Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1860-05-25
sexoNEsr OLD ABE '
@O4N 111 V4SW 4A45Eda'
The Peoples Candidats for Prssidsut
--Biosraphfeat sEetch of AbEaham
LiIcolns LEX

| G1ncolne -G"
[From the Chicago Press and Tribune
Abrahsrn Lincdlh IS a native of Hardin
county, Kentucky. He was born on the i2th
day OF February, 1903. His parents Eers
both from Virginia, and were certainly not oi
! the hrst families. His parental grandfatber,
Abraham Lincoln emigrated from Rockingham
county Virginia, to Kentucky, about LEA or
= where year or two later he was killed, by
Indians, not 10 battle, but By stealth, while he
was iaborlng to open farm in the forest -
His ancestors, who were respectable rnemlers
Of the Society of Friends, went to Virginia
from Berks county, Pennsylvania. Decend-
ants of the same stock still reside ia the east
ern part of the State. .---,-.
Mr.. Lincolu's father at the death of his
father, was but six years,of age, aud he grew
l up literally without education, He removed
from Kentucky to what is now Spencer .c3un-
ty, Indiana, in 1876. The family reached
their new home about the time the State al
admitted into the Union The region in Rhich
they settled was rude and wild, and they en-
dured for some years, the hard experience Of d
frontier life, in which the struggle with. nature
for existence and security is to be maintained
only by constant vigilance. Bears, wolves aud
other wild animals still infested the woods, and
young Lincoln acquired more skill in the Hse Of
the rife than knowledge Of books There 1Ftte
institutions here and there, known Et The Hit-
tering Denomination Of schools" but No
! qualification was required of a teacher beyond
"readih' aritin' and cypherin'," as the .yernu-
cuar phrase ran, as far as the rule of three
If straggler, supposed to understand Latin,
happened TO sojourn in the neighbefhood, be
was looked upon a wizard, and regarded
with an awe suited to 60 mysterious charac-
1 tcr.
! Hard work aud plenty of it was the order Of
the day, varied, indeed by an occasional bear
hant, not unirequcut deer chase, OF dihet
wild sport. CT Course when young Lincolu.
came of age he was not scholar He could
read and write, aud had some knowledge of
arithmetic, but that was about all ; and as vet.
he had but little ambition 10 know more Of
what was tC Ire found in books. His attain
, l1ci.;s otherwise were not to be despised. He
had grown TO be six feet four inches in stature;
was active and athletic, could WELD the ak, d.
rect The ploa, CT use the rife, as well as the
best Of his compe2rs, and was fully up to all
the Gnas.eries of prairie farming, and fully In
! ured to hardship and toll. Since he arrived at
requirements are, they have been picked up
I from time to time as opportunity occurred, or
as the pressure Of somG eXigency demanded
AT twcnfy-one be removed TO Illinois, and
passed the FIRST year in Macon county, in ao-
tive labor on a farm, where be and fellow la
borer, (named Hauks.) SPLIT THREE
THOUSAND RAILS, IN the gear 1880. 1t
vii! be interesting tc the millions before whom
he is now placed as a candidate for the higi,cst
Office in the gift of free people, to know that
he once h:anoged .t7atboat on the Ohio river
The arcc1ctcs ~Lich he sometimes reiatea ID
lis friends Of bis maritime experiences before
the Introduction of steam on the Western riv:
ers, are indescribab,y laugable. From Macon
county he went to New Salem, in what is now
IeEard courty. where he fcmaiiea about a
year. Then came the Black Hawk war. 4
company Of volunteers was raised in New, S.
lem and tile surrounding country, and young
Lincoln was elected captain--a success which.
he has since said, gave him more pleasure than
he has ever Since enjoyed. He served with
credit during the campaign, and became popa-
lar. Returning to Sangamon county, he learo-
ed the art Of surveying, and prosecuted tEat
profession until the financial crash Of 1897 des-
troyed the value of real estate and ruined, the
business-the result OF hich was that young
Lincons surveying aperatus was sold on exc
eution by the sheriff Nothing daunted by
this turn o. III luck, lie directed his attention
to the law, and borrowing lew books from n
ncighbor, which he took from the office in the
evening aud returned in the morning he learn
ed the rudiments of the profession in which he
has since become so distinguished, bg the light
Of a fire place!
About this time tho Wings of this county
conferred upon him nomination for the Leg
isaiire. He vas successful in this and three
succeeding elections, By triumphant maiorities
While member Of the legislature he first gave
indications Of his superior powers as debater,
and he increased, by frequent practice, his nat
Gtal faculty for public speaking. He improved
industriousy the opportunities that were here
offered OF. spfcultivation. From the position
of saI'altern in the ranks of the Whig party,
position that appropriately assigned
lin by his unaffected nodesty aud humble pre-
tensions, he soon became recognized and ac-
knowleged a champion aud a leader, and
his unvarying courtesy. good nature and ge-
hial manners, united with an utter disinterest-
edness and abnegation of self made him.a uni
versal favorite.
putrg Ills legislative period he coatinned
H;s ld# 5tudes. end removing to Springfield,
he opeued an Office and engaged actively in
practise. Business flowed in upon MIN, and
be rose rapidly to distinction in bis profession.
He displayed remarkable ability as an advo-
cate in jury trials and many Of his law argu-
ments were masterpieces Of logical reasoping.
There was 20 refined Grtifcialfty III his foreu-
nc eff rts. They all bore the stamp of mas
tuliue common scuse and he had natural
easy mode OF illustrlgtiCu chat Iia1e the most
absttit5e subjects appear plain. His success
at the bar, however did lfpt Withdraw bis at
tention from politics. For many yearshe rss
the wheel horse" Of the Wing party OF Illinois,
and was on the election ticket in several Pres
idcntia campaigns Atsuch times he canvas
sed the State with his usual vigor and ability.
lie was an ardent friend of Henry Clay, and
cxerted himself powerfully in his behalf in
1914, traversing the the ertire State Of Him
ois, and addressing the public meetings daily
until near the close of the campaign, when be-
coming convinced that his labors in that field
would be tnavsiling. he crossed over into In
diana, and continued his efforts up to the day
of election. The contest of that year in Iii.
no;s was mainly on the tariff question: Mr..
lincoln, on the Wing side. and John Calhoun.
on the Democratic side, were the heads Of the
opposing electo g. tickets. Calhoun. late of
Nebraska, now dead was then in the full Wig
or of his powers, and was accounted the sblest
debater of his party They stumped the State
together, or nearly so, making speeches usual
ly on alternate days at each place, and each
addressing large audiences at great length.
sometimes four hours together. Mr.. Lincoln,
in these elaborate speeches, eviuced thorough
mastery of the principles of political economy