The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-12-08

grOtesaue. a. Linooln'S The young Ger
man. however. soon fell under the charm OF
LincoIn's bearing and conversation. He
recalls that when In a tone Of perfect in
-EonuOusness Lincoln asked him. a beginner
in politics. what he thought about this and
that public question. he should have felt
himself very much hOnOred Ivy such in
quiTies had he been permitted by Lincoln
to regard him as a great man. As a matter
Of fact. Lincoln talked in 40 simple and
familiar q strain and his manner and hOmely
language were so absolutely free from any
semblance Of self-consciousnesA or preten-
sion TO superiority that young Schurz pres
emily felt al II he had known him all his life.
He in~terspersed our conversation with all
sorts OF quaint stories. each OF which had
a witty point applicable to the subject in
hand and not seldom concluding an Argu-
ment in such a way that nothing more was
to DO said. He seemed to enjoy his own
jests in a childlike way. for his unusually
sad looking Dyes would kindle with q merry
twinkle and he himself led in the laughter.
and his laughter wasso genuine. hearty and
contagious hat nobody could fail to join
in it
Mr.. Lincoln's speech next day did not at
first strike the author OF these recOilectiOns
as anything extraordinary either In sub
stance or in form. He reminds us that
Lincoln had none OF the physical advan-
tagss which usually are thought to be very
desirable IL not necessary for an orator.
His voice. for instance, was not musical;
IL was rather high keyed and apt 10
turn into a shrilI treble in moments OF ex-
element. IL was not positively Disagree
able. however. 1t had an exceedingly pens-
trating. far reaching quality. n the looks
Of the audience gave proof that every word
he spoke was understood At the remotcst
edges OF the vast assembly. His ges-
lures were awkward. He swung his long
arms sometimes in a very ungraceful man
nor. Now inc then he would. to give par
tioular emphasis to a point. bend his knees
and body with a sudden downward jerk
and then shoot up again with a vehemenoe
that raised him to his tiptOes and made him
look muc taller than he really was-a
manner Of enlivening a speech which at that
time was and perhaps still is not unusual
in the West. but which Lincoln succeeded
In avoiding at a later period II is never
theless acknowledged that in all he said
there was a tone OF earnest truthGulness.
Of elevated. noble sentiment m OF kindly
8YhuphLuy WAfCu AuuCu KACAsAy w NRo
strength OF his argument and became. as
in the course Of his speech he touched on
the moral side Of the question in debate,
powerfully impressive.
Returning to Wisconsin, Mr.. Schurz
succeeded in winning over a large part OF
the German population to the Republican
side, and the result was a decisive defeat
Of the Democrats. After the campaign
= aaEo AZ n-A.u 1919 H.
in tho regular calling for which he had
prepared himself. He was admitted 10
the bar. but scarcely had he opened a law
Office In Milwaukee when he again found
himself plunged by a fugitive slave case
in political business, not only in his own
State, but AZ far east as Massachusetts,.
whore he helped 10 promote the reaction
J against the Native American movement.
In a speech at Faneuil Hall he made an
assertion which to some OF his auditors may
have seemed absurd and presumptuous.
the assertion, namely. that foreign born
American citizens may be more ferventIy,
more ~jeslously patriotic Americans than
| many natives are. This, he averred, had
been his experience. Touching m the point
10 the book before US, he maintains that IL
is natural that foreign born persons
who before they came to this country
had in the Old World taken part or at least
felt an earnest interest in the struggles
for FREQ government and witnessed the
| terrible diniculty OF overcoming the OBJ
stacles in their way in the shape OF old
established institutions or customs, or
traditional prejudices. Or habits Of think
| ing and feeling. and who then saw in this
new country a free field for the untrammelled
development OF truly democratic institu-
tons and Of everything good and great
most ardently hoping that here the great
demonstration would be furnished OF the
capacity OF man to govern himself-a
demonstration to n inspire
all mankind laboring for liberty and happi-
ness. WAS it not inevitable asks Mr..
Schurz, that such foreign born Americans
should watch every event affecting the
fortunes or character Of the republic with
an especially anxious solicitude, with tri-
umphant Joy at every success OF our demo-
cratic institutions, and with the ksensst
constituencies to every Hailure-having as
they do the standing OF this country be-
fore the world constantly in mind?"
The speech made a deep impression
and gained then and afterward for Mr..
I Sch,Srz ar acquaintance with the most
distinguished men in Boston. including
Emerson. Longfellow. Lowell, Agassiz,
Holmes. Norton and Summer. He recalls
that to no member OF the circle did he
feel himself more attracted than 10 Long
fellow. How delightful. he says. were tho
hours spent with the poet from time to
time in the cosey intimacy OF his old
| Colonial house in Cambridge! -Longfellow
was one OF the most beautiful men have
ever known. and he grew more beautiful
every year Of his advancing old age with
his flowing white hair and beard and his
grand face OF the antique Jupiter type.
not. indeed a Jupiter Tonsns,' but a
fatherly Zeus. holding q benignant hand
over the world and mankind" Our author
did not consider him a brilliant CONVEX
sationalist-he was not 20 be compared
with Oliver Wendell Holmes. for example.
but for the young German the POETS talk
had a peculiar fascination. 1T produced
upon me at least the impression Of modestly
withholding behind il a great store OF
serene reserve power. and IL flowed on SO
placidly as to make me feel as II l were
in a gently rocking boat, floating down
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