Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-04-06

iieve, in 1913. His cradle was in Connccti-
cut, and he comes of the old Jonathan
Trumbull brood. AS young man. like
many young and book-taught Yankee of
his time, he went south to teach school. He
headed for Georgia and gave himself up to
ferrule and spelling book as a method of
support. But he liked 1t not: and as he
put out the lessons and padded the shock
headed youth of those regions he dipped
into the law books as deeply as he might.
This was in the earlier '3Os. AS soon
he equal to his examination he was
called to the Georgia bar; but he never
paused to practice there He migrated to
Illinois, then the utter west, and settled at
Belleville st. Clair county. in that pro-
found part of the state known as Egypt
This was, 1 believe, just sixty years ago,
and possibly about the time that Dickens
colonized his characters of Martin Chuzzle-
wit and Mark Tapley in the same damp
region to make peg wherein he might
hang his ISLANDERS of America.
Immediately Judge Trumbull-not Judge
was always courtly; always carefully po-
lite: what, indeed, might call a bit
cold; yet he had a great sway with the
juries. He was and is a clear, cogent reas-
oner. and has a trick of admonishing with
bis forefinger. Sometimes it would seem as
If that potent forefnger wove spell.
His Impressive Look.
"It has. I doubt not. brought many a
fury in It's time to Judge Trumbulls side
of the question-such were the impress
sive looks of Trumbull as far back fifty
years ago, that 1 recall what Gov. Ray
nolds once said Of them as he closed his
argument In the case. Trumbull was on
the other side.
"'And now, gentlemen said Reynolds as
he prepared to close I've answered his
arguments. I've overturned his statement
of facts; I've undone the fallacous law he
hn, nnI 60 but t1av,1
man never lived who can reply to his
looks!
In those days the lawyers and the judges
were won't to ride a circuit. During the
noon recess and after court at night they
would talk politics. Young Trumbull was
always leader. He was democrat of the
incorporating shag-bark school of An
drew Jackson. During the dispute with
England about the Oregon boundary Trum-
bull, l recollect was decidedly bitter
against the old country He was for rum
ming the line at 81 degrees 40 minutes north
latitude, some $50 miles north of where it
is now, and would have gone to war for a
third time with England if need be to es-
tablish it,"
They called Trumbull and others who
sided with him in the boundary matter
the fiftyfour forties.' I recall how Trum-
bull made very bitter speech from the
court house steps. and spoke of the men,
dacious greed of England, who based her
fimsy claim, he said, on the lies of
pirate named Francis Drake No: had
Lyman Trumbull and others like him been
needed We would now have all of the Brit
fsh possessions in America worth having
and there would be mighty little left to
annex.
Opposed to Slavery.
I'm time Trumbull was member of the
Illinois legislature her secretary of state
and judge on her supreme bench. All
these 1, democrat. 1t was during the
free soil fight when the Nebraska bill was
up an, the pro-slavery people were trying
to force their pet institution into the terri
tories that democrats like Lyman Trum-
bull, who were against slavery in fact, and
would not listen to any talk of it's extern
sion, began to pack their trunks to leave
the party. Trumbull always out
spoken and free; he warned the pro-slavery
folk where they would land. He denounced
the bred Scott decision and Judge fancy
for delivering 1t. When Douglas and Lin
coin held their famous series of debates he
was heart and soul for the Lincoln side.
Finally, in 1856. there came senatorial
election. Gen. Shields. whose statue in
very bad bronze stands in statuary hail.
was Senator; and, his term expiring, he
was up for reelection.
He was a democrat, and Abraham Lin
coin, whom Douglas had beaten just be-
fore, ran against him for the free sellers.
The vote stood 80 for Lincoln and 45 for
Shields, with 100 votes cast. What became
of the other FIVE? I'll tell you, and it may
be that great deal of American history
pivoted on those five votes. Senator Palm
err was the leader of the five. He was a
democrat, but, ike IruulDull, set his face
like flint against slavery. So Palmer took
these four democrats away from Shields,
and, with himself making five, cast a
quintet of free soil democratic votes for
Lyman Trumbull
col. w. r. Morrison then young man,
in the legislature, voting straight for
Shields. Thus it stood Lincoln, 80; Shields,
~; Trumbull, D. After a vote or two, Lin
coin. although he needed but one vote
withdrew in favor of Trumbull; and the
latter was elected by % votes: 10 majority
No: Lincoln didn't do this from any per-
soral hatred he had for Shields. Lincoln
never did anything because of hate in his
life. He may have been afraid he couldn't
hold his people. or q dozen reasons NAV
have interviewed. It's q long way back
forty years. and one can't tell. But Trum-
bull was elected and went to the Senate
and remained eighteen years Lincoln
Joined him at Washington four years later
to take up his residence at the White
House.
Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amend
''Trumbull and Lincoln, although coming
from different political tribes, were both re-
putlicans from the origin of that party, and
were very intimate when at the
White House and the other in the Senate.
Lincoln put much trust In Trumbull. AS
chief of the Senate judiciary committee it
was Trumbull who conceived and framed
the thirteenth and fourteenth amendments.