The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-06-23


at che same time attain your end.
nave large room up stairs with a
double bed up stairs which you are
very welcome to share with nler'
Where is your room% said he.
Up stairs" said /, pointing to a
pair of winding stairs which led from
| the store to my room.
He took his saddle-bags on his arm,
! went up stairs, set them down on the
hoor and came down with the most
changed expression of countenance.
/ Beaming with pleasure he exclaimed:
Well, Speed, 1 am movedr"
At that time Mr.. Lincoln was q
years old, "a lawyer without a client,
/ no money, and all his earthly wealth
| consisting of the clothes he wore and
the contents of his saddle bags"
LincOIn's Rapid Rise as Lawyer and
Politician.
! Mr.. Speed was Lincoln's Junior by
! four years, a man of some inherited
means and a merchant with a pros
/ pering business. They lived thus init
mately and together for four years,
/ during which time Lincoln's affairs
We're a little mended, though not
much. During this time there ex-
! listed an intimate friendship singular
in the lives of both men, for neither of
! them in after life was ever unre-
serVedly intimate with any other
man. They appear to have no con-
cealments from one another and to
have discussed affairs of the most
sacredly personal nature. To no
other person did Mr.. Lincoln ever I'M
burden himself with such reserve.
They confessed to each other their
sentimental perpleXities and of these,
as is we'll known, Lincoln had more
than full share.
To return to Mr.. Speeds narrative
Of the early years in Springfield. AS
lawyer" he says, after his first
year, he was acknowledged among the
| best in the state. His analytical
powers were marvellous. He always
resolved every question into its pri-
mary elements and gave up every
point on his own side that did not
seem invulnerable. One would think,
to hear him argue a case in the court,
he was giving his case away. He
would cOncede point after point to his
adversary until it would seem his case
was conceded entirely away. But he
always reserved a point upon which
he claimed a decision in his favor
ana his concessions magnified the
strength of his claim. He rarely
failed in gaining his cases in court.
Mr.. Lincoln was a social man.
though he did not seek company; it
sought him. After he made his home
with me, on every winters night at
my store, by a big wood fire, no mat
ter how Indictment the weather, eight
or ten choice spirits assembled, with
out distinction of party. 1t was a sort
of social club without organization
They came there because they were
sure to find Lincoln. His habit was
to engage in conversation upon any
and all subjects except politics.
A FOrerunner OF the Lincoln and
Douglas Debate.
"One evening a political argument
sprang up between Lincoln and Doug
las, which for a time ran high. Doug
las sprang to his feet and said, Gem
tlemen, this is no place to talk poll
tics; we will discuss the questions
publicly with you.
"A few days afterwards the Wings
held meeting and challenged the
Democrats to a joint debate. The
challenge was accepted and Douglas,
Lamoorn, Calhoun and Jesse Thomas
were selected by the Democrats; Lo-
gan, Baker, BroVning and Lincoln
We're selected by the Wings. Such in
tellectual giants of course drew
crowded house. The debate took
place in the Presbyterian church and
lasted for eight nights, each speaker
taking one night. Like true knights
they came to fight in intellectual ar
NOR clad. They all stood high and
each had his followers, adherents and
admirers. This was in January, 1910.
The conclusion of that speech, as an
evidence of his style at that early
day, is, 1 think, worth repeating here.
If ever I feel the soul within me
elevate and expand to those dimen-
sions not wholly unworthy of its di-
vine architect, it is when I contem-
plate the cause of my country, de-
serted by all the world beside, and I.
standing UP boldly and alone, hurting
defiance at her victorious oppressors.
Here, without contemplating conse-
quences, before heaven and in the
face of the world, l swear eternal
fealty to the just cause, as I deem it.
of the land of my life my liberty ard
my love. And who, that thinks with
me, will not fearlessly adopt The oath
take? Let none falter who thinks
he is right, and we may succeed. But
If, after ALL we shall fail, be it so. we
will still have the proud consolation
of saying to our consciences, and to
the departed shade of our cnuntry's
freedom that the cause approved Of
our judgments and adored Of cur
hearts we never faltered N defend
ing
FMS speech was considered at the
time to be the best of the series and
some even doubted, according to
Herndon and Lamon, two of Lincoin's
biographers, that Lincoln could have
prepared it without assistance LamOn
says in his book, written in 1872, ITO
this day, there are some who believe
he had assistance in the preparation
of it. Even Mr.. Herndon accused
Speed of having had a hand in it,
and got a fiat denial for his answer.
At all events, the speech was a popu-
lar success"
An Illustration of LincOIn's Tender
ness of Heart.
Here is an incident related by Mr..
Speed: Lincoln had the tenderest
heart for any one in distress, whether
man, beast or bird. Many of the gen.
tie and touching sympathies OF his
nature, which lowered so frequently
and beautifully in the humble citizen
DIT home. fruited in the sunlight of the |
world when he had place and power.
He carried from his home on the |
prairies to Washington the same gen-
tieness Of disposition and kindness of !
heart. Six gentlemen, Hemgone, Lin !
coin, Baker, Hardin and two others !
whose names l do not now recall. |
were riding along a country road. We /
were strung along the road two and /
two together. We were passing |
through a thicket of wild plum ard /
apple trees. a violent wind storm had |
just occurred. Lincoln and Hardin /
were behind. There We're two Young /
birds by the roadside too young to /
iy. They had been blown from the
oct .1r t,n c-fD al l.