, 1881-09-10

Some "Reminiscences Of t1lo Great 1Itl-
notKan by kilc Hun. Jn,per falllcsptc,
OMe 0r mr.. Lincoln,s Nlost Intimate
md Trusted 1'rlon.ln.
EpwAnDsviLr.E, ILL.,, Sept. G-Ifhc Hon. i.
N. +lrnoitl-DEAn SIN: tllnnk you for TINT
copy Of yo,r admirable ,ltttlrcss before tho
Lontlon Historical Soctuty sonetIny our
grcat alld gooti frlund Alr. Lincoln; aud |
tlollbly thark you for tho truthful mud Ut
tractiyG li,annur In wliicl yo.l presented Ills
lifu and character Iii Ills lowly und higher
wNlks.
Sometimes 1 feel TINT my life l1as been II
1nero 'lclason; tint could have personally
known Atltl been uM turns nf fntinlxcy with
otla who fills 50 large II ,ncastlre uf slnce In
tho worlds estimation appears inlpussibu
nlttl unreal.
becallis acquainted will, tho great con,-
tnniior In ls:ts, tIl thu secnnu Hack Hawk
Si!ipE %it ao aw 's VII TSo wTss1nf ts st n }s ttS
%rsstlsr # sonthcrii iii,'ux. u f.nsa!ii SSs WIS
Captaln Ut y company from Mpl,artl County,
a'ltl WIS champion Of tIlu Northern Sue
tn tiI,. 'ier1 WV hnrliy a Nort! ut t''at
both inrn of lilgn proportions and lierculcn
strelIgtll. Thomson was six feet htylI,
l1ncn!tI six fcct four. a!ilA the bystaildDrs
c,o!.c!tlttetl ., tlTat Dow l,nl tho advantage III
III, hui v,,nrI al nj tl,t,, i,ta 1.,".,,,.ut
,,i,,.;t vt ,,g t@,keE WI. Slr Lneoln about tls
lnct!setit niler lle bccnM!o PRESIDENT, anu 1t
Of bis enrly llte IN tile bactswuods. lie NJ
!udnd very kinhly to Dow Thompson. md had
kept trneo OF h!n from 1t. Cuir County, illinois,
to AreAllsua Dow Was II tritG specimen OF tho
Fonhs Plunccr. Ills property was NIL nbyorbed
III ,m nSyng Sa ss for iE;Ins yt.h the 1er,nans
nnvc Into st. Clair County, and Dow Ind to
c'IltKrntu, nno, like most uf his clnsa, went to
hs c;,a wf whfI1 m s@S w9s S19 sSdss Hn
with tho !nlaions Of tho Inv" D1w hud no
lnnico In Ills composition: lie seldom fought
svl.s tho boat nun; but bis curiosity IN ts l,cn
WIS lntenso un1 often Ertti1ctl: Ho held Lin
fS Siow " hTa a, 'c ss,iaqn 81 Sseaso he funny
REPRESENTATIVE Il tho icslsatuso r. 's fso, ss: i:
onx ,io y Ii thls M TIM ~ So h ha is s,aaea 1w
and was tho acknowledged lt:ultlcr Of tho WbIg
p!rtyM n II the House. mud was always put forth to
Gy ono or Ills inaitaIio s;ories. ' ''''01''"''
tho ssao cS 5 p1s at Gr nS q tna nS 5 yGas 1se
In sio snu e"ck,yoo1s tash!on a soon be-
sai, aid rcsarscd hinl as r.,,gh % diamon a,f of
for him; It never e,itorofi iny hoa tbat l,o hid
ennbio iilal, to guide tho ship OF Staro enfoy
through tho storms atnonE tho rocks, and over
l1n 1HlCkSAtQs 3E ulrCful WRf.
Events hava proven, however, that ho had
trlnsccn.lnnt greatness stirred nway in tho re-
eessrs Of his nature, qualities that wotttt 1nakn
him enunl to tho grcittuat emergencies. Anil
now that hts famo knows no bullntls, TINT thu
lDttlest intcllCcts n1d th0sa occupying tho hjxtI-
e. positions IL the world bow ID dofor9aco TO
izu that IL was my lot to have teuu on terms Of
pUrsonAt Intimacy with ono or hts almost silpur-
hun,an eudownri,ts sec him ut onG view the
rough. awkward Kood-n -natu rod backwoods buy,
deli9httng his companions with big npt ar4
amusing stnrlcs h1id Illustrations. Next uet
hun in tho forum convincing tho court asd GU
trAno!ng tho Jurle8; thon hch0ld hin, tn tho
Anlls slnf legislation md un the husting the
peer Il n,ay say tho supcrorl OF nil his alIt,l8o-
niats, hut yet ho WAS not hgyuntl rivalry; utilurs
wcro his et!,als thus far, but his tilnG bud mt
yet como. Nuw without my adyentitlplsS nlda
he h,s worked hlrnsot Into thu Prcsidontiai
chalr. liz tMkea tho hU1m OF tho Ahit,
Or statu in thu 1nost turbulent Ailtl
trying ~, parod ~ tho worlds his
Hlut,? WI doubt, VIZ utmost tlusl,alr Day py
dny, however, his powers ,,nf0Ii thenlaVlves,
aud be meets and nvprcotl,va ovcry difficulty
with trpi,scendunt ability. No aro Gcgianinx tu
tGuI tliut III tho u,lgallty luoj la,yyur va htlyu