The herald., 1895-06-29

HerndOn and Jesse W. Nelk. Copyright, 1855,
by Jesse W. weik. Copyright. 1892, by d. Ap-
pleton g. Co.
Before departing for Washington as pres
ident Mr.. Lincoln went to Chicago for
few days stay and there by previous ar
rangement met his old friend, Joshua +.
Speed. Both were accompanied by their
wives, and while the latter were out shop
ping the two husbands repaired to Speeds
room at the hotel. For an hour or more 3"
relates Speed, 1--WE lived over again the
scenes of other days Finally Lincoln
threw himself on the bed, and fixing his
eyes on a spot ir the ceiling asked me this
question, Speed what is your pecuniary
condition-aro you rich or poor?' 1 an
swered, addressing him by his new title:
Mr.. President l think l can anticipate
what you are going to say. III speak can
didly to you Oh the subject. My pocuniary
condition Is satisfactory to me now. You
would perhaps call it good. do not think
you have within your gift any office 1
could afford to take. Mr.. Lincoln then
proposed to make Guthrie of Kentucky Sec
retary of war, but did not want to write to
him-asked me to feel of him. 1 did as re-
quested, but the kentucky statesman de-
chned on the ground of his advanced age
the position. He gave substantial assur-
ance of his loyal sentiments however,
and insisted that the Union should be pre-
served at ali hazards "
Writing His Inaugural.
Late in January Mr.. Lincoln informed
me that he was ready to begin the prepara-
tion of his inaugural address He had,
aside from his lawbooks and the few
oil hat tbo
ter table in his parlor at home, compare
lively no library. He never seemed to
care to own or collect books. On the other
hand, / had q very respectable collection
and was adding to it every day. To my
library Lincoln very frequently had access.
When, therefore, he began on his inau-
gural speech he.told me what works he in
tended to consult. / looked for q long
list, but when he went over it 1 was great
ly surprised. He asked me to furnish him
with Henry Clay's great speech delivered
in 1850, Andrew Jackson's proclamation
against notification and copy of the
constitution. He afterward called for Web
ster's reply to Hayne, a speech which he
read when he lived at New Salem, and
which he always regarded as the grandest
specimen of American oratory. With these
few volumes and no further sources of
reference he locked himself up in a room
up stairs over a store across the street
from the statehouse, and there, cut off
from all communication and intrusion,
he prepared the address. Though COM
posed amid the unromantic surroundings
OF q dingy, dusty and neglected back room
the speech has become a memorable docu-
ment. Posterity will assign to it a high
rank among historical utterances, and it
will ever bear comparison with the efforts
of Washington, jefferson, Adams or any
that preceded its delivery from the steps
Of the national capitol.
A After Mr. Lincons rise to national
prominence, and esp. tally since his death,
have often been asked if I did not write
this or that paper for him. if l did not
prepare or help prepare some of his speech
es know that other and ADLER friends of
Lincoln have been asked the same ques-
tion. To people who made such inquiries
I always responded: You don't under
stand Mr.. Lincoln. No man ever asked
less aid than he. His confidence in his
own ability to meet the requirements of
every hour was so marked that his friends
mover thought of rendering their aid, and
therefore no one could share his RESPONSE
bilities. l never wrote a limo for him. He
never asked me to. Twas never conscious
He often called out my views ON some
philosophical question, simply because 1
was fond student of philosophy and con-
oeding that I had given the subject more
attention than he. He often asked as to
the use of word or the turn of a sentence,
but il volunteered to recommend or even
suggest a change of language which in
volved change of sentiment l found him
the most infexible man l have ever seen. :"
The Old Signboard.
Early in February tho last item of prop
sration for the journey to Washington had
been made Mr.. Lincoln had disposed of
his household goods and furniture to a
neighbor, had rented his house, and as
these constituted all the property he owned
IN Illinois there was no further occasion
for concern on that score In the after
noon of his last day in Springfield he came
down to our office to examine some papers
and confer with me about certain legal
matters in which he still felt some inter
est. On several previous occasions he had
told me he was coming over to the Office
''to have a long talk with me, - as he ox-
pressed it. We ran over the books and ar
hanged for the completion of all unsettled
and unfinished matters. In some cases he
had certain requests to make certain lines
oI procedure ne WlsneQ me TO observe.
After these things were all disposed of
he crossed to the opposite side of the room
and threw himself down on the old Office
sofa, which, after many yenrs of service,
had been moved against the wall for sup
port He lay for some moments, his face
toward the ceiling, without either of us
speaking. Presently he inquired Billy
-he always called me by that name
chow long have we been together?" "Oyer
16 years. answered. We've never had
. cross word during all that time, have
wep' to which l returned vehement,
mo- indeed we have not.'' He then re-
called some incidents of his early practice
and took great pleasure in delineating the
ludicrous features of many lawsuit on
the circuit It was at this last interview
In Springfield that he told me of tho eff
forts that had been made by other lawyers
TO supplant me in the partnership with
him. He insisted that such men were
weak creatures, who, to use his own Ian
guage, "hoped to secure a law practice by
banging to his coattail.' / never saw him
In more cheerful mood. He gathered
bundle Of books and papers he wished to
take with him and started to go, but be-
fore leaving he made the strange request
that the signboard which swung on it's
rusty hinges at the foot of the stairway
should remain. Let it hang there undis-
k17rho6 - tp said with eli lou--