The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1900-02-23
his convictions upon reluctant col

his convictions upon reluctant col
leagues.
It has been stated that he took Henry
Clay for his political model, as he en-
tertained for him the greatest rever-
ence and attachment. Therefore he
entered the campaign of 1914 with en-
thusiasm, making speeches in various
parts of Illinois. When he received It'd
ings of the inglorious defeat of his
hero he was ready to abjure politics
forever, but, fortunately for the coun-
try, his exalted idea of public duty
forced him again into the arena.
Lincoln was in congress but a single
term, and it may not be generally
known that he carried his district by
a larger majority against the party he
opposed than was won before or since
the '9Os.
Recent revelations have robbed the
one episode in Lincoln's life which was
used against him by his detractors-
his duel with Gen. Shields-of all
odium; for it is now clearly established
that the affair grew out of commend
able desire to shield lady from silly
gossip. He was unalterably opposed to
this mode of settling differences, and
frequently expressed himself to this ef-
feet.
He was the same age when he en-
tered upon the Black Hawk campaign
as Washington when he accompanied
Rraddock to disastrous defeat. During
the civil war he frequently required to
the fact that he and Jefferson Davis
each held commissions as captains in
the Black Hawk Warranted at that
time in common purpose, as they
were arrayed against each other aft
erward.
But Lincoin's public career is too
we'll known to need exploitation. It is
u part of American history and fills
many pages in the history of the world.
His personal characteristics, however,
are of perennial interest, and stories
of his boyhood, early struggles and
later triumphs are read and listened to
with avidity wherever Americans are
gathered together in social meeting.
Some years ago the writer had the
pleasure of hearing a few anecdotes re-
lated by Hon. Hezekiah Sanford Bundy,
| of Wellston, O., who represented the
Tenth Ohio district in congress, with
great credit to himself. These stories,
although they may be known to some,
have never obtained wide circulation,
| and it is therefore not improper to re-
goat them in this connection.
In 1862 Mr.. Bundy had gone to
Washington to secure the release of
union recruiting officer who had
been charged unjustly with having
made false enlistment vouchers. and
had been sent to Baltimore and placed
in Jail at Fort, McHenry. Before him
in the line of those waiting to see
President Lincoln was the wife of a
colone. of an Illinois volunteer regi-
ment who had been captured and was
confined in a southern prison. She
was DESTROYS of securing a special ex-
ecutive order of exchange for her hus-
band.
81 cant do it, madam" said Mr.. Lin
coin, politely and sympathetically.
There have been altogether too many
special exchanges already. Besides,
Je6 Davis won't do anything want
him to. He has $4,000 privates in his
Kingdom whom would prefer to ex-
change rather than your husband"
'But my husband is a brave man,
and loyal one. I cannot understand
what you meau," replied the lady.
"Madam," responded Lincoln, as he
pulled his quill pen from behind his
ear, with this old pen can make a