The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1895-06-23
SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF LINCOLN

| TOT earnest CONGRATULATIONS on tne part OIL
/ his friends. Seward was tho great man of
the day, but Ligcoln had demonstrated to
the satisfaction of his friends that he was
| tall enough and strong enough to measure
swords with the Auburn statesman. His
triumph in New York and New England
had shown that the idea of house divided
| against itself induced as strong co-opera-
ton and hearty support in prevention Of
| great wrong in the east as the famous ir-
| repressible conflict attracted warriors to
| Stewards standard in the Mississippi val
| ley. 1t was apparent now to Lincoln that
the presidential nomination was within
his reach. He began gradually to lose his
interest in the law and to trim his politi-
cal sails at the same time His recent
| success had stimulated his self confidence
to unwonted proportions. He wrote to in
fuential party workers everywhere !
know the idea prevails that Lincoln sat
still in his chair in Springfield, and that
| one of those unlocked for tides in human
affairs came along and cast the nomina-
ton into his lap, but any man who has
| had experience in such things knows that
great political prizes are not obtained in
that way. The truth is Lincoln was as
vigiant as he was ambitious, and there is
no denying the fact that he understood
the situation perfectly from the start. In
| the management Of his own interests he
was Obliged to rely almost entirely on his
| own resources. He had no money with
which to maintain political bureau, and
| he lacked any kind of personal organiza-
ton whatever. A letter written by Lin
coin about this time to friend in Kansas
serves to illustrate his methods and meas
ures the extent of his ambition. The let
ter is dated March 10 and is now in my
possession. For obvious reasons I with
hold the friends name: ''As to your kind
wishes for myself writes Lincoln, al
low mo to say 1 cannot enter the ring on
the money basis, first, because in the
main it is wrong, and, secondly, have
not and cannot get the money. / say in
the main the use of money is wrong, but
for certain objects in a political contest
the use of some is both right and indis-
pensable. With me, as with yourself, this
long struggle has been one of great pecu
mary loss. I now distinctly say this-if
you shall be appointed delegate to Chi
cago will furnish 500 to bear the ex-
| penses of the trip
Lincolns friend, instead of securing
that delegation for him, suffered the Sew
ard men to outgeneral him, and the pros
| poets were by no means fiattering. II
see by the dispatches, writes Lincoln
in a burst of surprise, that since you
wrote, Kansas has appointed delegates and
instructed for Seward Dom stir them up
to anger, but come along to the conven-
ton, and I will do as l said about ex-
penses. 30 Whether the friend ever accepted
Lincoln's generous offer I do not know,
but it may not be without interest to state
that within ten days after the latter's in
auguration he appointed him to federal
office with comfortable salary attached
and even asked for his preferences as to
other contemplated appointments in his
own state.
In the rapid, stirring scenes that crowd
upon each other from this time forward
the individuality of Lincoln is easily lost
sight of. He was so thoroughly inter-
woven in the issues before the people of
Illinois that he had become a part Of them.
Among his colleagues at the bar he was
no longer looked upon as the circuit court
lawyer of earlier days. To them it seemed
as If the nation were about to lay its
claim upon him. His tall form enlarged
until, to use fgurative expression, he
could no longer pass through the door of
our dingy Office. Reference has already
been made to the envy of his rivals at the
bar and tie jealousy Of his political con-
temporaries.
very lew indeed were free from the de-
grading passion, but it made no difference
in Lincoln's treatment of them. He was
as generous and deferred to them as much
as ever. The first public movement by the
Illinois people In his interest was the &C.
tion of the state convention, which met at
Decatur on the 9th and 10th Of May. 1t
was at this convention that Lincoln's
friend and cousin, John Hanks, brought
in the two historic rails which both had
made in the Sangamon bottom in 1880,
and which served the double purpose of
electrifying the Illinois people and kin
ding the fire of enthusiasm that was des-
tined to sweep over the nation. In the
words OF an ardent Lincoln delegate,
"These rails were to represent the issue in
the coming contest between labor free and
labor slave, between democracy and arts
tocracy. Little did think" continues
our jubilant and effusfve friend, ''of the
mighty consequences of this little incident.
Little did think that the tall and angu-
lar and bony rail splitter who stood in
girlish diffidence bowling with awkward
grace would I'LL the chair once filled b,
Washington, and that his name would
echo in chants of praise along the corridor
of all coming time"
Formal Notice of His Nomination.
The news Of bis nomination, found Tin.
,oir Of Cnr;nafoId In +ha ot4oo of Tho