The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-15
Abraham Lincoln.
An Incident that Helped Defeat Him in
His Senatorial Aspirations.
Judge Park at the Joliet Lincoln Banquet

My next view of him was in 1856 at
Springfield, day or two before the COM
mencement of the session of the general as
sembly, of which I was then a member
Mark you, do not brag of this, simply
confess it as fact. But then you must not
forget that the indiscretion occurred when
my hair was black and was green.
Mr.. Lincoln was candidate at that ses-
sion, as you know, for a seat in the senate
of the United States; and although l was
not pledged to his support, was still and
with reason, generally accounted one of his
friends. You will be astonished at the
information, but it is a fact that the only
ground for distrusting me was the fear that
l was too much of Democrat! l first
caught sight of him at my hotel, where no
ticed that he was on hand at the arrival Of
the train from the north, about as soon as
names could be registered. Now, shall l
speak frankly? did not at first impression.
quite like his ways / watched him as he
darted hither and thither through the crowd
that filed the Office and the corridors, beam
ing with especial fascination upon the doub-
full but not desperate members Not then
hHO0lAS tAS pIUCcSStS Ny WHICH LQ6 average
United States senator is made, it struck me
unpleasantly as favoring somewhat of undig-
nified personal solicitation. This, you will
remember, was in my callow youth as pol
itician, when | was simple enough to un-
reasonably revere the maxim, 'sthat the
office should seek the man, not the man the
Office" Mr. Lincoln knew then, and have
learned since, that the heightened gentleman
who trusts too far to that maxim is very like
lV IN tho Othar fal1orp xp1,o
~ goes in to win, complacently reaching out
his hand for the commission. In short,
and 1t is no dlsparagement to him to say so,
he was at that time a politician, Sprino-
field politician, living at the state capital
where the great olympic races of political
rivalry are appointed to come off; a polite
ian of the purest possible type, no doubt
ayerse to all trickery, falsehood and under
handed methods, seeking office as a post for
useful service to his country and for that
legitimate distinction which springs from
useful service, but yet a politician not un-
skilled in the arts of party management,
and profoundly impressed with the convic-
ton that the most successful thing in the
world is success.
Well, after all, he was beaten by Judge
Trumbull, and, what seems little odd,
was beaten by the extreme left Of the anti
Nebraska party in the House of Representa-
before the day when his voice, to which war
gave the force of law, uttered the immortal
edict of emancipation, the extreme liberty
men in that chamber, not numerous indeed.
but holding the balance of power, thought
that Abraham Lincoln could not be trusted
with the cause.
Perhaps this Incorporating band could
not have been conciliated to his support in
any way, but have always thought that
MO H,rn1.a al -
dent which have never seen OF heard men
toned in any account of the affair." A few
days, perhaps only day or two, before the
election, the Illinois state colonial
ton society, inspired by the ex-
ample of the famous Mrs Parting
ton, who sought to sweep out the At
lantic ocean with her broom, an effort. it is
needless to add. which did not and could
not succeed, held its annual session in the
hall of the House of Representatives. Now.
an old topper on fire for his morning dram,
could not be more disguised with the offer
OF thin potation of small beer or Adams
ale than were the Abolitionists of that day
with this impotent and Predetermined auxii-
larry to their cause. Most unfortunately Mr..
Lincoln had thoughtlessly allowed himself to
be advertised for speech at this meeting;
speech that, whatever it was, could do him
no good, and was pretty sure to do him
learned too late. To shrink back would be
cowardice, yet to GO on seemed suicide.
l came into the hall and took my seat at
an early hour of the appointed evening, when
but few members had arrived. Three or
four of the dreaded Abolitionists were on
hand-Lyman of Winnebago; Pinckney of
Ogle; Brown of Knox, and think Loveioy
himself. Mr.. Lincoln, who was evidently
vexed with the predicament in which he had
involved himself, also sauntered into the
hall early, and happened to sit down near
me. cannot recall his words, and you
who knew him can easily imagine the quaint,
good-humored tone with which he referred
to his dilemma. But his object in the inter-
view was to ask me, as man from the
North, supposed by him to be acquainted
with these combustible gentlemen, how he
could best handle the COMPOUNDED firebrand
he had in hand without producing an explo-
sion. MY acquaintance with them, however,
was too limited to enable me to make the
least suggestion of value; but ventured to
say that while no speech at all would have
been best OF all, yet as he had advanced too
far to retreat, L saw no other alternative
than to boldly utter his sentiments on the
internal theme which he had assumed.
Probably many Others of his recognized
friends gave him similar replies. But he
did not, and, indeed, could not, follow such
advice. He was handicapped from the
start He hitched and shuffied through his
speech like man in letters, and was easily
excelled by Major Harris, a Democratic
member of Congress at that time, a very in
ferior speaker to him, but whose tongue at
least was free from paralysis.