The herald., 1895-05-20
SKETCHES FROM THE LIFE OF LINCOLN

casion forfeited her affection. He had
crushed her proud, womanly spirit. She
felt degraded In tho eyes of the world
Love fed at tho approach of revenge
Some writcr-it is Junius, believe--has
said that ''injuries may be forgiven and
forgotten, but insults admit of no com
pensation; they degrade the mind in Its
own self esteem and force 1t to recover its
level by revenge Whether Mrs. Lincoln
really was moved by the spirit of revenge
Or not, sho acted along the limos Of human
conduct. s,ho led her husband q wild and
merry dance. If, in time, she became
sourcd at the world, it was not without
provocation, and if in later years she un-
chained tho bitterness of disappointed
and outraged nature it followed as logic
ally as an effect does tho cause.
have told this sad story as I know and
have learned it. In rehoarsing the varied
scenes of tho drama, have unearthed
few facts that seem half buried perhaps,
but they were not destined to lay buried
deep or long. The world will have tho
truth Us long as the name of Lincoln is ro-
mcmborcd by mankind.
Willing to Forget.
There were two things Mr. Lincoln al
ways seemed willing to forget. One was
Gillespie from tho Legislature by jumping
through the church window, in 1899, and
tho other wGs tho difficulty with James
Shields or, as he Expressed it in IA letter to
Speed, "thc duel with Shields Other
incidents in his career he frequently called
up in conversation with friends but in
after years he seldom if ever referred to
the affair with Shields. People in Illinois
did gradually forget or at least cease men
tion of it, but in moro remote quarters
where Mr.. Lincoln was less extensively
known the thing, much to his regret,
kept rising to the surface. During n visit
which made to the eastern states in 1858,
l was often asked for an account of the so
called duel, so often, III fact, that OH my
return home told Mr.. Lincoln of it. IF
all the good things have ever done" he
said rcgrctfully ARE remembered rs long
and we'll rs my scrape with Shields, it is
plain l shall not soon be forgotten.
James Shields, a gallant, hot headed
bachelor from Tyrone county, Ireland,
and a man of inordinate vanity, had been
elected auditor of state Encouraged
somewhat by the prominence the office
gave him. he at once assumed q conspicu-
Gus position in the society of Springfield.
He was extremely sensitive by nature, but
exposed himself to mcrcloss rdicule by
attempting to establish his supremacy as
beau amGHg the ladies. Blind to his
own defects and very pronounced in sup
port of every act of the Democratic party
he made himself the target for all the bit.
terness and ridicule Of the day. 1t hap
pencd that the financial resources of the
state owing to the collapse of the great
internal improvement system, were ex-
| L..
ing restless under what they deemed OK
cessive taxation. Tho state officers were
all Democrats, and during the summer
they issued an order declining to receive
any more state bank notes or bills in pay
ment of taxes. This made the taxpayers
burdens greater than over, as much of this
paper remained outstanding in the hands
of the people. The order met with oppo-
sition from every quarter the Wings of
course losing no opportunity to make it as
odious as possible. 1t was perfectly nat
ural, therefore, that such an ardent Whig
as Lincoln should join in the popular de-
nunciaton. Through the columns of the
Springfield journal, OF which he had the
| undsputed use he determined to cncour
| age the opposition by the use of his pen.
No object seemed to merit more ridicule
and caricature than the conspicuous figure
of the auditor of state. At this time Lin
! coin was enjoying stolen conferences un-
der tho hospitable roof of Mrs. Francis
with Mary Todd and her friend, Julia NJ.
Jayne. These two young ladies, to whom
| he confldcd his purpose, encouraged it and
offered to lend their aid. Here he caught
the idea of puncturing Shields. The thing
took shape in an article published in The
journal, purporting to have come from a
poor widow, who with her pockets full of
state bank paper was still unable to OBJ
tain the coveted receipt for her taxes. 1t
was written by Lincoln and was headed,
"A Letter From the Lost Townships"
The "Dueling Business"
1t ridiculed Shields social pretensions
without mercy. He threatened vengeance,
and soon another letter appeared in which
the widow" offered to deprecate his wrath
by marrying him. To this ono of tho la
| dies soon added poem rejoicing over the
proposed marriage.
Through General John D. Whiteside
Shields demanded of Editor Francis the
namo of the author. The latter hunted up
Lincoln, who directed him to give his
name and say nothing about the ladies.
There was vast amount of correspond
ence, q challenge and meeting on the
west bank of the Mississippi followed, but
at the last minute friends effected recon-
ciliation. Then the seconds quarreled, all
the correspondence was published, and
! both principals were laughed at as they
richly deserved.
| The following letter from Lincoln to his
friend Speed furnishes the final outcome
of the ''duelng busin$s;"
SPRINGFIELD Oct 8, lS42.
| DEAR SpEED-You have heard Of my duel
| with Shields, and have now to inform you
that the dueling business still RACES in this
| city Day before yesterday Shields challenged
Butler, who accepted, proposed fighting next
morning at sunrising in Bob Aliens meadow
100 yards distance with rifles. To this White
side Shields second said "No" because Of the
law. Thus ended duel No. g. Yesterday White
side chose to consider himself insulted by DR..
Merryman, so sent him kind Of quasi chal-
lenge inviting him to meet him at the Plant
er's House in St Louis on the next Friday to
settle their difficulty. Merryman made me
his friend and sent Whitesde u note inquiring
to know if he meant his note a challenge, and
if so that he would, according to law in such
case made and provided, prescribe the terms of
meeting. Whitcside returned for answer that if
Merryman would meet him at the Planters
/ House as desired he would challenge him.
Merryman replied in note that he denied
Whitcside's right to dictate time and place, but
that he (Merryman) would waive the question
of time and meet him at Louisiana, Mo. Upon
my presenting this note to Whiteside and stat
ing verbally its contents he declined receiving
it, saying he had business in St. Louis, and it
7 flo,,f iii