Custer chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, Black Hills, D.T. [S.D.]) 1880-1890, 1886-03-13

How Old Abe Took Or a Gallant
Offcer-.His Little Speech,

Abraham Lincoln, when a represen-
tative from Illinois in 1S44-4S. says
Ben Perley Poor. used to pass an hour
or more every morning in the house
postotflco telling stories, Of which he
possessed an illimitable fund. While
relating q story his face usually wore
an expression of the deepest gravity,
but when, he came to the close ne would
indulge in a hearty laugh--in fact
laugh all over from head to foot-and
if his listener enjoyed the narrative and
manifested his appreciation of it in a
similar manner, Mr.. Lincoln would
only laugh the more, until his eyes
overflowed with tears in the excess of
his enjoyment.
Mr.. Lincoln made but one long
speech, which was listened to with in
tense interest by the occupants of tho
floor and Of the galleries Of the house
of representatives. This speech was
delivered during the session Of con-
gress Immediately preceding the prcsi-
Dental election, ana was in reply to
one made a few days previous by MIR.
lversOn,a representative from the state
of Georgia. The seats in the old hall
of representatives at that time were
arranged in a semi-cirole and divided
by narrow aisles. which radiated like
h. spokes of a wheel from the area
which was partly occupied By the
clerks desk and the speakers
chair. A broad aisle, extending
from the center door to the clerks
desk, divided the hall into two equal
parts. The seats ON one side of this
aisle were occupied by the members
belonging to the Democratic party,
while on the opposite side sat the
"Whig" and "Eree.soil' representa-.
tives. Mr.. Lincoln's seat was on the
outer range and near the western en-
trance of the hall. His speech was
hastily written on sheets of foolscap
paper and lay on the desk before him.
After speaking a few minutes he
upNlltDlou HIS hOtCS III tIuStSu " LIS
memory or the inspiration of the
theme. Becoming excited, he COM
menced walking up and down the
aisle, his right arm being extended
and his long, bony foretinger pointing
to the opposition side of the hall, to
the occupants of which his remarks
were especially addressed, and by
whom he was listened to with the
deepest attention, when he was not in
terrupted by loud laughter. His left
arm was thrown behind him and par
TALLY covered by the skirts OF a black
swallow-tailed coat, slightly thread
bare, which hung loosely from his
shoulders. He seemed hardly con-
scious of his movements until he had
crossed the area and stood face to face
with his auditors on the Democratic
side of the hall, when he would sud-
denly turn and, rapidly walking back
to his desk, glance at his manuscript,
and then resume his walk. He thus
occupied his allotted hour. Military
Coat Tails" was the subject of his
speech. Few speeches comparable to
it in witty arcaSm have ever Eeen de.
livered in the halls Of Congress.
The Presidential candidate of the
Wing party at this time was Gen. Zach
airy Taylor, the hero of the Mexican
war, while that of the Democratic par
ty was Gen. Lewis Cass, a senatorfro
Michigan, who was in the military SER
vice of the United States in the war OF
1912, and distinguished himself as a
volunteer side-de-camp to Gen. Harri-
Sol at the battle of the Thames. In
the speech of the member from Geor-
gia, the Wing party was said to have
deserted all their principles and taken
shelter under the military coat tails of
Gen. Taylor. In other words, their
chief reliance for success was upon the
military reputation of their candidate.
In the purse of his speech, Mr.. Lin
coin undertook to show that the Demo-
cratic party were open TO a similar
charge, having for nearly a quarter of
a century made political capital ont of
the military reputation of Gen. Jack
son. or "Old Hickory" as ne was pop
ularly called, and not only making him
President out of it for eight years. but
having enough of it left to make Presi-
dents OF several comparatively small
mon a~fterward, and still relying upon
it to make another. THE campaign
papers of the party with rude
likenesses of Gen. Jackson upon
them" he said, proclaimed that Cass
and Butler were of the true hickory
stripe, while hickory poles and hickory
broOms were their never-ended en-.
blems." Toward the close of his speech
Mr.. Lincoln made a humorous and sar-
castle commentary upon the military
record of Gen. Cass, quoting at some
length from the stories then in oircula-
ton concerning his valor at the battle
of the Thames, where, it is said, he
broke his sword in a eft of despara-
tion," and winding up with the follow.
ing narrative of his own exploits as a
soldier:
"By the way. Mr.. Speaker, did you
know l am a military heroP Yes. sir,
in tn, days Of the Black Hawk wal /
fought. bled. ~a1d-came away. Speak
ing If Gn" ASS career reminds me
Of my own. was not at Stillman's
defeat, hut about as neal it as Cass
was to Hull's surrender, and. like him,
aw the place very soon aftorward.
Al is .uite certain that Ibid not break