The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-01-19
LINCOLN AND GRANT.


In the parlors OF Plymouth Church, last
night, Mr.. w. p. FIshback talked TO the
Plymouth institute class in American po-
litieal biography upon the careers of Grant
and Lincoln. He began with Lincoln, be-
cause, in point of age and position, he An
teoated the great general. The earlier
days of the "~rall-splitter" President were
passed over with bare mention. but many
of the phases of the martyr Presidents
character as then evidenced in his acts
were mentioned. Lincoln was q fiat-boat
hand on the Ohio and Mississippi rivers;
he was q rail-splitter in Illinois; he tried
blacksmithing, and then merchandising,
failing in the latter business. but.
with characteristic honesty, worked
hard to pay every cent of
his Liabilities. lie had once been @ clerk
in . general store. and to the fact that as
clerk he had sold whisky over the counter
Stephen A. Douglas once alluded in a sar-
castle way. Lincoln replied that the only
difference between him aud Douglas was
the 12ls cents that Douglas had to lay
down on the bar. Lincoln read well, but
not extensively. The libraries of those
days. Mr.. Fishback said, were made up OF
standard classical works. and from them
khOOAa " ms ~ A1to
larry, the speaker said, was taken from the
newspapers, and that is why 1t was SO terse.
After the Black Hawk war he became a
lawyer. He was particularly good Is o col
lection lawyer, and a Chicago client placed
q debt in his hands for collection. Lincoln
visited the debtor, and reported, in his dry
way, that he fOund subject to execution
nothing that might be obtained except q
ever. that he had found "a large rat-hole
tina was worth looking lnto.n
The speaker next alluded to tho political
rise of Lincoln, whose first race for the
Legislature resulted In defeat. He was
elected SUCCESSFULLY from 1884 TO 1910. and
then became the partner of Senator
Stewart. who afterwards defeated Douglas
for the Senate. He next entered Congress.
and at once became a devoted adherent to
the Abolition doctrines. He did not get
warmed up in this utilization uatil the Mis-
souri, compromise was effected, he taking
the position held by many others. that it
was Q concession to slavery. When he was
q candidate for tho Senate. in 1850. he
sho wed his devotion to the Abolition
cause by urging his friends to
ing opponent of Douglas. Eight years
later he was nominated for the Senate, and
port, Ill, forced the previously non.com.
initial Democrat to concede that he be-
lioved the Territory. In it's territorial ca
pacity, had o right to say whether slavery
6uOuE VI bnOulo " NC Nv 4nlo.l III
the face of the support by Douglas of the
bred Scott decision. had great effect. The
speaker detailed the nomination of Lin
coin in 1860 for the presidency and how 1t
was accomplished by the vote Of PeDpsyl-
vsnia. to which State all the patronage
was promised. With the election of Lin
coin seven States seeded. But with
characteristic prudence Lincoln did not
announce what his policy would be until
tho time for his inauguration. when In
speeches here and else W here he said plainly
that IL coercion was necessary II would be
used.
Cabinet. composed principally of those
who had tried To defeat him Tor the presi-
Dental nomination. During his admins
tration his entire Cabinet was changed.
Charles Francis Adams tried TO show that
Seward was the leader Of the administra-
ton. and that be, and not Lincoln. was
President. But the diary of Gideon Wells.
Secretary of the Navy. disproved that. 1T
was then just as it is now" he said, ''peo-
pie are trying to make out that members
OF the Cabinet have been the administra-
tion and that Harrison has not been Presi-
dent. The Cabinet tried to run Lincoln
and could not do it. Harrison has been
the President, and he alone"
Passing to General Grant. the speaker
told many anecdotes Of his boyhood IN
Ohio. The speaker and he were natives of
the sane county, and their families were
acquainted. Grants father was an Aboli-
ZIONIST. and his mothers family were pro-
slavery partlsans, and had no use for
Grant. After his career at West Point and
In the Mexican war Grant settled on q
farm near 81. Louis. and peddled wood by
the cord to town. Grant. the speaker said,
always considered the Mexican war a bull
lying affair, and one of which the country
ought to be ashamed. When Sumter was
fired or Grant was chosen TO preside
over q public meeting. although ne
was as stranger to most of those
present. When Washburne. after
wards minister to France. came into
the meeting he censured the assembly for
choosing an entire stranger as chairman.
Soon after Grant was appointed TO CON-
mand the Twenty-first illinois infantry.
and. although disobeying orders at differ
ent places. while subordinate to General
Halleck. won many battles. His military
career the speaker detailed. and then reach.
ing that period when his two characters
were thrown together, talked of them in
mutual relation. When Lincoln gave
Grant command 1t was full and complete.