Mower County transcript., 1895-07-31
SKETCHES. Of LINCOLN.
Settling Down to the Practice
of Law.
EFFECT OF HIS POLITICAL DEFEAT

From "The Lite of LincG}n" by William n.
Herndon and Jesse W. We.iz. Copyright, 1855,
by Jesse ". Weik. Copyright. ls92, by D. Ap'
pleton s. Col
XVI.
While member of congress and 9TH
erwise immersed in politics, Lincoln
seemed to lose all interest in the law.
OF course what practice he himself con.
trolled passed into other hands. re-
tanned all the business I could and
worked steadily Oh until, when he re-
turned, our practice was as extensive as
that Of any other firm at the bar. Lin
coin realized that much Of this was due
to my efforts, and ON his return he there
fore suggested that he had no right to
share in the business and profits which
I had made. responded that, as he
had aided me and given me prominence
when I was young and needed it, could
afford now to be grateful if not gener-
Gus. Therefore recommended continu-
alton of the partnership, and we went
ON as before. I could notice difference
in Lincoln movement as q lawyer from
this time forward. He had begun to
realize certain lack Of discipline-a
want OF mental training and method.
Ten years had wrought some change in
the law and more In the lawyers Of Illi-
nois. The conviction had settled in the
minds of the people that the pyrotech-
mics Of courtroom and stump oratory did
not necessarily imply extensive or pro-
found ability in the lawyers who resort
ed to them. The courts were becoming
graver and more learned, and the law
yer was learning as a preliminary and
indispensable condition to success that
he must be close reasoner. besides hav-
Ing at command broad knowledge of
the principles on which the statutory
law is constructed. There was, of course,
the same riding ON circuit as before, but
the courts had improved in tone and
morals, and there was less laxity-at
least it appeared 40 to Lincoln.
Political defeat had wrought mark
ed effect ON him. Invent below the skin
and made changed man Of him. He
was not soured at his seeming political
decline, but still he determined to es-
chew politics from that time forward
and devote himself entirely to the law.
And now he began to make up for time
lost in politics by studying the law in
earnest. No man had greater power of
application than he. Once fixing his
mind on any subject, nothing could in
terfere with or disturb him. Frequently
1would go out on the circuit with him.
We usually at the little country inns
occupied the same bed. In most cases
the beds we're too short for him, and his
feet would hang over the footboard, thus
exposing limited expanse of shin bone
Placing candle on chair at the head
of the bed, he would read and study for
hours. I have known him to study in
this position till 2 O'Clock in the morn
ing. Meanwhile I and others who
CHANGED to occupy the same room would
be safely and soundly asleep.
On tho Circuit.
On the circuit in this way he studied
Euclid until he could with ease demon
strate all the propositions in the six
books. How he could maintain his men,
tai equilibrium or concentrate his
thoughts on an abstract mathematical
proportion while Davis, Logan, SWEET,
Edwards and so industriously and vol
ubly filled the air with our intermina-
BILE snoring was problem none of US
could ever solve. was on the circuit
with Lincoln probably one-fourth of the
time. The remainder Of my time was
spent in Springfield looking after the
business there, but know that life on
the circuit was gay one. It was rich
with incidents and afforded the nomadic
lawyers ample relaxation from all the
irksome toll that fell to their lot. Lin
coin loved it. I suppose it would be a
half the year following Judges Treat
and Davis around on the circuit On
Saturdays the court and attorneys, if
within reasonable distance, would usu-
ally start for their homes. Some went
for fresh supply Of clothing, but the
greater number went simply to spend q
day of rest with their families. The only
exception was Lincoln, who usually
spent his Sundays with the loungers at
the country tavern and only went home
at the end of the circuit or term of court.
'''At first," relates one of his COL
leagues on the circuit, I'VE wondered at
it, but soon learned to account for his
strange disinolination to go home. Lin
coin himself never had much to say
about home, and we never felt free to
comment on it. Most of US had pleasant,
inviting homes, and as we struck out
for them I'm sure each one of us down
in our hearts had q mingled feeling of