The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1884-04-12

rally studious, little given to display, but
devoted to careful, plodding work. In
the latter years of the course he came
to ;he higher studies ripe for their COM
. prehension and enjoyment, and showed
to much better advantage than in the
technical work Of the preceding years.
He graduated in 1864, and yielding
most unwillingly to the importunate
advice and pleading solicitation Of his
father, he entered the Harvard Law
School. The country was then in the
throes OF a fierce Presidential contest,
superimposed upon the mighty struggle
with rebellion. 1t was sorely against
his will that the young man had been
kept at college. Every murmur of de-
feat, during the long and terrible strug-
gle, had come to his ears as a voice of
reproach, and only the fathers constant
entreaty had kept him from the field of
battle. For 4 few weeks his filial rev.
erence and the duty which he owed to
that father who was the nations head
kept him at the law school. Then he
! could endure it no longer, and break
Ing away from the paternal constraint,
! he sped to Washington, entered the
army. and in a short time was assigned
to duty upon the staff of General Grant
as captain and aidede-camp. His army
life was as unpretentious as that which
had gone before. No man who served
upon the personal staff of Grant had
any slneCure. The fact that he was the
Presidents son made no difference in
his duties or responsibilities nor did
he desire that it should. With quiet,
unassuming diligence he took up the
duties of his position, Sinking nothing
of labor, hardship or exposure asking
nothing for himself but a soldiers duty.
| During this period of -forma-
ton the young man grew rapidly. He
had the advantages of personal contact
with the greatest minds of the day and
the tutorShip of tremendous events.
Nj the close of the war, after his faith
er's death, he decided promptly in favor
of beginning life in earnest and for him
self. The nation stood ready to bestow
upon him the emolumentS and favor
which his father had not lived to enjoy.
He had but to remain in the army to
obtain promotion and advancement.
| The country would have made pet of
him. Almost everybody expected him
to do this. Many sought to attach
themselves to him in order to share the
fwor they knew he might enjoy. Those
who held to this belief had little knowl-
edge of the man. He resigned his
commission in the army and went with
his widowed mother to Chicago, where
he entered upon the study CT the law
He put aside the fact that he was the
son of Abraham Lincoln and became
simply Robert +. Lincoln, a student
fitting himself for his life-work. Judge
David Davis had always been a warm
friend of the family, and acting upon
his advice the young man placed him
self under the instruction of Samuel W.
Fuller, of the law firm of Scammon,
MCCagg & Fuller The propriety of
this move was recognized by all of Pres
ident LinColn's old friends, and when
young Mr.. Lincoln was admitted
to the bar in 1867, great interest was
manifested in his career. NJ. J. Young
Scammon, at that time very wealthy and
OF great influence not only in Chicago
but throughout the state, turned over
his large practice to his son and Rob-
ert T. Lincoln, the young men standing
in business under the firm name of
Seaman & Lincoln.
BY the sickness of his partner the
bulk of the business fell to Mr.. Lincoln,
| and he handled it in manner and with
an ease that excited the admiration of
older lawyers. 1t was at this stage Of
his life that he especially developed that
eyen-tempered industry and trusty self
reliance that have served him so well
in each succeeding epoch of his career
When the firm dissolved Mr.. Lincoln
for time practiced alone, and had at
the time Of the great fire a good bust
ness outside of that which came to him
through Mr.. Scammon. The watchful-
ness and encouragement of friends who
were determined to see Abe Lincoln
son do the best, accomplished much !;
his own sturdy, self-reliant manhood
did still more. He was yet within the
radius of the halo surrounding a great
name, and was judged, and often mis-
Judged, by standards not at all to his
liking He realized not a little of that
popular tyranny which demands that a
great mans son shall be the absolute
counterpart Of the father This he
could not be, and had no desire to be :;
yet it cost great deal of exertion to
enable him to break away from this pop
ular demand and be himself-live his
own life, and make his own place.
In order to do this, he went abroad
in 1872, and after spending some time
in Europe returned to Chicago and
settled down to business on his merits.
No man ever made a more determined
effort to avoid the use Of name as
capital than did he, and no lawyer ever
worked more conscientiously along the
slow way to sure success In these
years unremitting labor and this over
sensitiveness in the matter of avoiding
notoriety began to tell on his person.