davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Progress., 1893-02-18

course with the great HANNIBAL hA"i' v
men of his day before he became presi-
dent, who was timid, diffident and N
some respects painfully modest, should
nevertheless, when he came in contact
with the greatest men of the land, have
subordinated them to his purposes and
compell, them to acknowledge his III
tellectuai pow r and his superior Judg
ment. 1t has been possible to obtain
some anecdotes which, IL they are not
new. have not been widely circulated,
and which illustrate this pre-eminent
quality of Abraham Lincoln.
His Political Mastery.
David Davis, who was one of Lincoln's
earliest friends, and was perhaps the
first to predict for him the probability OF
a great career, once said to the writer;
II believe that as time passes and Mr..
Lincoln's life is impartially studied he
will be esteemed as the ablest politician
that political life in the United States
has developed. Yet he was not poll
tician in the ordinary sense.
"Mr. Lincoln never managed caucus,
never urged a candidate for office, never
pulled a wire, never created follow
ing or machine, and he had little pa
tience or understanding when such
things were discussed in his presence.
Yet he had a wider knowledge of the
effect of moral influences upon masses
and deeper understanding OF the pow
or of moral and intellectual impulse as
a political agent than any other man OF
his time. This was shown in two cases,
which, as / look back now, convince me
that he expected to be candidate for
the presidency and did what he did in
The Progress., 1893-02-18

GLADSTONE. OF manner: eS, i
have changed my opinion. always re-
garded Lincoln as a good man and an
able man, but in these days of my re-
tirement, as | look back upon my PC
quaintance with him, see him as not
only good and an able man, but as the
purest, the most unselfsh, and, all things
considered, the ablest man our country
has produced since it was established"
And that message was almost the last
characterization of Lincoln which Mr..
Hamlin made, for he died a few months
later.
If one seeks today an impression from
men who knew Lincoln or have studied
his life, the most significant comment
which is made is this-that it is more
and more realized that his greatest
The Progress., 1893-02-18


oped. As late as the year 1874, when
the Rockport and Southwestern railroad
penetrated that region, the grave Of
Nancy Hanks Lincoln was still in pri-
meval forest-possibly the only forest in
southern Indiana where nature still pre-
sented the identical aspect shown to the
pioneers.
Seventeen miles north northeast OF
Rockport is way station called Lincoln,
in the narrow valley of Little Pigeon
creek-a valley distinguished in early
DAYS for its fertility and its extraordinary
capacity, so to speak, for all kinds OF
epidemics. The milk sickness, which
wrought havoc among the Hankses and
Sparrows and caused the death of
Abraham Lincoln's mother was but n
beginning. Ague was a yearly visitant.
Fevers of nearly all kinds followed, and
when the railroad company attempted
to make city of Lincoln the typhoid
fever defeated the plan.
a few hundred yards southwest II
the station the land rises to q timbered
ridge. On the summit of that ridge, IN
a forest where every native tree still
stood, visitors were pointed to four
magnificent oaks forming q small quad
rangle. Exactly in the center Of that
quadrangle, said the old citizens, Lin
coins mother was buried, but down to
1879 there was not sign to distinguish
it from any other spot in tho fores T.. n
that year, according to Messrs. Nicolay
and Hay, Mr.. P. E. Studebaker, of South
Bend, Ind, placed there a monument
with this inscription:
The Progress., 1893-02-18
THE GRAVE OF LlNCOLNS MOTHER.

The Desuiate spot Where Rest the he-
mains of Nancy Hanks Lincoln.
1t ADDS but one more to the many sad
dening facts in the early boyhood of
Abraham Lincoln to state that the loca-
ton selected by his father IN Indiana
was in many respects almost the poor
est he could have found in the new
state. Spencer county is, it is true, a
region of great natural wealth, and IS
today inhabited by very intelligent
and prosperous people, but Thomas
Lincoln located in a district which was
not only the most unhealthy in the
county, but certain to be the last devel-
The Progress., 1893-02-18

