Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-09-06
LINCOLN AND THE FUGITIVE
SLAVE LAW.

l h... Is.,
come ,'iosl p.o,'o's, ,nmn ,',,oh L.s
sa,u Oh ,,,n MN ,na' n rU h;,, % ,ha, - whailv
oeen a''llo",ou w ". ." ',.I, 80.
,nra s ~ ,aay ,ry,,b u and sc,inn that i, amounts
.ure VI u".n ""a i'nht io r.,.r,, 900,
.o'on u Jo ",I aiass wilI Il nnss;ble
pa," pay' ,G avarv oyc,t man ar great
"Pp,op 2 No., n, !, ,s NAV
ha'ho, ,,.h, y. 90 a,i,. a,, nonns Rnmonisn,
,";,, 10 iIu ~, snt hn LAM Victor Hnoo. as
WI. ~ ~" !, a;d WnI,,irn ~ 1, c,p be
d. ~ .n' ,''' "a. aunnar ~ n ,hat sucb men at
lana,h % u i, arpi,cmio ri n,ortis. came TO ac-
rnHaI,. S,h, .ir, ,ho church il il thc great.
~, ~, ,,in,orins Gov ,ho church ToIcss,r
na, s,',h iiInS,ri,ns .x,mnles become
irrosisiihl. Inducements TO do so in
GOOD Tina before thcv die. To success
fullv annronri,tc n great name is to
raniurc tho mass of the people. So
ovarvboJv's snrt and society claims
| Lincoln
soran o,,,os c,,,woa Homer dead.
Where living Homer begged his bread.
| But living Lincoln was admired.
loved, idolizcd. Hc was largc-hearted,
| honcst-hearted and sincere. He was
lust; but his Justice leaned to the side
| of mercy. lie was q largc-souled man.
| He was not a broad philosophical or ac-
curatc reasoncr. He perceived rather
! than reasoned; as Webster expressed
it: "The clear perception outrunning
| the deductions of logic" He had not
the qualities of great original pioneer
| in any special branch of thought or re-
form. He was representative man.
He knew what the mass of the people
thought and felt. He reflected and
registered the public conviction and
was true to it to u larger degree than
any American, If, perhaps, Washing
ton be excepted. In this respect Lin
coin was great. He was a statesman II
craftsmanship consists in doing practic-
ally all that public opinion will allow
Mr.. Lincoln did not lead public thought,
but he honestly, sympatheiically, ac-
curatcly took account Of 1t, represented
it, executed it. The power to do this
constituted his greatness. But 1t is not
my object to sum up MIR. Lincoln's
great qualities, but to give character
istic anccdote OF him which has never
appeared in print. had the happiness
to know him personally. lhe acquant-
ance began in 1858 while his great de-
hate with Douvlns was going on. and
a. -, ,IScT . y,
u"i 'ho ","''' Vi vas IL
position to know, before the pubic
knew, much OF the secret inside history
of the War Office having had. in mart
-. q r., o., a.iI,I ,La p;
S"". VI ""t 'e 'rou 'io
uent BOOKS. Il knew something
directly, by means of documents that
passed through nv hands. of his doubts.
t., hono, s,,,,ro,,os l., ,h,so ,,,,,,
io"'o hoP''' I''"S III 'noSo mus,
eVehtiui hhohths' oitch saw MN ana
heard him talk of national affairs. He
was the hardest man in the
RenubIic and boro ,bo fearful burd.ns
of anxietv of tho whole n,oplo TIC
onecdntc I am about to relate illus,r,,o.
the c,nJor and honesty of Mr. Lin.
coins mind nc wcil as anv story of him
have ever heard.
The newspapers, in reporting his
speech at Charleston, Coles County
made him say: II do not know as the
Fugitive Slave Law is in any respect
unconstitutional" | wrote him inquir-
ing if the report of his speech in this
particular was correct. The following
is his letter in reply:
'.SrRINGFIELD, ILL, Jan. Is, 1850.
"A. j; GhoyEk EsQ.-Mr DEAR SIR:
u,
y;ris, ~ ISIS, / said a6nmt ali i have eve,
publicly said concerning the Fugitive Slave
Law Of 1850, and you can find it in print in
liG report ol @ tIlht h nentt". ,,. i S'ia then IN
grrss has c"ustiiutional pnwrr To- enact p n
Fugitive Slave Law; that tile law of 1850
appears to me "blectonablc IN some of it,
provisions gut ~; Mhcthel 1t + ullcoliS'llullol
her tbai have ever uudrrtaken IN derdn
j should be glad to see YOU and to talk with
you more fully than can write.
ours lr4iy,
,n. a. i.iNoohs.
AZ Doo".'i 'ho noA' s"Iiinrr aiteI'
"a'"s' u "l 'lo 'oI'.h''on "hich hohi
ha''" N'cnaiu a'1n ior Governor
ihe' th'' i''H'o'n ii' ih'i'eo ING 6
meet him 'for little talk" as he call.
ed it. after the adjournment of the con-
vention. which | did. He walked
across the space covered by the great
tent in which the convention was held,
motioning for me to follow, and, seat
ing himself on one Of the temporary
plank seats, for half an hour proceed
ed to show by legal argument that
the Fugitive Slave Law was not in any
respect unconstitutional. will not
attempt to reproduce what he said.
This was short time after the res
cue of fugitive slave at Ottawa, H.,
by John Hossack. James Stost, Major
Campbell and others. after Judge John
ID. Cation. acting as United States Com
missioner, had given his decision re-
manding him to the custody of his al
legged owner. and the rcscucrs were
either in prison or out on bail, waiting
their trials. When Mr.. Lincoln had
finished his argument l said: "Con-
stitutional or not, will never obey the
Fugitive Slave Law. would have
done as Hossack and Stout and Camp
bell did at Ottawa. l will never catch