Dodgeville chronicle. [volume] (Dodgeville, Wis.) 1862-current, 1864-04-21
Interesting Incidents in the Life
of President Lincoln.

| l0UeT6SIllg lnClQ0nCS III CnG LIE
of President Lincoln.
In the House Of Representatives,
recently, Mr. Arnold, Of Illinois, made
remarkably able and beautiful speech
upon tfReconstruction, Of which. he
made Freedom the corner stone, and
Abraham Lincoln the architect. We
reproduce the following most interest
ing incidents in the. Presidents life +:
r MR.. LINcoLN's TRAINING. or
/ His previous training for his great
work was not the training Of the schools;
! it was better. It was struggle with
difficulties among the people. He had
the foundation perfect integrity, truth,
candor, sobriety, self-control, reliance,
modesty. With clear Judgment, sound
common sense, shrewd knowledge
of human nature, he is the most Ameri-
can of all Americans. He has served a
single term in Congress, but bis educa-
tion, his preparation was among the
people, in humble and homely positions;
fat-boatman, rail-splitter, sur
veyor, member of the Legislature in a
| frontier State, a lawyer in the log court
house of the west. While he had no
university schooling, few, if any have
had better training to develope and
strengthen his intellectual powers than
he This may seem strange, but let me
explain, and its truth will, [ think, be
conceded. 4H
He was trained in a school where
giants were his competitors, and he
bore off the crown.
WHO WE'RE HIS COMPETITORS
Some twenty years ago, there gather
ed around the plain, pine tables Of the
frontier court houses of central Illinois
very remarkable combination Of men.
Among them, and concededly their lea
der, was Abraham Lincoln Stephen A !.
Douglas, his great political rival Iy-
man Trumbuil, chairman of the Ju-
dietary Committee Of the Senate Z. o..
Baker, the able, the eloquent Senator,
soldier, and martyr to liberty Gen.
James Shields, who won high rcputa.
ton at Washington and on the battle
fields of Mexico Gen John j. Hardin,
an able and eloquent lawyer; who fell
on the bloody fed Of Buena Vista JAS
A. McDougall, the present Senator
from California /; William A Richard
son, present Senator from Illinois and
Gen John A. McClcrnand, now in the
field Besides these was the late Gov.
Bissell, whose manly yindication Of the
bravery of the Illinois volunteers in
Mexico, against the aspen atiosls of Jefer-
son Davis, will be well remembered
vindication which resulted in challenge
from the traitor Davis, which was accept
ed by Bissell, from which said traitor
backed down, it is said, under the advice
of General Taylor. These men, of ma
tional reputation, and others equally able
but whose pursuits have been confined at
home, were the competitors OF Lincoln.
These were the men in contest with whom
Lincoln was trained for the terrible con-
test through which heis passing
CONTEST BETWEEN LINCOLN AND DOUGLAS
The contest between Lincoln and
Douglas IN 1858, was the most remarka-
BILE in American history. They were the
acknowledged leaders, each of his party.
Both men of great and marked individu-
ality Of character. The prize was the
Senatorship ofthe great State Of illinois,
and the success of the Republican or
Democratic party Douglas had the
additional stimulant of the Presidency
in view. These two trained leaders
met, at designated places. and, in the
presence of immense crowds Of people,
debated the great questions at issue
Douglas went through this campaign
like conquering hero. He had his
special train Of cars, his band of music,
his body guard of devoted friends, can
non carried on the train, the firing from
which announced his approach to the
place of meeting Such canvass in.
volved, necessarily very large expendi-
lures. and it has been said that Douglas
did not expend less than $5p, 900 in this
canvass. Some idea of the plain, simple,
frugal habits of Mr.. Lincoln may be
gathered, when ] tell you that at its close,
having occupied several months, Mr.
Lincoln said, with the idea, apparently,
that be had been somewhat extravagant,
Il do not believe have spent a cent
less than $500 in this canvass" f
Senator Douglas was at that time the
leading debater in the United States
Senate. He had been accustomed to meet
for years in Congress the trained leaders
of the nation, and never, either in sin
gle combat, or taking the fire Of the
whole party, had he been discomforted.
He was bold. defiant. confident, aggres-
sive fertile in resources, terrible in
denunciation. familiar with political his
tory, practical in all controversial dis
cussions, of indomitable physical and
moral courage, and unquestionably the
most formidable man in the nation on the
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