some of his friends to cast their ews
over these interrogations, and they said
to him, Don't ask him this question,
Mr.. Lincoln, because if you do he will
answer it in such way 30 - make his
reelection to the senate C-..,ln."
"Ah" rerlied Lincoln, with twinkle
in his eye. YES, that is true, but If he
takes that shoot he never can be presi-
dent" The friends who heard this were
amazed that Lincoln should be willing
thus toilet Douglas defeat him for the
senate, but they perceived afterward
that Lincoln was entirely willing to let
Douglas resume his oratorical flights n
the senate if thereby he would be able
to defeat his presidential aspirations.
These anecdotes Judge Davis men
toned to illustrate that higher power .
a politician which enabled Lincoln 70
win the greatest triumph Of politics.
1t was a great game he played, so great
that it was not understood by the ordi-
nary politician until results were accom-
plished.
The ''Skeered" Merchants.
Chauncey NJ. Depew tells a story OF
Lincoln which illustrates this quality
which enabled him to appear at ease,
and also to demonstrate his mastery
when in the presence Of great men. 1t
was at the time that the ironclad Mer-
rimac was being built. The story was
The Progress., 1893-02-18

mans administration. 1t was under
stood that if the party of which Nr.
Lincoln was member carried the state
legislature his friends would bring him
forward as a candidate for the senate.
He made the canvass with that under
standing. An element in the party, per-
haps the cultured and wealthier element,
favored Lyman Trumbull.
The election so resulted that 1t was
possible TO choose as United States SEN
ator a member of the Republican party,
and to the astonishment of Mr.. LlncOlnS
friends he Withdrew and urged the seiec-
ton of Mr.. Trumbull, who was chosen.
Lincoln's friends were amazed. They
wondered why he should thus lightly
turn his face away from one Of the most
dazzling prizes of politics. But years
afterward they had reason to suspect
that Mr.. Lincoln realized that with Ly-
man Trumbull in the senate his most
formidable competitor for the presiden-
tial nomination, at least in Illinois,
would be beyond the power of doing his
own ambition injury.
He Never Can Ee President"
Two years later Mr.. Lincoln again aid
something which seemed to his friends
then a grievous mistake, but which they
afterward perceived was a stroke of pol
itics such as would be suggested only by
The Progress., 1893-02-18

10 the tune OF his nomination. There
was Seward, the idol of the Wings and
the eastern Republicans, a very great
man. There was Chase, Of commanding
intellect; there were Cameron and Blair
and Bates. all Of them justly esteemed
great men, and there is no doubt tut
each of them expected to dominate this
man who was their president such ut
least was Mr.. Weeds opinion.
Seward tried it first said Weed,
land no one else followed his example.
He brought into the cabinet with him
paper in which he had set forth a Ger
tain policy which he thought Lincoln
ought to pursue, and in which he IN
effect informed Lincoln that he would
take it upon himself to see that policy
carried out 1t was n test moment.
Had Lincoln yielded his cabinet would
have been his master, but with queer
mannerism-hal humorous, half serious
he read the paper through, struck out
Mr.. Stewards recommendations, thanked
him for his consideration, and in that
moment and motion this assembly OF
great men realized that the obscure
lawyer was to be president not only in
name, but in fact. Never did ruler so
completely and yet so gently master
his cabinet or council"
The New York Bankers and Lincoln.
Mr.. George S. Coe, one of the great
bankers of New York, in speaking of
Lincoln not long ago, said that his ca
pacity to suggest without offense his
mastery over men and measures was
strikingly demonstrated to representa-
The Progress., 1893-02-18

who | think would be W. NJ. EvARTs.
glad to hear this news. and | guess I'll
90 and tell her." And with that infor-
mality and strange simplicity he carried
the message to his wife.
Weed Meets His Match.
81 learned this story a few days later,
when / went to Springfield" said Mr..
Weed while chatting one evening. Aft
er Lincoln was nominated was so great
ly disappointed that | first thought Of
making a trip to the far west. Then
hesitated. | said: Il should like to see
this man who has been brought up on
the prairies of Illinois, and who has
beaten our idol, Seward. lshould like to
fathom him and find out how much the
party has got to fear for its success IN
his candidacy So l decided to go to
Springfield and spend few hours with
the candidate. | had no doubt at all that
after an hours chat with him | could
read him through like book. L had
never met man before out of whom i
was not able to pump the mysteries OF
his character.
"Well, went to Springfield and wa
received very cordially by Mr.. Lincoln.
began to talk with him and to ask him
questions. Ispent two hours with him
and when came away | said to myself
'Thurlow Weed, that is the first mai
you have ever met who was too mucf
for You He pumped everything out OF
me, and | got nothing in return.
"Well, l went away and told my
friends that there was one thing they
need not have any fears about. This man
if he was bred in country town, knew
enough to keep his own counsels, an'
they might be sure that he would say o
The Progress., 1893-02-18

