Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1879-09-15
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
FROM THE NOTE BOOK OF "REMINISCENCES
OF JUDGE A. G. w. CARTER.

OF JUDGE A. Il. w. CARTER.
The Republicans of Cincinnati. in the
year 1869. invited plain Abraham Lin
coin. of Illinois. to this city to make
political speech in reply to one that had
been made here a short time before by
Stephen A. Douglass. This was some
tine after the famous campaigns of Lin
coin and Douglass in the state of Illinois,
and by which both acquired and main
tanned so great a national reputation,
which Lincoln never had before, but the
reputation of Douglass had long since
become national from his career in the
United States Senate. Douglass had
been there. and had mazda 1arH-<...>n4
Democratic speech, and the Republicans
shought it quite necessary that the great
effect of should be modified and amel-
iorated ny speech from his own home
rival, Mr.. Lincoln. So Lincoln was in
vited, and he came, arriving, on the ear
ly evening of September II, 1859, and
he was duly escorted to his well-prepar-
ed quarters at the Burnet House by
Republican committee. At half-past
seven o'clock, a long procession. headed
by Menter's famous brass band. reached
the Burnet House, and there taking Mr..
Lincoln along with them, marched to
the Fifth street market space. and there,
from the balcony of Mr.. Kinsley's house
above his store, Mr.. Lincoln made one
of the best political speeches of his life
to the immense concourse of his fellow
citizens assembled to hear him for the
first time.
was at the Burnet House at the
time. and Gov. Thomas Corwin had been
living there for several months. and he
proposed to me to accompany him up to
the meeting to hear enough of it, SO that
we might be enable to talk about it with
the orator after it was all over, for Mr..
Corwin had arranged for Mr.. Lincoln to
spend good portion of the night with
him in his own room at the Burnet
House. and had personally invited me
to be one of the company. I went with
Mr.. Corwin, and standing on the market
space with the rest of the multitude, we
listened with great interest to Mr.. Lin
coin from the beginning to the end of
his eloquent and thoroughly politically
practical speech, for we could not get
away from his eloquence. The night
was calm and beautiful, the atmosphere
balmy and delightful, and the clear,
loud penetrating tones of old Abe's voice
(for he was called "Old Abe" even then)
reached to all points of the extended
market space, and anyone there could
plainly and distinctly hear everything
that he said. | fully remember tine
modest and humble beginning of bis
great speech.
Fellow citizens" said he, in very
sincere manner and plain tone of voice
"this is the first time | ever undertook
to speak to the people inhabiting so larg'
a city, and [ am not in the habit o
making speeches in so big city, ant
therefore | hope will be excused fo
any errors or blunders | may make be
fore so large meeting"
This was truly humble beginning
and the very simplicity and homespu
manner and method of his exordiur
commanded at once the attention of tn
people. and for full two hours that vas
concourse listened to him without inter
ruption, save by their own applause
After he was through, Mr.. Corwin. bs
ing seen in the crowd, was called fol
but he did not make q speech on accouu
of the lateness of the hour. He properl
excused himself. Mr.. Corwin and
wended our way back to the Burnt
House, and waited the arrival Of NJ
Lincoln in the office, and after his friend
and admirers had left him and the Blu
net House, we approached him. and, b
his invitation, accompanied him to b
private room, No. 10, on the first foo
adjoining the large hall of the ofic
and took seats with him. It was no
Ii o'clock at night. but Mr.. Lincol
showed no signs of exhaustion or fatigue
on the contrary, be was lively and chee
full, and full of talk and fun. He orde
ed three whisky punches for his gues
and himself, and we soon began {
them; and then there came flood
dramatic anecdotes from Corwin. son
stories from me, and q deluge of dry a
ecdotes (if this be paradox) from @
Abe. He sat in his chair, with his fe
and long legs upon and over the cent
table, and he began to tell his dry st
!, ries, in his dry way, and kept Mr. Go
win and myself for several hours in e
tertainment and hilarity. had hea
of MIR. Lincoln as story teller, but
never knew that he was such a serio,
D sincere, earnest, funny one as he show
j himself that night. He beat Corwin
). hollow, and Mr.. Corwin remarked to /
j; that he would yield the palm of stol
r telling to Mr.. Lincoln. But our int,
e view was not all STORYTELLING. The