Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-27
LINCOLN IN MANY LIGHTS
Chancellor Andrews Tells Of the Great
President As he Knew Him.
TRAITS or CHARACTER AND TURN or MIND
kindly and Confederate, with Index
ible Honesty of Purpose and ~
Faith I'm God to the
Very End.

Chancellor +. Benjamin Andrews of the
University Of Nebraska filled one OF the
numbers Of the Calvary Baptist church
entertainment course last night with lee
-ture on Abraham Lincoln. DR.. Andrews
saw Mr.. Lincoln twice and on one Of those
occasions talked with him, a thing he said
he considered one Of the rare privileges
Of his life, since the great majority Of
people living today never saw the great
president. BY way OF introduction to his
consideration of the character and works
of Abraham Lincoln, DR.. Andrews gave his
hearers a glimpse Of the martyr president
as hc saw him.
81 was with Mcclellan In Virginia in the
campaign of 1862, said DR.. Andrews. "One
night we came so near Richmond and 1
am sorry to say il was thirty years before
/ came that near again, that We could
hear the dogs bark and the bells ring. We
seemed almost to have the city then. but
the very next day we began to think Of
retreat. and the next night we. we're re-
treating.
Two views OF Lincoln.
1T was above Hsrrisons landing, ON the
James river that we stopped. and to this
place President Lincoln came to review the
army lie anu McCleldN Iuut Hl0t W
side. and it was a rare sight TO note the
contrast between the awkward civilian
and the smooth riding soldier. Lincoln
bounced so that had It not been for his
extreme length of leg and his weight OF
foot he undoubtedly would have been
thrown off. Yet for all his awkwardness
and apparent discomfort, he did not forget
to look kindly at the soldiers and don his
hat from time to time.
"The second time 1 saw Lincoln was
when /, a Lieutenant In the army, made
my way to the White House, seeking an
appointment TO West Point. l shall never
forget the kindness with which that noble
man, busy with the duties. of office and
worn with the cares of war, received me-
nor shall 1 forget the consideration he
showed me on my comparatively selfish
errand. He took my name and promised
to see Stanton, though it finally turned out
there was no chance for me to get to
West Point at that time
1.-The room in which lincoln sat was filled
with books. piles of them on the right and
on the left What caught my attention
more than anything else was a large map
of the United States on the wall drawn
to scale and showing the seat Of war.
without leaving his chair, Mr. Lincoln
GOulu etdll the map anu loAt AAt ApNdAAoAA
of each army and the point from which
each dispatch came. Though had studied
the geography of the country, l never had
thoroughly comprehensive idea OF the
theater Of war until l looked at that,
map"
Anecdotes of Lincoln.
How Lincoln visited slave market when
on trip down the Mississippi river, and
how an impression was made on him
which determined his attitude on slavery
was told by DR.. Andrews. 1t was with
great satisfaction that he told the story,
related to him by Schuyler Colfax, OF Lin
coins methods i'm a lawsuit When the
attorney for the other side would say
First, we intend to prove" Lincoln would
say 1--WE admit it, Second, we intend to
prove" Lincoln would say I'VE admit it,
When the opposition reached. perhaps. the
sixth count Lincoln would say There we
make contention. We intend to disprove
it." Through such action he always had
the jury with him, for the jurymen rea-
soned that the man must be honest who
would admit so many things without argu-
ment.
| DR. Andrews described the debate be-
tween Lincoln and Stephen A. Douglas,
/ invinclble until he met the rail splitter.
/ telllnk now lSllcbiu dShtO a AuNetiuh anu
forced Douglas to answer It,, by the
answer destroying forever his hopes for
tho presidency That question was whether
or not Nebraska should be made a free
/ state If the majority Of the people wanted
Il a free state. To satisfy his own idea
OF right and to satisfy the northern dem
| ocrats. Douglas had to answer in the af-
| firmative. and the answer being a deroga-
! ton OF the bred Scott decision, damned
! Douglas in the SOUTH to use the words
Of Lincoln. Thus Lincoln dethroned Doug
las. after many OF his friends had advised
him rot to be so foolish as to meet the
Little Giant" In debate Douglas had
the floor first. and was so masterful. so
decisive. so comprehensive, Lincoln's
friends we're sure there was nothing left
for him TO say.
Warrior and Statesman.
Speaking Of Lincoln as a military leader,
DR.. Andrews declared that never in history,
either under Alexander, Napoleon or
Turenne, was war fought through with
such perfect grand strategy as was the
civil war. Speaking OF his diplomacy, DR..
Andrews gave Lincoln credit, together with
the prince consort of England. for averting
a war between the two nations over the
seizure of the British ship Trent by the
United States. Lincoln softened Seward S
message to the British government by cut
ting out words which would have meant
nothing else but war.
II want TO say word about Lincoln 5
faith In God and his prophetic vision" said
Or. Andrews in closing This is told by
General sclxles. and It happened, when
Lincoln came to see Siekles iu the hospital
after the battle of Gettysburg He said to
the wounded soldier: 'Siokles. when ]
found there was about TO be a battle al
Gettysburg, l got down on my knees and
said, God. I've done all can do, and con-
gress has done all IL can do. Now. God,
II You want this country saved You have
got to do IT," And when 1 rose I felt sure
we would win the battle. ! now have news
in my heart that we have won victory
at Vicksburg as great as the one at oettys.
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