the same age, were geniuses as great as
the world has ever seen, and each OF
them will be remembered as long as the
English language is spoken or read"
1t is a little strange that this sam
thought should have occurred TO other
as distinguished as DIR. Holmes, for tie
English newspapers and some of tie
English statesmen, in speaking of Te-
nyson's life, saw fit to couple his nape
with that Of Lincoln and Of GlaGstCe
as those OF men who were the choicest
gift TO the human race Of the year 1879.
During the past year some of tbse
who were close to President LinOln
have died, and of all the number Of zen
The Progress., 1893-02-18

4 AAAAAAS " 49, =
that she should sail
upon the ocean and
into the harbor of
New York and either
lombard the city or
exact enormous trib-
ute. A committee Of
New York merchants
appointed d by the
ch a m ber of COM
merce was sent to
Washington to i'm
- NJ ,naDln tO
The Progress., 1893-02-18

WHdJ 40 you IIIIIh VI
Lincoln?' IN tell YOU. Curtis. Lin
coin seems TO move little slow, but he
always gets there
This was an anecdote Curtis was fond
Of telling, having repeated It 80 gen
tleman only few weeks before his
death. l.. JAY EDW ARDS.
The Progress., 1893-02-18

who were conspicuous
with the politics with
which he was so pre-
eminently associated
perhaps only William
M. Evarts and David
Dudley Field are left.
Field had gained fame
while Lincoln was an
awkward legislator in
the Illinois house, Civ
The Progress., 1893-02-18


do something to protect New York har-
Dor. He received them courteously, but
there was II very grave expression ON his
face as he listened to the spokesman.
That man said: "Mr. Lincoln, we repre-
sent hundreds of millions of property.
New York is practically defenseless. Ii
the Merrimac comes into our harbor, 1t
can ruin Us. and we implore yol at once
to take measures to give us defense"
For minute or two Mr.. Lincoln did
not reply. He knew the government
was straining every nerve to prevent
depredations by the Merrimac. 1t could
do nothing more. 1t seemed for an in
slant as though there were suggestion
of anger in his glance, but if he had that
impulse he subdued it. That quaint
smile which anticipated a humorous
story came to his face, and he said:
"WcN. gontlernn, t. nix If | ha" as
many millions at peril as you say you
have, and was as 'skeered' as you seem
to be about the coming of the Merrimac.
instead Of coming down here and ma.S-
ing speeches about it l would go home
and spend some of those millions in
making defenses myself" And that was
all he said r. them. The New York mer,
chants We're amazed, and yet as they
went away they confessed that common
sense was in his humorous advice, and
they also confessed their sense of the
mastery Of this man.
His Simplicity at Great Moments.
Thurlow Weed in his old age was full
of anecdotes which he was fond of tell
ing to illustrate that simplicity of great
The Progress., 1893-02-18

tive body of New
York bankers earlyin
Lincoln's administra-
ton. These bankers
had, after a secret
meeting in which
Secretary Chase had
most earnestly and
.anxi ously declared
that the need of the
federal government
was not men, but
,,opav Ool1 tO nav
The Progress., 1893-02-18

do nothing during the
campaign that would
imperil the canvass.
| knew that if | could
not handle him it was
not likely that any
other politician in our
party would be able
70 d. 80. His Sc reli-
anc. his Intellectual
auickness and hls in
The Progress., 1893-02-18

had changed his esti-
mate of Lincoln's
character at all. The
old gentleman did not
reply on the instant.
He seemed to be
weighing the words
with which he should
make answer, but he
said at last, speaking
with great solemnity
of .,o.ao-. HNag
The Progress., 1893-02-18

pre-eminent genius.
He was carrying on
that debate with
Stephen A. Douglas
which is now one of
the great traditions Of
politics. He prepared
a series of questions
which he proposed to
ask Douglas on the
stump. He permitted
The Progress., 1893-02-18

nominated for presi-
dent. Lincoln took
the slip, unfc' ied it.
read it through slowly
and then passed it to
some of his friends.
They arose 10 congra-
tulate him, and after
a moment he sand,
There is "A little wo-
man down at my house
The Progress., 1893-02-18

