Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1864-10-01
A TALK WITH ABRAHAM IrNcoLN,

TALK WITH ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
AT time when thousands of honest,
earnest men are in painful doubt concern.
ing the fitness of our President 10 resume
bis Office for another. term. every Incident
which Gao lLrow light on his character
has peculiar inlerestfor the public. II
has been well said, that we never knew a
man thoroughly till we see him at his ease
Certain it is, hat there are moments when
we seem able 10 see into man and through
him. Thought J once had such an oppor.
tuuity with Mr.. Lincoln. .'-..l,e ...-
1t was just after bis controversy with Mr..
Douglas and some months before the meet.
ing of the Chicugo Convention of 1860,
that Mr. Lincoln. csme to Norwieh TO nuke
political Speech su IL iwas in substance the
famous speech delivered in New. York,
commencing with the noble words, there is
bat one political question before the
people Of the. country, which is this, is siaU
cry gight, or IS itlotong /? And ending
With the yet noblcr, words. gentlemen, it
has been said of the worlds history hitber-
to, that might makes right; it is for Us and
for our times to reverse the maxim, and to
show that right makes might! = ,sss.ii5s#
The next morning meet him at the
railroad station, where. hc was. sconyersiDg
with our mayor every few minute looking
up the track. and ipquiring halfimpatieutl y
and half quizzically. where's that wagon Of
yours? Why don't the wagon come
along F? On being introduced 10 him, he
liked his eye upon me, and said have
seen you before, sir Think not, Ireplied; /;
| you must mist ake me for some other per-
fson.ial No, 1 dou't;, / saw you at ihe Town
Hail.. last. evening" Is it possible, Mr..
.Lncen, that You could observe individuals
SO closely in,snch a crowd ?,a Oh, yes !! he
replied, laughing, that is my way r.. i don't
forget faces. al'Were you not there? j
was. sir; and was well paid for going, nd
Iding somewhat in the vein of pleasantly
be had started, 1 consider it Que of the
lmcsl extraordinary speeches ever heard
LAS we entered the cars, he beckoned inc
10 lake seat With him, and said in a mos,
agreeably frank way. we're you sincere in
what you said about my speech Just now
| meant every word of it, Mr.. Lincoln
Why, an old dyed in the wool Democrat
who sal near me. ,applauded you repeated
y; and. when rallied 'npons his conversion
to sound principles, answered, don't be.
ieve word be says, but / can't help clap
ping him, he, is SO pat. That 1 call the
triumph of oratory, -
when you convince against his viii, . 2
Though he is of the same opinion still. :, -yj-ss
Indeed, sir, / learned more Of the art O
pubic speaking last evening than could
from whole course of lecl ures on Rhetoric
Ah :! that reminds me, said he OF a mos
extraordinary circums' ance which occur
red 10 New Haven, the other day. The,
Told me that the professor of rhetoric ii
Yale College, very learned man, ISM
he Yes, sir, and q fne critic. too Wei
suppose so; he ought 10 be, at any rate
they told me that he came to hear me and
took notes of my speech, and gave q lecture
On it to his class the next day; aud, po'
satisfied with that, be followed me up to
Meriden the next evening, and heard mt
, ugan for the same purpose. Now, if thi'
is SO, it is TO my mind very extraordinary
II have been sufficiently astonished at my
success in the West. II has been mos
unexpected. But had no thonght OF any
! marked success at The East, and least o
a all that i should draw out such commen
dation from literary and learned men
! Nov, he cosliaued5 Lsbould like yery mucl
: to oSknow what it- was in my speech YOU
t6ought so remarkable, aud what you sop
pose inter esied my friend, the professor, 81
T. much. The ,clearness of your statenients
= Mr.. lincoln; the transferable style o
I Eyopr reasoning, and especially your illnstra
. tiors, which we're romance and pathos an'
!. fun all n .lded together That stor
: about the snakes. for example. which Sc
the hands and feet Of your Democrati
Ihearsrs in such Ivigorious motion, was a
!. once queer aud eomicsl and tragic and al
! gumentative. II broke through all tb
: barriers of q mans previous opinions ap
Ipreiudces, at o crash, aud blew up. tn
very citadel Of bis false theories, before b
could know what bad hurt him saolIaY
, Can. you remember any other illustra
4 lions said be, of this peculiarity of my style
I II gave him Others Of the same sort, occupy
j ing some half hour 10 The crtique, whe
be said, Lam much obliged TO you Tor thi
lI'haye been wishing for q long time to in
some cne who W would make this analysis fc
fme.s' 1t throws light on subject wbic
9 has been dark 20 me can understand
. very readily. bow such power as you hay
q ascribed 10 me will account for the effet
:. which .seems,to be. produced by my speeehe
y Certainly, I have had "a most wohderf
g lsuceess. forIa man. Of my limited education
\ = That suggests, Mr. Lincoln, an ipdnii
I which bad several times been upon my lip
! Daring this conversation. II want vel
much to know how you got this upus
fnover Of puttjpg things. u must hR'