Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1893-09-05
A GREAT AMERICAN.
SENATOR VOORHEES, REcOLLEcrIoSs
OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.

SENATOR VOORHEES, REcOLLEcTioNs
OF PRESIDENT LINCOLN.
Daniel w. Voorhees,, the "tall syca'
more of the Wabash" who was as en-
tlrely opposed to Abraham Lincoln as ne
could well be In his whole politicsl
course, has given correspondent OF the
Kansas City Times some OF the pes!
"reminiscences OF the great President
that have been printed. lie said:
Lincoln was one OF the hrst men
knew after began to practice law: a,
that time lawyers Travelled circuit.
was then as now In Indiana, while Lin
coin was In Illinois, but our respective
circuits, going to the State line In each
instance, Joined, and our business ire
ouently took us into each Others BALL.
wicks. Lincoln was very kind to and
consIderate of mel was green, untried,
and much younger man than he-ind
can recall many favor he did me.
He was strong lawyer and singularly
successful. As q politician ! never met
his equal. He Was shrewd, indomitab'e,
enterprising, and with courage which
never fiinched. looked on him rs the
beat and most sagacious pplltician In
high, big way who ever set foot In the
White House. What We call "blg poll
ticians" are, generally speaking, a
dwarfed and mindless generation COM
pared to Abe Lincoln. He gave you an
impression Of greatness every moment.
lie never did and by nature couldn''
conceive Of doing mean or little thing
I saw him rs q lawyer, and was IN Con-
grcss while he was In the White House.
/ knew him intimately and under vary
Ing conditions. I have seen him sur.
rounded by a state Of affairs which would
have overborne any other man | ever
met. And vet | never saw Lincoln fall
short or fall to fulfill every necessity the
moment Il arose. lie answered every
requirement Of every hour In his great
life, and rose to meet every emergency
with an ease which spoke OF unlimited
power In reserve. lie was great man
q great American.
Lincoin's personal courage had nc
limit. lie was afraid OF nothing on
earth. He received, know, a. many as
half a dozen letters every week threaten.
ing assassination. lie never Needed
them and seldom referred to them. lie
went about as freely as Grover Cleye-
land does now. He would get Into th'
saddle and canter out to the soldiers
home. six miles, and an assassin could
have picked him of with rifle at every
step OF the way. Lincoln never appear
ed TO have the slightest fear It. Stan
ton used to get scared and put guards
around Lincoln, but the latter only
laughed at II. lie had a great laugh-a
high, musical tenOr-and when he mad
listened to or told n story which particu.
lsrly pleased him he would walk up and
down the room with one hand on the
small Of his back and the other rubbinR
his hair 10 all directions, and make
things ring with laughter.
Lincoln has great fame as q story
teller, and yet the truth Isn't half told.
First and last, he told thousands and
thousands of stories. lie was a well
spriuy of anecdotes. Yet under all his
humor and all his laughter, he was ten
der, sensitive, romantic, ofttimes sad. lie
appeared hard and practical, and yet no
man ever lived, who needed and craved
sympathy more than Lincoln. He was
strongly social In his nature and liked
people rather than places. Like all men
Of the highest courage, fearing nobody
he hated none. lie would oppose man
to the death, but he would never nate
him.
while Lincoln was fearless In his own
nature, he had the keenest forbearance
for the timidity Of Others. He would
never consent to shoot q soldier foI
cowardice. lie called them "leg cases.
"No one need ever expect me to sanction
the shooting of man for running away
In battle, !" ne sald to me once; vi won'i
do Il. A man can't help being q coward
any more than he could help humpback,
II ne were born with one." Then turn
Ing to me again, he said: "Voorhees'
were you ever scaredy
1 confessed that I had some little
experience that way.
$50 have l." said Lincoln Laughing,
''and know just what 1t means. And
In any contest or controversy whcn
arises between the head and the heels,
never knew the heels to get anything but
the best Of II. No, sir, they needn't send
any leg cases to me at all. Ill never
order q man shot for any such offence
Once when was up to the white
House to see him about something, ne
turned'to me with a pathetic look oi
anxious pain and said: VOORHEES,, does
MT II seem strange that | should bt
here-I, a man who couldn't cut
chickens head OIL, with blood running
all around mey'
Speaking OF his numberless stories,
recall one he once told during the argu-
ment IN law suit. The lawyer on tht
other side was a good deal OF q gilt
talker, but not reckoned as deeply pro
found or much of n thinker. lie wa'
rather reckless aud irresponsible In hi'
speech-maklng also, and would say any
thing to a Jury which happened to entel
his head. Lincoln In his address to TN
Jury, referring to all these said: my
friend on the other side is all right, OF
would be all right were II not for TN
physico-mentai regularity am about. .tc
Chronicle. Ills hablt-of which yor
have witnessed very painful specimer
iu his argument to you In this caseLo
reckless assertion and statements Win
out grounds, need not be Imputed u
him as moral fault or as telling OF
moral blemish. lie cant help u. Fol
reasons which, gentlemln OF the Jury
YOU and have not time to study mere
ss deplorable 40 they are surprising, tn
orstory OF the gentlemen completely sus
peuds all actions Of his mind. The mo
inent he begins to talk his mental opera
tious cease. never knew but one thin
which compared with my friend In TIL
particular. That was small steamboat
Back IN the days when performed IN!
psrt a. a keel boatman, | made the nc
aualutsncc of trl1lng little steamboat
which used to hustle and pun and wheez'
about In the Ssugamon river. It mao
five-foot boiler and seven.foot whi.tie
and every time Il whistled IL stopped"
Il takes time.-An American went Int,
the book establisment OF Chstto q