The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1885-07-22
"Reminiscences OF Lincoln.

We can not have too many gimp
ses of the man who of all men II
our history may perhaps may be
called especially Providential man
When Washingtonwas summoned tr
command the Revolutionary army
he was already known by distin-
guished service, and he was after.
ward made President because of the
greatest of public services. and o.
the universal affection and conf
dence OF the country. But when
Lincoln was elected President, OF
1.-THE eve of the greatest of civil con
troversies, his capacity for the tre-
mendous trust had been improved
and that at such time that such a
man should have appeared at the
head of the nation equal to the IS
sue, and able wisely to WELD the
enormous authority tina. the occasion
demanded, and should prove in ev-
cry way to be the man of all men
for the emergency, is in the highest
sense Of the word Providential.
In every story. however insignifi-
cant, which is told of him, those
who rember him personally recall
the impression that he made. He
was absolutely sincere. He never
| played part And therefore what
ever he said and did was marked by
his strong individuality. A eorre-
spondent in North Carolina gives
the following:
Il heard Mr.. Lincoln's last two
speeches. One, extemporaneous, on
Monday evening, April 10, from the
historic front window in the second
story of the White House He had
Just returned from City Point, the
people thronging around the White
House would have speech. For a
good while he did not appear, and
seemed reluctant to speak without
manuscript, lest at that critical
juncture some injurious impression
should be made by an accidental
word or sentence.
However, the crowd persisted to
call till he appeared. 1t was my
first sight of the man. He appear
ed somewhat younger and more Off
hand and vigorous than | should
have expected. His bright, know
ing, somewhat humorous look re-
minded me of a well practicei coun-
try physician who had read men
through till he understood them
well. There was the humorous
kindness of a good-natured doctor
who had seen his patients through
a most awful siege of sickness, till
they were now fully and fairly con-
valescent, and was disposed to let
the past, whatever it had cost him
or them. go by for the time, and
have a little cheerful congratulation.
His gestures and expressions of
eountenance had something of the
harmless satisfaction of a young
politician at a ratification meeting
after his first election to the Legisla-
ture He was happy, and glad to
see others happy, and willing to ac-
cept the congratulations of his
friends for mis- own part in the gen
eral victory.
His last speech, on Wednesday,
April II, was read from separate
sheets, by a haring light, as he stood
at the same window. He wore eye
glasses; and as the seperate pages
were read passed them to friend
who stood near. 1t was perhaps
eight o'clock in the evening Mrs.
Lincoln and several lady friends
were standing at a side window
There was some talking and diver
sion during the reading. The read
ing was in a reading tone, but busi
ness-like and good, and the paper
not long. Ii was intended to show
the disposition of the administra-
ton toward the seeded States, and
foreshadow the principles proposed
for reconstruction. His manner
was unpretentious but dignified,
manly, kindly and vigorous. ="
The same friendly observer sends
other Lincolnia:
THAT rent, said soldier at the
hospital at City Point, pointing up
to the torn tissue paper-an embel-
lishment which, | believe, the ladies
of the Christian Commission had
fixed on the ceiling above that
was torn by Mr.. Lincoln's hat as he
passed through here on his way
from Richmond, and shook hands
with every man, loyal or rebel, in
the whole hospital He stood, ike
Saul, above the people from the
upward, and his bat made
havoc with decorations overhead.
outside, and seeing an axe
by a log, his old rail-splitter spirit
came over him. In a moment his
long arms were putting home that
axe toward the heart Of the fallen
tree. The boys in blue gathered
those chips to take home as memen-
tos of backwoodsman who became
President and the emancipation of
race.
An old sailor at the Soldiers
Home near Washington said, He
used to walk all about in these paths;
he was very kind and familiar with
US all.
To a poor woman who desired his
signature to a paper. he said, ''My
name will do you no more good
than pigs tracks in the mud"
A soldier stopped him in the road,
against the Columbia Hospital, and
presented some letters, desiring a
furlough. He obtained it.
In the Senatorial contest between /
Mr.. Lincoln and Mr.. Douglas, when
they spoke at Freeport, Illinois, Mr. I
Douglas appeared in an elegant
barouehe drawn by four white !
horses, and was received with great
applause. But when Mr.. Lincoln /
came up in a"prairie schooner" viz,
an old-fashioned canvas-covered 1
pioneer wagon, the enthusiasm OF
the vast throng was unbounded.
When travelling about the quiet
towns on his law business it
was his custom, at the tavern or
clearinghouse where he stopped,