The San Francisco call., 1897-03-14
i, .tvle of expression. Pm hunting for big

style of expression. I'm hun'lhg LOT oig-
ger game
"From what Lincoln told me personally
I NAV saw that he believed slavery ought
not to be extend ed and that when con-
fined in certain limits its death doom was
sealed in some way or other, he olon
know how. l think it was in response 10
the promptings of such belief that afier
he became President he was constrained
to saw: If to save the Union must save
slavery, I'd do it. Ii to save the Union l
must destroy slavery. I'd do that. The
preservation of the Union at all hazards
and at any price
I'm the scores of speeches I heard Lin
coin make never but once knew his effort
TO be weak one. On that occasion he had
been announced to speak in Paris, III. 1t
was in the fall of 1858 think, and was
within the period OF the Lincoln Douglas
debates. Douglas was i'll and Lincoln was
to speak without him. While on the train
going from Springfield to Paris to atteno
the meeting iell into conversation with
stran er, who on acquaintance proved TO
be Owen Lovejoy of Princeton, LII.
Lovejoy was noted aDoilnonist
OF the most pronounced type, but
one OF the most eloquent speakers l ever
heard. At his request promised not to
reveal his name. When we arrived at Paris
we found that Lincoln had telegraphed
that he would be delayed in arrival con-
ferred with the committee in charge OF
the meeting and said there was man
who, if they would not reveal his name,
would speak while they were waiting Tor
Lincoln.
"The committee thought strange OF 1t,
but consented. Mr.. Lovejoy was intro
duced as "a man from Northern Illinois,
He spoke on the Missouri compromise
and other current topics. His splendid
appearance, his fine voice and his wonder
full command of language, with his great
personal magnetism, carried his hearers
up and up till their attention was most in
tense. He spoke for nearly two hours.
Every eye was fastened on him and every
ear was listening to his voice when, In
conclusion. he said: Button your coats
and hold your hats till tell you who l
| am. l am the great abolitionlst, owen
| Lovejoy.'
THE audience was astonished beyond
measure. The sudden descent from the
seventh heaven to which it had been borne
in the flights of his oratory caused excla-
nations of surprise such as l shall never
forget. Loveioy's audience had ideas OF
| its own on the abolition question, and his
name was by no means popular IN that
section. That it was Loyejoy whose
speech had so charmed the listeners
seemed almost beyond their belief.
..Soon after that Lincoln came on the
platform and explained his delay. He
| said he had had nothing to eat since
morning except one or two pieces OF
pie, and he didn't feel like making a
speech. He attempted to make an ad-
| dress and it was failure-yet not a
failure, but only weak effort. After the
heights to which it had been carried by
| Loveioy's matchless oratory and the sud-
den descent when he revealed his name,
the audience was in poor condition to be
| affected by Lncoln's remarks. But this
was an exception. While Lincoln's hear
| ers were not always convinced that he
was right, they never doubted his sim
cerity.
| "I was caller at Mr.. Lincoln's house
| the next morning after his nomination
| for President. While 1 was there a COM
mittee came in to extend congratulations.
| One of the mem bers, as spokesman, said