River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1901-02-14

Mr.. Lincoln was his superior before
the jury. Mr. Williams, while
speaking, stood like a statue, hardly
moving his body and making but one
gesture. Mr., Lincoln moved about in
familiar way, suiting his movements
and gestures to what he was saying.
He was easy and natural, making no
effort at oratory. l do not think he
ever prepared any passages to be got.
ten off in his argument to the jury OF
to the court. His logic was lucid and
easily grasped. Whatever preparation
he made was in familiarizing himself
with the facts as they were brought
out in the evidence. He was not rap
I'd; never rushed ahead, carrying the
jury by storm" but moved along at an
easy jog, most comforting and salts
flying to his hearers.
l do not believe that Mr.. Lincoln
could have been successful in a bad
case. He was too loyal to the logic Of
his facts and too fair in stating them
for that. He took the jury into his
confidence and it was not in him to
deceive them. While l do not remem-
Der ever to have discovered in his ap-
peals to the jury any attempt to play
upon their sympathies, if there was
any pathos in the facts it was not lost
by his honest recital of them: / really
believe that sometimes the juryman
thought it was himself and not Mr..
Lincoln that discovered the pathos
and only wished Mr.. Lincoln might
make much of it.
Mr.. Lincoln was a member of the
national Kansas committee, of which
/ was secretary, and which conducted
the Kansas fight on the part of the
north in 1861, but did not take
much part in the proceedings. Gen. w.
f. NJ. Avery generally acted as his
proxy. / have often heard persons say,
upon first seeing HIM: "What home
ly facet" But one soon lost that feel
ing on becoming acquainted with him.
His kindly nature lighted up and
beautified those rough lines. There
was something there that was espe-
cially attractive to me. He thought
little of dress or personal appearance.
and his tail, lank, Angular figure quite
accentuated the neglect. l was never
more impressed with this than dur
ing short conversation / had with
him few days after his debate with
Mr.. Douglas at Freeport, in the latter
part of August, 1855. Meeting him on
the street he related to me some Of
the humorous incidents of that great
occasion. lie was dressed in a farmer
satin coat, and, as everybody knows.
farmer satin is remarkable for slim
ping and crawling about. AS he put
one of his long arms about a tele-
graph pole against which he was
leaning the coat which, at best fitted
him loosely, was so drawn up as to
expose the other arm to the elbow.
1t was not easy to tell whether the
coat was on the telegraph pole or on
Mr.. Lincoln. Even the passers-by
halted to wonder who that awkward.
bronzed old farmer was, for he looked
like a farmer rather than the great
debater and champion of liberty he
was.
While Mr.. Lincoln had broad
streak of humor in him, he was rot a
funny man." he was never trivial.
There was always too much of seri-
business in his nature to allow of that.
There was that friendly interest in
his face and manner which said more
assuringly than words could do:
How are you, my frlend?" and nc
one hesitated 90 admit him to thai
relationship