Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1885-07-27
LrSCoLX's aREAr AMBITION

A Man who Never Abandoned the Idea Of
Becoming President of the United States.
From Ward II. Lannon's "Reminiscences.
Ambition was one of the ruling character
istics of this great man tLincolnl from the
cradle to the grave When he was about IA
years of age then at school, after mounting
stump in the school house yard (woods
mean), at the time of the MONDAY recess, he |
declaimed the sermon preached the day
previous by an itlnerant Methodist preacher |
almost verbatim. He astonshed some of the |
neighbors who happened by chance or other
| wise to be present One of them asked him
the question "Abe, what do you expect
| to make of yourself when you grow up to be
| q man Y' lie promptly replied: al ex-
pect to he president of the United States be-
fore die"
The writer of these pages riding over the
praries of Illinois with him long years ago,
travelling from one county to another to at
tend the courts, was told by him repeatedly
| that he did not recollect the time when he
did not believe that he would at some day be
president. 1t seemed to him manifest des-
, | tiny 81 will get there" he would say,
seemingly in the fullest confidence of real
izing his prediction
In the year 1si7 the humble individual
, who writes these pages left his native state,
, | Virginia, and settled in Danville, Ill. Short
ly alter his arrival there the circuit court for
T | that county met There were in attendance
, | at this court many lawyers from the different
? parts of the states of Illinois and Indiana
{ | many of whom afterward became very dis
| tingtiished men. Lincoln was the great
character, the centre of the greatest attrac-
. ton. When he came to speak before the
a Jury he created the greatest sensation among
| the people, and it was with difficulty that the
, | crowd could be restrained I'm their enthusi
d asm. / afterwards found out that this was
the case throughout the whole circuit, thai
| then embraced fourteen counties
70 MRS. LINCoLN's OPINION.
After this, during the following winter a
Springfield a very large party was given a
oL | Mr.. Lincoln's residence. Being invited al
#. tended and after being introduced by MT
=, Lincoln to Mrs. Lincoln-Mr l.. having lei
y US i'm conversation. remarke ed to her tina
VI her husband was great favorite in the Las
X tern part of the state, where had been stoi
be ping. e.,
"a "Yes," she replied, 'he is a great favorit
IL | everywhere; he is TO be president of tn
= United States some day. III had not though
" so never would have married him, Tor yo
oi can see he is not pretty; but look at hin
Don't he look like he would make MAJ
niticent president?'
Of "Magnihcent" somewhat staggered m
cir but there was, without appearing ungallan
OH | but one replyt make To this pointed que
In. ton. ! mado it, but did so under ment
III but silent protest, for am free TO admit th
we he did not look promising for that ONE
ed and, on the other hand, to Inc he looked abo'
as ~ unpromising candidate as ! could we
ad | imagine the American people were ever liz
the | ly to put forward for that office. AT Tn
time felt convinced that Mrs Lincoln W
d running Abraham over his proper distan
re- in that race !; l did not thoroughly know L
the man then afterward never saw the tin
zen when was not willing To apologize for II
en- misguided secret protest Truly, appei
no | ances are often deceptive i have learn
,rts noIisbed and refined appearing gentlem
ire | are n ot the wisest rulers of a nation.
,tc., Mrs. Lincoln from that day to the day
,ew | his Inauguration never wayered in her ia
,n, | that her hopes in this respect would
D"s realized, and, so far as know, since his dea
eh' no one of the name of Lincoln has ever be
,ota vaccinated to prevent the dangers incident
arc graphing with executive Office In all ii
Lber past and to come he was ana Will pe
fa,v | great Lincoln.