The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1860-05-31

The Peoples Candidate for President.
Biographical sketch Of Abraham LincOln.

| Abrsitnm Lincoln is native of Hardin cOuu-
| ", Kentucky He was born on the l2th day ot
February 1903 His parents wera both from
! Virginia, aud Nere certainly not ot the hrst Rn'
| lilies. His paternal grandfather. Abrahnm lin
coin. cmigrated from Rockingham county, Va,
| to Kentucky, about l7Sl or = where a year ot
two later he was killed by Indians, not in bat
| tle but by stealth, while he was lohorjng to
| open farm in the forest His ancestors were
men, hers of the Society of Friends, went to Nir-
! giuia from Berks county, Pa DaSccn euts oI
! the same stock still reside in the eastern part
! OF that State.
| MIR Lincoln'S father, at the death OF his tuth
er was but six years Of aye, aud he grew up
! literally without education. He removed from
! Kentucky to whit is now Spencer county, Ind,
in lSl6. The family reached heir new home
about the time the new State was admitted to
| the Union. The region in which they settled
was rude aud wild, and they endured tor some
| ycarj the hard experience OF frontier lille. IN
! which the struggle with nature Tor existence Rnd
security is TO be maintained only by constant
yiulunce. Bears wolves AMI other wild nni
| mails still inlest the woods, aud young Lincoln
acquired more skill in the use OF the rifle than
knowledge oI books, There were institutions
here and there known by the lltGinG drnoml
nation of schools" hut no qualification was
required ola teacher beyond "readn', writin aud
as the rule OF three. II a stragghr supposed TO
understand Latin happened to sojourn IN the
neighhorhoud. lac was looked upon rs u WIZ ,rd,
and regarded with an awe suited TO so mysteri
| Gus n character.
Hard work and plenty Of it vas the order OF
the day, varied, indeed, hy an occasional bear
hunt, not unfrequent deer chase, or other wild
sport. or course, when young Lincoln came
of age 'e was not scholar. a. could read ami
write and had some knowledge OF arithmeuc.
but that was about alt; and as yet he had bat
little ambition to know more of what was to be
found in books. His attainments otherwise
were not to be despsei. lie had grown to Oe
six feet four inches in stature, was active and
athletic; could WELD the axe, direct the plOw,
or use the rifle as we'll as the best of his com
peers, ,ani wac full mp to all the mysteries OF pra
rie farming, and fully Injured to hardship nnc
toll. Since he arrived ut age he has not been to
school. Whatever his requirements are, they
have ben picked up from umA to time as op
portunity occurred, or us the pressure OF some ex
igency demanded.
At twenty y-one he went to illinois and passe'
the first yeal in Macon county, III active labo
on a iarm whore he and a fellow lahOrrr (name,
Uanks) Splt three thousand rails in the yea
1880 II will be Interesting 10 the millions be
fore whom he is NOW p iced as for the hiIhcs
office in the gift nt free people, to know tha
he once 1nuqased Il ftt boat on the Ono river
The anecdotes which he sometimes relates Il
his Crcnds OF his m triti lime experience b fore tn
introdu elton of steam on the western ar
iudescribaby laughubls. From Macon count
he went to New Salem, i'll what is now Mcnar
county where he rem lined about year. The
came The Black Hawk war A company OF vo
uutcerS was raised in New Salem aud the sur
rounding country and youug Lincoln WAS cleC
II ted Captdin-a success which, nS he SAID. CAV
| him more pleasure than any which n has sine
II eniDyed He served with credit during the can
Al naion. and became popular. r turning to Sdg
Il anon county. hc learned the art OF surveying
II and prosecuted that profession until the hnau
cial crash of 1897 destroyed the value Of real rs
s tale and ruined the business the result OF whlC
It was that Young iuCOm'S surveying aplratu
y was soll on execution by III Sheriff Nothin.
Il dnnnted by this turn of ill-luck, he ,urned hi
Il attention to the law, and borrowed few book
|, from a neighbor. which he took from the oIliC
o in the evening and returned in the morning, h
il learned the rudments OF the prOtcsslon,in whlc
5 he has since become distinguished, by the Hgh
n from u fire place
o About tins time the Wings of his patty COZ
Z ferred upoa him the nomination TO the heglsI1
)f ture. lie was successful in this an three suC
n ccedinq elections by Triumphant ma critics..
l. While in tn. Legislature he gave the first indi
q
it he increased by frequent practice his natur'
e faculty for public speaking, He improved in
o dustriously the oppnrtunltsS that were here o
y fered for self cultivation From the position /
g n subaltern in the ranks OF tine Wing party,
1t position that was appropriately assigned I'M
! bv his unaTtcte moi,sty AMI humble prefer
st tions he sorn bectme r,cog gniz ii as champ
G. on aud leader. and his unvaTyn2 courtesy al
st genial mannnrs, united with an utter dlslnte
nG Il la hin,
e universal iavorlte.
Il During the legislative period he continued h
ID law studies. ana removing to Springfield
% opcned an Office aud continued actively in prat
is ,ice. Business flowed in upon him an he roS
n rapi lly to distinction in his profession. II
-e displayed remarkable activity as an advocate
le inry lrial, an II many of his law argum,nts war
e master pieces OF la .c,l reasoning, Fh're wa
= no refined artlhcaty IN his forensic ell 'rts.-
II They all bore the stamp o m lSculIne conmn
% sens.; aml he hal natural, easy mode OF llu
Jr traliua, that made the most abStrus7 subJec
N appear plain Ills success At the bar howeSe
itI did not Withdraw his attention from pplIticS.-
lie For many yesrs h- was the "wheeI horse
ar the " hg party of Illinois an1 was on the ele
er torl ticket on several Presidential campaign
;i Al suca times he canvassel the state with m
.r usual rigOr and ability lie was an ardent irirt
is of Henry Clay, aud ex"rted himself powerful
'e in his behalf in 1874 trtver'lnI the entire Stat
is of Illinois, and addressing public meetings dali
N until near,y the Close of he canpaign, whel
1t becoming convinced that his labOrs in that he
It were unavaliug he crossed over 10 Indiana al
1. continued his FL lrts until the day of election
II The contest in that year in Illinois was main
a on the t4rif question. Mr. Lncoln on u
Wing side and Mr Calhoun on the democrat
y side. were the heads of the opposing eIector
t. ticket Calhoun, late ol Nebraska, now dea
IN was then in the full vigor of his powers al
in accounted the abest debaler ol hispTIy, Th'
stumpel the state together, or nearly sn,nakll
E. speeches usually on alternate days at each plac
and each addressing larg, an iiences at gre
ie lergth, sometimes four hours together. NJ
&c LncJu in these elabarate speeches, evlnced
y thorough mastery of the princlples OF polite
C economy which undrrie Ih' tariff question o.
* present ID arguments in favor of the protect
nnlinr ,uith a nnuar anil cnnrlnsiYrness rare