An iron fence protects the grave from
what has befallen others on that hi 'op
that of vallowing place for hogs.
Some kind hand has transplanted few
roses upon the grave and carried some
pot flowers there, but each has Jared
badly for want of Iroper sunshine. And
such, according to the latest CORE
spondent to visit the spot, is the present
condition of the grave of the great Lber-
ator's mother. +. +.
The Progress., 1893-02-18

power perhaps was
his mastery over great
men, and the aston
ishment which this
understanding gives
is that an obscure
man, one who had no
advantages, whose life
was circumscribed by
a little prairie town,
who had no schooling,
scarcely any inter-
The Progress., 1893-02-18

Those intimate with Lincoln knew
that he greatly disliked his name Abra-
ham; nevertheless it was very appro-
pirate, for its meaning, in Hebrew, is
Father of the Multitude.
The Progress., 1893-02-18
A Tribute to Lincoln.

In the exposition grounds at Chicago
will stand a model in wood, covered
with stuff to represent stone, of mon
ument which is to be of granite and
stand in Springfield, Ills. 1t is to be the
tribute of the colored people OF the
United States to their hero-patron. Abra-
ham Lincoln. The base will rise four
feet from the ground and be thirty-six
feet square, and from the center OF this
base the monument will rise seventy feet
and be surmounted by life size figure
of colored soldier.
Around the monument are pedestals
resting on the base for eight bronze stat
ues, each eight feet high and represent
ing Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Doug
The Progress., 1893-02-18

the.stwo cases as part of his plan for
obtaping the nomination and election"
JrJge DavSs hen went on to say that
LinOln realized what nobody else at
that time seemed to understand-thata
seatin the senate was an almost insuper-
The Progress., 1893-02-18

THE EMANCIPATION MONUhENl'
lass, Charles Sumner, Robert Brown
Elliott, John Brown, Wendell Phillips.
Owen Lovejoy and William Lloyd Gar
rison. The total height, seventy-four
feet, represents the years OF slavery uD-
der the constitution, l7S9-1S63. Many
Inscriptions commemorate various incl
dents connected with slavery and eman-
cipation.
The bropze statues will be set upon
the monument model at the Worlds
fair and will afterward be transferred
to the permanent monument at Spring
field. The selection of subjects for tho
statues has been made by Hon. s. NJ.
Cullom, of Illinois; Hon. Robert Smalls.
South Carolina; Hon. William B. ALI
son. Iowa; Hon. John r. Lynch, Missis-
sippi: Hon. John j. ingalls,, Kansas. and
Colonel Robert q. Ingersoll.
Governor Fifer and Senator Cullon.
of Illinois, are the trustees of funds. and
DR.. George w. Bryant, the commis-
sioner general of the association, is now
in Boston at 90 Charles street, to whom
subscriptions for the monument may Do
sent T. ID. s.
I -
The Progress., 1893-02-18

able obstacle in the
path of presidon-
tial ambition. Conk-
ling afterward ez-
pressed that idea in a
speech in the senate,
in which he said,
The senate breeds
unhealthy candidates
for the presidency"
An exciting political
canvass took place i'll
Illinois early in BuCh-
The Progress., 1893-02-18

ness which character
lied Lincoln perhaps
in a higher degree
than any other man
that astute politician,
Weed, ever met. Weed
was fond of telling
one which suggested
strikingly that quail
ity of simplicity. On
the day that the Chi
The Progress., 1893-02-18

