Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1896-07-05

By permission S. ;. Mcclure.
 measly few do not After Mir. Lin - )lns election to the presidency and be- ---re his departure for Washington great
 9neern regarding him began to mani
 sst itself in the minds of the people
 inside of Illinois and especially i'll the
 sstern states. Being comparatively un
 Ea0wn and entirely devoid of expert
 nee in an executive office, the question J naturally asserted itself, Is he the right man for the place, and will he be equal
 0 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.
 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. 2l, 1860: '.I have been Mir. Lincoln's law partner for over IS years and his intimate and bosom friend for even longer time than tbat. I know him bet ter than he does himself I know this seems little strong, but I risk the as- serti0n. Lincoln is man of heart-aye, as gentle as 6 maiden and as tender but he has a will as strong as iron. He therefore loves all mankind, hates slav- cry and every form of despotism. Put these tcgether-love for the slave and determination, will, that justice strong and unyielding shall be done when he has the right 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 tiee, right, liberty, the constitution and the Union, then you may all stand aside; he will rule then, and no man can move hiin--no set of men can do 1t. 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, i'll letter written ID Springfield the very day of Lincoln's inauguration, he said: Lincoln has the most womanly heart ever knew. His judgment is excellent-not keen and subtle, but broad, deep and eomprehen- siye. His conscience is his ruling attri- bute. They guarantee @ priori high hopes of the future. I know of no living man whom I would sooner trust.
 This vivid delineation of a 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 to portray, and, on the other, to set at rest the despicable and often times malicious misrepresentations that have from time to time found their way into the press of the day charging him with jealousy of Lincoln and of conn1v- ing with those who sought to under mine him in public esteem. Of course the fame of Lincoln is fixed beyond our power to add CT detract' '-but in assigning Herndon his place in history 1t is due his memory that the world should weigh all the facts.
 It is neither my purpose nor preroga- five to apologize for or vindicate the latter's conduct or position, but l know Chat so far as Lincoln and Herndon themselves were concerned there never existed the least friction or distrust Neither was in the others way so far as political honors go, and, although satisfied with the obscurity of his posi- tion, Herndon did everything in his power to promote his partner 8 fortunes. His loyalty was never questioned Ma inr Henry C. Whitrey savs That nn tho