The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-02-07
GENIUS OF LINCOLN.
A STRIKING EXAMPLE OF HIS RE-
MARKA8LE POWER.

How Junius Henri Browne Was Charmed
by His Sincerity and Perfect Fairness.
His Persuasiveness on the Political Ros-
trum-Enect of His Speech.
copyright, 1895, by American Press Associa-
ton
The first time saw Abraham Lin
coin and the impression he made upon
me I 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
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 ard had been defeated. He visited
the city where then lived as a pro
spectiV5 candidate for the presidency
and had been announced to speak on the
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 consequences an i'm
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 I cherished a most violent
prejudice against the man on whom
had never laid eyes. Like Charles Lamb,
had damned him at a venture.
The cause of the prejudice was that,
though a native New Yorker, I had been
reared in the southwest. I had had
southern boys as chums at college,
had been much in the cotton states, and
was the son of a strong Wing. The
Wing party had always favored and
been in sympathy with the south (they
well deserved. the name dough faces),
and I had been bred in my fathers po-
litical school, which as boy had &C
cepted unhesitatingly. The very name
of abolitionism was detestable to me.
I had a 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
I represented was opposed to him and
his convictions. He more than realized
my anticipations. He was, I thought
the ugliest, most awkward, most COM
mon looking man had ever seen. To
imagine him president Of the republic
almost made me 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
Go n xx7hi
when he opened his lips, had a rather
strident, uncultured sound It was
strong, penetrating, particularly ear
nest, honest, persuasive. And this ear
nestness and honesty made me forget
! its rusticity of accent and information. It
contained, too, a note of sadness, which
correspondent to the 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. I 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
seemed to be animated with the highest
purpose, the purest of motives.
Lincoln's subject was, of course,
''Slavery," the one, the absorbing ques-
ton of the time. He treated it in the
calmest, fairest, most unimpassioned
manner, though the habit of the day.
both north and south, was to look at il
altogether sectionally and to discuss il
for the most part with ardent bias and
temper.
He pointed out clearly, as remember,
the danger Of slavery to the whole coun-
try; that slavery was as Inconsistent
with freedom in the north as it was
with freedom at home. Whatever
slavery might be morally, and he de-
clined then TO debate its moral aspect,
its political aspects at such a crisis were
more important were vital indeed, tC
the preservation of the nation. He would
give to the south every constitutional
right, but it should be remembered that
the north also had rights, and that il
could not endure continued encroach
ments, which, a few years before, haC
never been put forward or ever
imagined, without losing its independ
ence and self respect. The two systemE
of slave labor and free labor, he did not
believe, could much longer coexist.
This was, think, the substance of hii
speech, but it gives no idea of its i'm
partial character, to which even Caro-
linian fire eater could hardly have take1
exception. It contained not one rhetor
ical phrase. Tt was all reason, practical
ity, common sense, but intensely in
teresting. The speaker plainly was not al
orator in the usual sense, and yet hi
effort was the sum of all oratory. It wa
wholly convincing, wholly unanswer
able, and the vast assembly must hav,
so regarded it. The enthusiasm at tn,
close was immense. A new order @