The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1896-05-30

iDy p'ihiSSioh so % hCNluTe.J
a measly few do not After Mr.. Lin
coins election to the presidency and be-
fore his departure for Washington great
concern regarding him began to mani
fest itself in the minds Of the people
outside Of Illinois and especially in the
eastern states. Being comparatively un.
known and entirely devoid of expert
ence in an executive office the question
naturally asserted itself, Is he the right
man for the place, and will he be equal
to the great emergency that awaits him?
Residents Of Illinois and especially those
supposed to be near the president elect
had this inquiry propounded to them
during the closing months Of 1860 from
friends and correspondents in every part
OF the country. f7tnf
Among others who wrote to Herndon
in this vein was Henry Wilson, United
States senator from Massachusetts and
later vice president Of the United States
This was Herndon's reply, dated Dec
81, 1860: II have been Mr.. Lincoln's
law partner for over 16 years and his
intimate and bosom friend for even a
longer time than that. / know him bet
ter than he does himself / know this
seems little strong, but risk the as
sertion. Lincoln is a man Of heart-aye,
as gentle as a maiden and IA tender
but he has will as strcng as iron. He
therefore loves all mankind, hates slav-
cry and every form Of despotism Put
these together-love fer the slave and a
determination, will, that justice strong
and unyielding shall be done when he
has tiiefight to act-and you can form
your own conclusion. Lincoln will fail
here-namely, if question Of political
economy, if any question, comes up
which is doubtful questionable. which
no man can demonstrate, then his
friends can rule him. But when on JUS
tice, right, liberty, the constitution and
the Union, then You may all stand
aside; he will rule then, and no man
can move him-no set Of men can do it.
There is no fail here. This is Lincoln,
and you mark my prediction. You and
! must keep the people right; God will
keep Lincoln right" To Edward L.
Pierce Of Boston, in letter written in
Springfield the very day of Lincoln's
Inauguration, he said: Lincoln has the
most wcmanly heart l ever knew. His
Judgment is excellent-not keen and
subtle, but broad, deep and comprehen-
sive. His conscience is his ruling attri-
butte. They guarantee priori high hopes
OF the future. know Of no living man
whcm would sooner trust
This vivid delineaticn Of noble char
acter, this manly, ungrudging tribute of
respect, it seems, ought, on the one
hand, to demonstrate that Herndon
fully comprehended the man whom he
undertook 10 portray, and, on the other,
to set at rest the despicable and often
times malicious Misrepresentation that
have from time to time found their way
into the press Of the day charging him
with jealousy Of Lincoln and Of conniv-
ing with those who sought to under.
mine him IN public esteem. OF course
the fame Ct Lincoln is flxed-"beyond
our power to add CT detraot"-but in
assigning Herndon his place in history
1t is due his memory that the world
should weigh all the facts.
: II is neither my purpose nor preroga.
tive to apologize for or vindicate the
latter's conduct or position, but know
that 60 tar as Lincoln and Herndon
themselves were concerned there never
existed the least friction or dis,lpst.
Neither was in the others way so fer
a. political honors q. and, althongi
satisfied with tire >>acurity Of his pcsi
tion, Herndon did everything in his
power to promote his partners fortunes.
HIS loyalty was never questioned. Ma.
~ Henry G. Whitney says that on the