiration of his enemies
for his eloquent and mastery expositions of
the principles of his party. After the de
feat of Mr.. Clay, and up to 1876, be was
found devoted to his profession. In August
of 1916 he was elected to Congress, by the
Wings of the Springfield district to succeed
Col. f. D. Baker.
In December, 1s47, ar. Lincoln took his
seat in Congress. 1t is but proper that his
recorded opinions, while a member of Con-
gress, upon the questions then agitating the
country, should be known, and now pro-
pose to briefly review the record made by
him in the Thirtieth Congress.
In the House of Representatives, on the
Sd of January, 184s, Mr.. Evans, of Mary
land, offered the following resolution
"ResoIOed, That the capitulaton of Mon
terey meets with the entire sanction and ap-
probation of this Congress, and that the
terms of that capitulation were as creditable
to the humanity and skill of the gallant
TaVlOr &C the afhinramaDt IF the victory Of