The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1891-04-03

''t''itf'i 'iF.-'i.i ittyi-tDtJE.
the biographcr that he used his knowledge
most lndicious!y, as it is among tile great
est proofs 0f lincoln inherent nohl4ness
Of character that the more IIerulon knew
tie more he respected aud loved HIN.
Without superstition one clln easily be.
lieye that Il man Of Mr. I.incon's peculiar
temperament Was nodded fer the awful
struggle before aim by peculiar personal
trials, hil'l that he could not 90 through!
the experiences IT love and marriage in
the commonplace way Of most people, On
tins matter Herndon was the one man in
all the world who knew Abraham Lin
coins mind There WIS another point,
one on which many are yet sensitive, as to
which l-incolnAm IIcrnGon were long in
perfect accord, and that was religion!
Me+srs. IIoilanl, Arnold and others have
produce, n respectable body of proof that
Mr.. Lincoln changed his views Mr.. IIcrn-
don certainly never did. He lived and
died consistent and pcrsisteu. dcst, and
never believed that Mr. Lincoln had be.
come auCht else.
The partnership bet tween tho twu was
formed on Va" 23th of September, lss3, ant!
continued IN ietlvr practice till Mr.. Lin
coin became president, md IL form till his
denth. The nAnner Of its formation by
Mr.. Lincoln was cninrntly characteristics
fts ot1IIii rs lIt' lii SSLltf Will His itFIUtT
partner Judge Logan, he spraug up the
steps TO where llerndon waS sitting IN the
Office and said
"Ierndon slon!d yo'l ll;c to be my parr-
nert'i
Don't make fun of me, WAS the first
reply. Assured that Mr., Lincoln was in
earnest Mr. lIer,ldou suld, YOU know |
am too young. and have no standing and
no money. but if you really Ittc;4n 1t there
is nothing in this world that would make
me 50 happy" Mr., Lincoln Immediately
fell 70 preparing thc papers, aud so thut
partnership WIS formed. They had al
ready become warm friends, and il was M
doubt til" Subtle instinct Of Mr.. Lincoln
that enabled him To perceive how com
petcly he could trust Mr.. IIrrndun and
led him to this apparently abrupt action
Sometimes 1t would happen that Mr.. lin
coin wond reach the Office plunged i'll the
deepest gloom; then Mr.. Iierndou would
retire, locking the door, and walk about
for an hour or two till the senior partner
had recovered himself
1t WIS not desirable that clients luuiN
see them at such times. In happier
hours the friends discussed almost every
question that agitates the human mind
Through the early part of their part
ncrship they kept no partnership ac-
counts but simply divided the money as it
came in. But their business soon grew too
extensive and complicated for this Twice
only was Mr.. Lincoln more radical in his
auti-s!arery action than Mr. Hcrndon, the
most notable instance being that of the fa-
nous opening speech Of 1855, which con-
tained the statement that "a house di-
vided against itself cannot stand, !" etc. III
common with every other adviser Mr..
Herndon at first strongly opposed the ut
terancc of such a sentiment. In 1856 Mr.
Herndon took the remarkable liberty of
signing Mr.. Lincoln's name to the call for
all opponents of the Kansas Nebraska act
to convene, including Old Wings and Abo-
litionists. For this act he was severely
censured by the friends OF Mr. Lincoln, but
the latter confirmed his action
Just before starting to Washington Mr.
Lincoln said to him, "Billy you and have
been together many years, and have never
passed a word Will you let my name
stay on the sign till l come back from
Washington" The tears came into Mr.
Hcrndon's eyes and he wrung the others
hand in silence. To the day of the assassi-
nation the sign remained unchanged, and
the business was done in the name of Tin
coin s. Herndon.o
II only remains to add that after the
death Of his partner and friend Mr. Hern-
don continued to lead the same quiet, un-
ostentatious life, gradually withdrawing
from business. a few years ngo he pub
lislied three volume biography of the
Liberator, of which Il second edition, with
much new matter, has recently appeared
Unlike many works on the same parsonage,
it is not norid eulogy or an apotheosis,
it is history and description of the man.
Other unpublished manuscripts on the
same subject are left in competent hands.
Mr.. Herndon was born in Greensburg,
Ky, Dec. 2S 1913, and was a resident OF
Illinois from 1870 to the time OF his death
J. II. BEADLE,