The National tribune., 1900-03-01

tne fatHcrS OIL iHe SehcTdi qutStloli VI
slavery 10 present the single question
which he discusses. From the first line to
the last. from his premises to his conclu-
sion he travels with a swift. unerring
directness which no logician ever excclled--
an argument complete and full, without
the affeciation of learning. and without
the stiffness which usually accompanies
dates and details. A single. easy. simple
sentence of plain Anglo-Saxon words con-
tains a chapter of history that, i'll some
instances. has taken days of labor to verify,
and must have cost the author months of
investigation 10 acquire. and though the
public should justly estimate the labor
bestowed OH the facts which are stated,
they can not estimate the greater labor
involved on those which are omitted-how
manv pages have been read-hOW many
works examined what numerous statutes,
resolutions, speeches, letters, and biogra-
phies have been looked through. Com
mencing with this address as Il political
pamphlet, the reader will leave it us an
historical work brief. complete. profound,
impartial truthful.-which will survive
the time aud the occasion that called it
forth and be esteemed hereafter no less for
its intrinsic worth than for its unpretend-
ing modcStY.'
A VISIT TO NEW ENGLAND.
Mr.. I.incoln's oldest son. Robert. was al
this time a student in Harvard University.
at Cambridge. Mass, and. chiefly TO visit
him. Mr. Lincoln made Il brief trip to New
England While there he spoke at Con-
cord and Manchester, in New Hampshire;
at Woonsockct in Rhode Island; and at
Hartford. New Haven. Norwich, Mcridcn,
speeches were heard with delight by large
audiences at every point. and received
lavish ccomiums from the press. AT Man
chester The Mirror. Il neutral paper, pub
| lishcd the following remarks on Lincoln s
| style of oratory: He spoke an hour and n
half: with great fairness, great apparent
candor, and with wonderful interest. He
did moi abuse the South, the Administra-
ton. or the Democrats. nor indulge in any
personalities, with the exception of a few
| hits at 'Douglas's notions He is far
| from prcposscSsing in personal appearance.
and his voice is dISagrccabic. and yet he
wins attention and good will from the
start. He induIgeS III no flowers of rhetoric.
no eloquent passages. He is not 4 wit, Il
humoriSt, or Il clown; yet so fine a VEN
of pleasantly and good nature pervadeS
what he says, gliding over deep current
of portical arguments, that he keeps ms
hearers in a smiling mood, with their
mouths open ready to swallow all he says
His sense of the ludicrous is very keen,
and AN exhibition of that is the clinchcr
of all his argumcnts,-not the ludicrous
acts Of persons, but ludicrouS ideas. Hence
he is never Offensive, and steals away
willingly into his train Of belief persons who
were opposed to linn. For the first half-hour
his opponents would agree with every word
he uttered. and from that point he began TO
lead them off little byilittlc, until it seemed
as if he had got them all into his fold
THE SECRET or I.INCOLN'S SUCCESS
AS An ORATOR.
The Rev. .Johh F. Gulliver. of Norwich,
Conn, has given most interesting remi-
niscence of Mr.. f.incoln's speech in that
oity, while on his, tour through New Eng
land. On the morning following the
speech hc met Mr.. Lincoln on a train OF
cars, and entered into conversation with
him. In speaking OF his speech Mr.. GULL
yer remarked to Mr.. Lincoln that he thought
it the most remarkable one he ever heard:
"Are you sincere in what you say" inquired
Mr.. Lincoln. Il mean every word Of it,,
replied the minister; indeed, sir, learned
more of the art of public speaking last even
ing than ! could from a whole course OF
lectures on rhetorc.' Then Mr.. Lincoln
informed him Of Il most extraordinary
circumstance" that had occurred at New
Haven few days previous. A Professor
of rhetoric i'll Yale College. he had been told,
came to hear him. took notes of his speech,
and gave lecture on it TO his class the
following day, and, notSatisfied with that,
followed him TO Meridcn the next evening,
and heard him again for the same purpose.
All this seemed TO Mr.. Lincoln 10 be very
extraordinary" He had been sufficiently
astonished by his success at the West, but
he had no expectation of any marked sue
cess at the East, particularly among lit
erary and learned men. ''Now," said Mr..
Lincoln, 81 should like very much to know
what it is in my speech which you thought
so remarkable, and which interested my
friend the professor so much" Mr.. GULL
statements, the unanswerablc style of your
reasoning, and especially your illustra-
tons, which were romance and pathos and
fun and logic all welded together" After
Mr. Gulliver had fully satisfied his curl
osty by further exposition of the poll
tician's peculiar power, Mr.. Lincoln said:
81 am much obliged to you for this have
been wishing for a long time 10 find some
one who would make this analysis for me.
1t throws light on n subject which has been
dark to me. can understand very readily
how such a power as you have ascribed to me
will account for the effect which seems To be
produced by my speeches. | hope YOU
have not been too f1attering i'll your estimate.
Certainly l have had most wonderful
success for Il man of my limited educa ton"
Then Mr. Gulliver inquired into the pro-
cesses by which he had acquired his edu-
cation, and was rewarded with many
interesting details. When they were about
to part, lie minister S:1t. MF. Lincoln,
may say one thing 10 YOU before we sepa-
rate?" Certainly; anything you please"
was the response. "You have Just spoken"
said Mr.. Gulliver, "of the tendency of
political life i'll Washington TO debase the
moral convictions Of our representatives
there by the admixturc of considerations
of mere political expcdiency. You have
become, by the controversy with Mr.. Doug
las. one of our leaders in this great struggle
with slavery, which is undoubtedly the
struggle OF the Nation and the age. What
would like to say is this, and say il with
a full heart: BE true 10 your principles,
and we will bc true TO YOU, and God will be
true TO us all" Mr.. Lincoln, touched by
the earnestness Of his interlocutor. took
his hand in both his own, and, with his
face full Of sympathetic light, exclaimed:
Il say amen to that-amen to that"
BACK TO sPRINGFiELD-DIS OF
a cAMpRRrtfilN ISLANDER.
After the New England tour, Mr.. Lincoln
returned to his homie in Springfield. AS
often happens, those least appreciative
of his success We're his own neighbors,
and certain reflections gained vogue con-
cerning his motiTesein visiting the East.
1t was charged that he had been mercenary,
and had sold himself for a price" for his
political speechess6 4omething of this sort a
having been brought to Mr.. Lincoln's no
tice, he disposed qtsa$ matter in the follow
ing manly and characteristic letter:
"SPRINST1ELD, April 8, 1860.