Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1895-02-16
GENIUS OF LINCOLN.
A STRIKING EXAMPLE OF HIS RE-
MARKABLE POWER.

How Junius Henri Browne Was Charmed
by His Sincerity and Perfect Fairness.
trum-Fffect of His Speech.
fCopyright 1895, by American Press Associa
ton.
The first time | saw Abraham Lin
coln and the impression he made upon
me l shall never forget. 1t was in the
days of my early youth, just before the
civil war, when had already been i'm
PEELED by some unknown though adj
verse influence to enter journalism in a
southwestern city on the border.
Lincoln had very recently emerged
from comparative obscurity into nation
al reputation through his memorable
canvass in Illinois with Stephen A.
Douglas for the United States senator
ship and had been defeated. He visited
the city where l then lived as pro-
spective candidate for the presidency
and had been announced tospeak on tho
issues of the forthcoming campaign, the
long deferred struggle between freedom
and slavery. The public was eager to
hear him, for it had read his famous
debates with Douglas as reported by the
press, and he had in consequence an inn
mense open air audience. The reporter
who had been assigned to the meeting
failed at the last moment to appear and
went in his place rather reluctantly,
admit, for | cherished a most violent
prejudice against the man on whom /
had never laid eyes. Like Charles Lamb,
had damned him at venture.
The cause of the prejudice was that,
though native New Yorker, l had been
reared in the southwest. l had had
southern boys as chums at college, l
had been much in the cotton states, and
was the son of a strong Whig. The
Wing party had always favored and
been in sympathy with the south (they
we'll deserved the name dough faces),
and had been bred in my fathers po-
litical school, which as boy l had ac-
cepted unhesitatingly. The very name
of abolitionism was detestable to me.
had place very near Lincoln on
the balcony from which he spoke,
though expecting to give only an alb
stract of his address, for the newspaper
| represented was opposed to him and
his convictions. He more than realized
my anticiparions. He was, | thought,
the ugliest, most awkward, most COM
mon looking man | had ever seen. To
imagine him president of the republic
almost made ne shiver. The first words
he might speak would, felt sure, repel
me even more than his personal appear
ance had.
That long, lank, disjointed figure,
half leaning on the iron railing that
sallow, angular, unsymmetrical face,
those few clumsy gestures still live in
my memory. So does his voice, which,
when he opened his lips, had a rather
strident, uncultured sound. 1t was
strong, penetrating, particularly ear
nest, honest, persuasive. And this ear
nestness and honesty made me forget
its rusticity of accent and intonation. 1t
contained, too, note of sadness, which
corresponded to tho melancholy express
sion of his deep, luminous, significant,
impressionable eyes.
After few minutes of intent listen
ing, which his perfect simplicity and
earnestness commanded, began to for
get his manner in his matter. l lost
sight Of his appearance as he uttered
his undoubted convictions, Nobody who
heard him could have questioned for a
moment his absolute sincerity, the COM
plete truthfulness of the man. He was
the very embodiment of candor, benevo-
lence uprightness. His whole nature