The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-03-18
WATTERSON ON LINCOLN
THE GREAT KENTUCkIAN'S Lee
TURE FULL OF BRIGHT ANECDOTES.
Gen. Lew Wallace's Introduction of
the Editor-A Visit to Lin
coin at Springfield.

y large and apprec1atlVe audience was at
Plymouth Church last night to greet Henry
Watterson and hear his lecture on Lincoln.
The lecture was under the auspices of the
McCulloch Club. 1t was trimming with
amusing anecdotes, told in a manner that
was pleasing. and. in many cases. very
laughable, while at other times they
aroused the more solemn thoughts OF the
lis eners. Those who attended prepared to
hear simply a story of the life of Lincoln
were disappointed. but agreeably so. While
the lecture told much of the life of Lincoln
that is historical, it was principally COM
posed of anecdotes that illustrated points in
his character. making the whole a charac-
ter sketch rather than a lecture on the life
of the martyred President.
General Lew Wallace met Mr.. Waiter
son when he reached the church, and ex-
changed a few words with him IN one of
the small rooms off the entry, recalling
days gone by. Together they walked TO the
front of the church and stepped upon the
platform. General Wallace said: Il must
congratulate my friend. the distinguished
lecturer, on this fine audience, and L will
also congratulate you on the superlative
treat that is before you. The subject. as
you all know. is Lincoln. / Will say of the
lecturer that ne was singular in that he
won a war against the noble and generous
people of the South; that he is singular to-
day in that many of his most ardent adj
mirers live in the South. (Applause.) /
take pleasure in introducing to you Henry
Watterson, of Kentucky, Henry Waiter
son. of the West, Henry Watterson, of a re-
united Nation"
Mr.. watterson has been heard here sever
al times before, and scarcely needs an in
PRODUCTION TO the public. He is a man of
pleasing address and speaks largely in a
conversational tone, but with great empha-
sis and expression. He uses no manuscript,
and in all the dates used he does not refer
TO notes. After telling of the heroism of
the people of revolutionary. times and of
their great work, showing that IL required
men of power and deep thought to success
fully do what was then done, he led up to
the time of Lincoln.
great guns of oratory just before the war"
he said, there came into the Northern
camp a peculiar figure. who uttered this
self cannot stand. This Nation cannot exist
half free and half slave"
The speaker then told several humorous
anecdotes of the contest between Lincoln
and Douglas for the Illinois senatorship.
Among other things he read a letter writ
ten by Mr.. Lincoln, saying that he did not
wonder that the genial face of Mr.. Doug
las attracted many admirers and brought
to him a strong following. for in it his
supporters can see postoffices, auditorships,
things equally as desirable to the ordinary
supporter of a candidate for the Senate.
Mr.. Watterson described his first visit to
the home of Mr.: Lincoln, in Springfield.
H., i'm January, 1861. He had never seen
Mr.. Lincoln at that time. He accompanied
Colonel A. K. Mcclure. of Pennsylvania.
Il rang the door bell" the speaker said,
and / am afraid | did not conceal my
disappointment when / first saw the great
oct DrarsI III 81 Arvn- BOD Il xra-
tall, lanky and long, ungainly and lily
clothed. He wore an old pair of snuff-col-
ored trousers, a black vest with brass but
tons and a dress coat that did not fit
and may have seen many winters and sum-
mers, too. In a half hour / learned to not
only respect and admire this man. but to
even fail TO see the singularities that were
noticed at first. A few months later his
dress was better, but he was just as singu-
lar and angular as ever"
Mr.. WatterSOn raised q great laugh when
he read a letter than Mr.. Lincoln had writ
ten in response to a request for some BIZ
fully recorded the fact that his parents and
grandparents were poor people, who strug-
gled for an existence, and that his fathers
education consisted in his ability to write
could decipher it. He then began to tell
of his own personal appearance. He said
he was six feet four inches high and
weighed usually about 1S5 pounds. but /
cannot now recall any other marks or
blemiSheS."
A
Mr.. Watterson told the story of the time
when Secretary Stanton said Mr.. Lincoln
was a id fool, in a very interesting man.
ner. At one time Mr.. Lincoln had instruct
ed Secretary Stanton to issue certain or
ders in regard to the army, which Mr..
Stanton did not approve and believed could
not be carried out. When Mr.. Stanton re-
ceived the orders from the President he
read them over and remarked, in the pres
ence of others, hat Mr.. Lincoln was a
id fool, and that the orders would not be
obeyed by him. One of the men who heard
the remark called on the President and
repeated the conversation.
Mr.. Stanton said L am q id fool. did
her"
THAT is what he said. Mr.. President"
well. well; Mr.. Stanton Is usually right
in his opinion. L think L shall go see him.
Mr.. Lincoln went TO Secretary Stanton's
Office and found there General Frey. Sec
plain that ii would be impossible TO carry
out the orders. General Frey was requested
to leave the room for a few minutes. and
was then called in and again found the
President gone. Secretary Stanton merely
said to him. after handing him some pa
pers, There are those orders, and you will
have to see that they are carried out. .
and impressive manner, that the orders had
been issued to be carried out and that il
was the duty of the secretary to do so.
In closing, Mr.. Watterson paid a very
| high tribute to Lincoln. He said that the
fact that events since his death had shown
the wisdom of every act has proved tina
he was a statesman of the highest degree.