"Gentlemen, ever since l have come
into this office have heard great deal
about feepnnce. Men come here and.
talk to me by the hour about tegaoncc
and about feendncidl policy. hear one
side and then hear the other, just rs
have heard You this morning, and now
I'll tell you what my conclusion IS.
don't understand anything about this
matter of fccndpce, and l don't think
ANYBODY else does either. Chase says he
does. You'd bcttergo and talk with HIM.
But if YOU get talking JccRdRca with
him or with congress you're going to
get all mixed up. This country Is rich
enough to pay all our bills, and to pay
back with interest the money that we
borrow, and that is my teendnciai creed.
Thus he dismissed the bankers, aud
while they thought his doctrine crude,
yet they admitted that it was in essence
sound.
What Wendell Phillips said.
Wendell pLiilinS aritatOr imO-gcatCr
The Progress., 1893-02-18

and possessed of the
most da7 ing and fas-
cinati & rhetorical
cloquel "e that ever
graccd the English
tong1 went to Wash
ingto. to So Lincoln,
and coming home met
George William Cur
It's. Said Curtis,
We'll, Mr.. Phillips,
41.l- f
The Progress., 1893-02-18


motives were something marvellous, and
was ready to admit that the party
had made no mistake in selecting this
man whom we thought green country
man as its candidate.
"After his election went to see him
again to talk with him about his cabinet
and his measures. He then told me that
he expected to ask Mr.. Seward to be-
come secretary of state and Mr.. Chase
secretary of the treasury. But that was
all the positive information ! could get
out of him. | saw that he understood
the public men of the country just as
well as did, although most of them he
had never seen. He had an understand
ing of mems character as intuitive as
woman's. He played with me, and that
was a new experience, for | had heen
accustomed to play with others, and
realized that this man was the master oil
the politicians in his party"
At the Head of the Table.
Mr.. Weed used to tell the story oil
how Mr.. Lincoln demonstrated to his
cabinet that where ne sat was the neal
of the table. When his cabinet mel
there was no man of them who had nc
been more conspicuous than Lincoln III
The Progress., 1893-02-18

THURLow WEED. cago convention nom
mated Lincoln, he went to the Office OF
the local newspaper in Springfield and
The Progress., 1893-02-18
ns WAS ALWAYS "ON THE MOvE.",

Thomas Lincoln, Father of tho Emancf-
pator, Was of IA Migratory Disposition
The country has heard much of tho
oddities and weaknesses of Thomas LIN
coin, father of the Liberator; how he was
ever on the move and invariably sue
ceeded in making about as bad location
The Progress., 1893-02-18


the expenses necessary to arm and equip
and feed the soldiers-agreed to raise
$50 600. 900 in gold and lend it to the
government, and when they did this
Lincoln said that it was equal in its
moral effect to the raising of an army of
500. 900 men. Then they raised another
sc, 600, 900, and for the third time did
the same thing. Lincoln therefore had
very cordial regard for these New
York bankers and never tired of speak
ing in words of praise of these things
which the lad done.
Something occurred in congress or
else some financial measure was under
consideration which did not meet the
views of the New York bankers. They
wanted a change in the law, and they
regarded it as of vital interest that Mr.
Lincoln's support should be given to
their views. So they named commit
tee. and there We're men upon it who had
the power of raising millions, and who
| had won great fame for achievements
| that they had mad rs bankers. They
went to Washington. Lincoln received
them in his library. He had never
earned over So, 900 year. He was only
worth when he took the presidency
about 81 1000 in cash and his house in
Springfield, worth about $4,000 more.
He had said year before that if he
could gain fortune of 500, 900 he would
be content, for it would be sufficient for
his old age, and he was row in the pres
ence of men some of whom had made as
much as $50, 900 in a week.
In the presence of great wealth even
great politicians are likely to be some
what subdued in man. ~
ner. Lincoln was as M
easy with these men vi
as though they had (LA-S. \s
been chums OF his in E~9 /-I
his old law Office
in Springfield. He %S-AMn
swung his long legs - %fF
over the arms of his $M@
chair and then asked v
them to state their WENDELL PHIL
mission. He heard LIPS.
them patiently as they talked learnedly
of stocks and bonds and markets and
. credits. After they were all through ane
were awaiting his answer he arose anc
, with some seriousness of manner said:
The Progress., 1893-02-18

LIVER WEN
DELL HOLMES
reading the dis
patch announc-
ing the death Of
Tennyson, said:
"Only Gladstone
is left of the
great men born
in the year 1909.
Lincoln, Glad 70
stone and Tenny-
son, who were Of
The Progress., 1893-02-18
what Wendell Phillips said.

Wendell Phillips, agitatOr, imprecatCr