The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1895-05-31
SKETCHES OF LINCOLN.
Congressional Aspirations and
Their Fulfllment.
UNIQUE AND AMUSING INCIDENTS

UNIQUE AND AMUSING INCIDENTS
Brief Partnership With stephen T. Logan
Precedes the More Lasting One With
William III. Herndon-Political Defeat
Elected to Congress.
from "The Life of Lincoln' by William r.
Herndon and Jesse W. Weik. Copyright 1885,
by Jesse W. Weik. Copyright, 1892, by d. Ap
pleton & Co.
After April ii, 1841, when Lincoln
retired from the partnership with Stu
art. who had gone to congress, he had
been associated with Stephen T. Logan,
man who had, as he deserved, the
reputation of being the best nisi prius
lawyer in the state. Judge Logan was
very orderly but somewhat technical
lawyer.
In l943 Logan and Lincoln both had
their eyes set on the race for congress.
Logan's claim to the honor lay in his
age and the service he had rendered the
Wing party, while Lincoln, overflow
ing with ambition, lay great stress on
his legislative achievements and de.
manded it because he had been defeated
in the nominating conventions by both
Hardin and Baker in the order named.
That two such aspiring politicians, each
striving to obtain the same prize, should
not dwell tremendously together in the
same Office is not strange. Indeed we
may reasonably credit the story that
they considered themselves rivals, and
that numerous acrimonious passages
took place between them.
was not surprised, therefore, one
morning to see Mr.. Lincoln come rush
ing up into my quarters and with more
or less agitation tell me he had deter
mined to sever the partnership with
Logan. I confess was surprised when
he invited me to become his partner. I
was young in the practice and was pain
fully aware of my want of ability and
experience, but when he remarked in
bis earnest, honest way, BILLY, can
trust you if you can trust me-" I felt
relieved and accepted the generous pro-
posal. In after years, when he became
more prominent and our practice grew
to respectable proportions, other ambi-
tious practitioners undertook to sup
plant me in the partnership. One of the
latter, more jealous than wise, charged
that was in certain way weakening
the influence of the firm. ! am fattered
to know that LINCOLN turned On this last
named individual with the retort: TT
know my own business, Ireckon. know
Billy Herndon better than anybody, and
even if what you say of him is true I
intend to stick by him.,
A dangerous Rival.
Lincoln's effort to obtain the congress
sional nomination in 1043 brought out
several unique and amusing incidents.
He and Edward D. Baker were the two
aspirants from Sangamon county, bat
Bakers long residence, extensive a9A
quaintance and general popularity Were
obstacles Lincoln could not overcome
Accordingly, at the last moment, Lin
coin reluctantly withdrew from the
field. In a letter to his friend Speed,
dated March "a, 1043, he describes the
situation as follows: "We had meet
ing of the Wings of the county here on
last Monday to appoint delegates to a
district convention, and Baker beat me
and got the delegation instructed to go
for him. The meeting, in spite of my
attempt to decline it, appointed me one
of the delegates SO that in getting Baker
the nomination I shall be fixed a good
deal like a fellow who is made grooms-
man to man that has cut him out and
is marrying his own dear GAL" Only u
few days before this he had written a
friend anent the congressional matter:
'Now, if you should hear any one say
that Lincoln don't want to go to con-
gress, I wish you, as personal friend
of mine, would tell him you have rea-
son to believe he is mistaken. The truth
is l would like to go very much. Still
circumstances may happen which may
prevent my being candidate. If there
are any who be my friends in such an
enterprise, what l now want is that they
shall not throw me away just yet" To
another friend in the adjoining county
of Menard, few days after the meeting
of the Wings in Sangamon, he explains
how Baker defeated him.
Accused of Being an Aristocrat.
The entire absence of any feeling OF
bitterness. or what the politicians call
revenge, is the most striking feature of
the letter. ut is truly gratifying, "he
says, ito me to learn that while the
people of Sangamon have castme off my
old friends of Menard, who have known
me longest and best, stick to me. 1t
would astonish if not amuse the older
citizens to learn that I, a strange, friend
less, uneducated, penniless boy, work
ing on fatboat at $40 per month, have
been put down here as the candidate of
pride, wealth and aristocratic family
distinction. Yet so. chiefly, il, was.
There was, too, the strangest combina
ton of church influence against me.
Baker is Campbellite, and therefore,
as l suppose with few exceptions, got
all that church. My wife has some rela-
tions in the Presbyterian cburches and
some with the Episcopalian churches,
and therefore, wherever it would tell,
was set down as either the one or the
other, while it was everywhere contend