The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1893-11-01
iiness and his story telling were his most

mess and his story telling were his most
noticeable characteristics.
None of u.s." went on the senator,
ever foresaw greatness for him.. He
served one term in Congress in the For5i-
eth, but didn't make any stir. He was
! came to me and asked my support. I
was unable to give it, and told him SO,
as had opposed the anti-N g braska bill,
and as had already had row with
| some of my party because OF lt,.lt was
necessary for me to be more DEMOCRATIC
| than ever. I nominated Irum bull, and
on the first ballot the vote stood about
forty-nine for Lincoln, forty-seven for
Yates and five for Trumbull. Lincoln
saw that he could not get the five of US,
| and so he went among his supporters
and made them vote for Trumbull.
Trum bull was elected, and Lincoln came
to our room that night and we promised
to support him in the fight two years
later with Douglas.
"That was great campaign, "..said the
senator, his eyes lightfngsup with the
| spirit of fight. ave canvassed that State
| thoroughly. 1t was during that cam
paign that Lincolnsmade what Isconsider
his greatest speech, beginning, United
we stand, divided we fall Douglas
won, however"
= When we promised to nominate Lincoln
for President Hornblower, the father of
Judge Horblower, who succeeds Justice
Blatchford on the Supreme bench, came
to me and tried to persuade me to con-
sent to placing Lincoln's name second on
the ticket. He thought we ought to
have some known and tried man like
Seward to head the ticket David Davis
who was present agreed with him and re-
monstrated with me for my obstinacy,
but steadily refused, and when Horn
blower left took occasion to give Davis
piece of my mind.
came to Washington In 49," Senator
Palmer continued, on mission from
Gov .Oglesby. Some mistake hsd been
made we thought in the apportionment
of troops, and we had been credited
with several Thousand men less than the
State had furnished. After losing my
temper with the provost marshal I
found from Mr.. Lincoln himself that he
was cognizant of the mistake, but had
taken the men from Illinois because be
could get them more easily there than
elsewhere. As I had resigned my COM
mission to come to Washington I asked
Mr.. Lincoln to assign me to duty. He
proposed to send me to Kentucky and
told me to come up the next day and
talk it over.
/. 1 went and sat in the ante-room while
people passed in and out Of the Presi-
DENTS Office. Finally the ssdoorkepeer
came out and told me to come in. Mr..
Lincoln: was in sthe hands of the barber
and had his face Extraordinarily for shaw
ing.
"'You are home folks, Palmer he
said; L had to shave some time, and
couldn' tbefore the others We talked
while and finally I said, If 1 had known
that we were going to have a big war I
should never have thought of going to
Springfield and getting one-horse law
yer for President
"Mr. Lincoln wheeled about in his
chair, and I thought he was mad.
Neither would Palmer he said
Neither would Il A man with a policy
"a great man-would have ruined us.
If | have helped to save the country and
to bring the rebellion to conclusion it
has been because I have had no policy.
have simply tried to do my duty every
day, hoping that when tomorrow came I
should be equal to it..
"He was a self-contained man, "con-
Guided the Senator, "and SO tender-heart-
ed he would not have had court-martial
sentence carried out, SO that Congress
was obliged to pass law taking the
matter out of his hands He read the
people he came in contact with by a
marvellous instinct, and he had the
kindest heart that ever beat in human
breast. Washington Star.