Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1896-02-16
Some Stories About
Abraham Lincoln.
New York Journal.

New York Journal.
Washington, d. c., February 15.-"As
a boy l knew Lincoln" said Senator
Voorhees,. "The circuit he was wont
to travel in his law practice in the
early days swept the west border Of
Indiana, ard while / studied anu when
l began the practice of the law I found
myself frequently in the same court
room with Lincoln.
"Of course no one thought of him
as the coming President; the central
figure Of great war and the victim
finally of an assassin.
I'm that day every one conceded Lin
coins persuasive powers with a jury.
His humor, his good nature his abso-
lutte honesty, as well as a potent trick
with English made him a dangerous
opponent before the twelve men who
passed on the facts in law case.
physically, Lincoln was as power
full as an ogre, and his courage was
proof. I don't believe he ever feared
anybody or anything. During the
hours of civil war Stanton and others
were wont to be afraid of him, but no
sign Of anxiety for himself personally
ever shone in the eye of Lincoln. Nor
did he ever limit himself in his eXcur
sions about Washington or withhold
from the public in any fashion. He
went where he pleased when he chose;
saw all fashions of callers.
Lincoln was a tender man Of others,
with sympathies as harmless as air.
I was in Congress while he was in the
White House, and saw good deal of
him, although our politics differed.
He said to me one day:
VOORHEES,. doesn't it seem strange
to you that I should be here? Doesn't
it strike you as queer that l, a man who
couldn't cut the head off a chicken,
who was sick at the sight of blood,
should be cast into the middle of a
great war. with blood flowing all about
him? To me, when | think of it some
times, it is the most amazing thing on
earth
yet" concluded Voorhees,, when
look back at Lincoln in the White
House. with armies in the field and
fleets on every sea, and think Of the
work he must have done, wonder what
some Presidents who have followed
him and who regard themselves as
over-worked, would have thought if
their daily desks had been piled like
Lincolns.'
Lincoln was a shrewd politician as
well as a great President" remarked
| Colonel William r. Morrison. He
gave evidence of it during my first term
| in the Illinois Legislature. It was
late in the 5O's. The free soil excite
ment was abroad. 1t came our term
! in Illinois to elect a Senator. As | say
was a member of the Legislature.
! The two parties were about equally
balanced. Lincoln was the Free Soil
candidate and on a joint ballot had 40
votes. There were only an even 100
! in all. The remaining 81 were divid-
ed between Shields-who was our can
! didate-with 46 votes. and Lyman
Trumbull, who was the free soil Dem
ocratic candidate, with ) votes. The
3 Trumbull votes were led by Senator
| Palmer, who was then a free silver
! Democrat and also a member of the
| Legislature. We stood through several
ballots, Lincoln, 40; Shields, 46; and
! Trumbull, 5. Palmer and his five
would not yield They were Demo
Gratis, but they were against slavery
and nothing we could say or do would
! bring them to Shields We had lust
begun TO realize this and we were cast
ing about for a candidate on whom the
Free Soil and regular Democrats could
unite, when. without a word of warn
ing Lincoln stole march on us. He
| knew as well as we that sooner OF
later, with matters as they were. the
regular Democrats would abandon
Shields and the Free Sellers, with Pal
mer at their head, give up Trumbul
and unite on somebody who might suit
both wings of the Democracy. Now
Lincoln, if he couldn't win himself, pre-
ferred Trumbull nightly and while
our dickering with the Palmer crowC
was in mid career he suddenly gave hi:
whole forty-nine votes to Trumbull
and to the disgust of the regular Dem
ocrats. made him Senator. A few years
later the unexpected happened anC
Lincoln was in the White House, while
Trumbull one OF his best and warmes
friends, and who practically owed Lin
coin his Office, was in jhe senate. Dur
ing the whole war and up to Lincoln'i
death he never had a stauncher supper
ter than Lyman Trumbull.
From the Quincy district" said Sec
rotary Morton, during the early SOS
there was as representative in Congress
a great friend of mine named Richard
son. He was afterward in the Senat,
and was known to us who loved him a!
Old Dick. Ny acquaintance with hin
began when Buchanan named Richard
son as Governor of the Territory o
Nebraska and he chose me as SecretaT!
of State. Old Dick Richardson toll,
me more than one yarn about Lincoln
whom he dearly loved and much ad
mired. Richardson and Lincoln prac
I ticed law to~ether and rode the sam,
circuits. Often they went together II
a buggy, and so saw and beard pncl