The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-03-19
CHAPTER xvII.
Profound Impression Produced by
"liouS Drnded" Speech.

Impression upon men Of all
parties. The Democrats re
j0lced Ia II aud reprohaied IL:
The conservative Republicans received
II coldy and saw IN II the sign OF GER
tain defeat In the eyes OF the latter
II was a dlsheartening mistake nj the
outset OF a momentous campaign
fatal error. which no policy or exer.
, lion could retrieve. Alone OF all those
directly affected by II, the Abolition.
lists, the compatriots OF Mr.. Herndon,
heard In 1t the voice of a fearless lead
! er who had the wisdom 10 compre.
bend an nnwelcoine fact and the cour-
age TO proclaim II AT the moment when
the delusion OF fancled security and
peace was most generally aud fondly
entertained II was the 'irrepresslble
conflict" which Mr.. Seward had been
preaching and TO which the one party
had given almost as little credit as the
other. Except a few ultraists here and
there. nobody as yet had actually pre-
pared his armor for this imaginary
conflict TO which the nation was so
perslstently summoned, and. indeed,
none but those few seriously believed
in the possibility OF its existence The
Republican party had heretofore dis
ayOwed the doctrine with a unanimity
nearly Ms great as that exhibited by
the little council OF Mr.. Lincoln's im-
mediate friends. II was therefore to
be expected that when n slow. eau
tious. moderate man like Mr. Lincoln
came forward with II IN this startling
fashion II would carry dismay to bis
! followers and a cheering assurance to
his enemies. But Mr.. Lincoln was
/ looking farther than this campaign.
He was qHetly dreaming OF the presi-
dency and edglng himself TO place
IN advance where he thought the tide
might take him up In 1860. He was
sure that sectional animosities, far
from subsiding, would grow deeper
and stronger with time, and for that
| reason the next nominee OF the exclu-
siyely northern party must be a man
Of radical views. II think" says Mr..
4 lIerndon. "the speech WAS intended to
take the wind out OF Stewards Sails"
and Mr. Herndon Is not alone In his
opiuion.
| A day OF two after Mr.. Lincoln spoke
ono Dr. Long came into his Office and
delivered to him foretaste OF the re-
marks he was doomed 10 hear for sew
/ eral months. "Well. Lincoln" snid
he, that foolish speech of yours VIII
kill yoa, will defeat you in this CON
test aud probably for all offices for all
time 10 come am sorry, sorry, very
sorry. ] wish II was wiped out or ex.
istence. Don't you wish 1t, nowr
Mr.. Lincoln had been writing during
The doctors lament, but at the end OF
1t ha laid down his pen, raised his
head, lifted his spectacles and, with q
look half qulzzical, half contemptn-
Gus, replied "Wel doctor, II had TO
draw pen across and erase my whole
life from existence and ! had one poor
gift or choice left as to what should |
save from the wreck should choose
that speech and leave II 10 the world
INCREASED"
Leonard SWEET. than whom there
was no more gifted man nor a better |
Judge OF political affairs In Illinois, Is
convinced that "the first ten lines OF |
that speech defeated him" THE SEN
timent OF the house divided against
itself seemed wholly inappropriate
saws Mr.. SWEET 1T was speech |
made AT the commencement OF cam
paign and apparently made for the |
campaign Viewing It in this light |
alone. nothing could have been more |
unfortunate or inappropriate. II was |
saying first the wrong thing, yet he |
saw that II was an abstract truth. and |
standing by the speech would ultl- |
mately find him In the right place.
was inclined at the time TO believe
these words were hastily and lncon- |
sIderately uttered, but subsequent |
facts have convinced me they we're |
deliberate aud had been matnred. |
In the summer OF 1859, when
he was dining with a party OF bis In
tlmale friends at Bloomington, the sub. |
jeet OF bis Springfield speech was dis
cusscd We all insisted that II was
great mistake. but he justified him
self and finally said, Well. gentlemen, |
you may think thaf speaoh uas "a mis-
take. but | never have believed II
was, and you viii see the day when
you will consider II was the wlsest
thing ! ever said"
John r. Stuart was family con
nectIon OF the Todds aud Edwardses /
aud thus also OF Lincoln Mr. c. g,
Brown married Mr, Stuart's daughter
and speaks Of Mr.. Lincoln as 'our rel
atiye" This gentleman says: The
Todd Stuart Edwards family. with
preacher and priest, dogs and servants,
got mad at Mr. Lincoln because he
made the house divided against itself
speech He finebed. lodged. said he
would explain and did explain IN the
Douglas Debates
But II was difficult TO explain. Ex
plantations OF the Kind are generally
more hurtful than the original offense
Accordingly Mr. Herndon reports 10
his broad. blunt way that "Mr. Lin.
coin met with many cold shoulders for
sone iime-nay. during the whole can.
sass with Douglas At the great
public meetings which characterized
that campaign ''fou could hear from
all quarters IN the crowd Republicans
saying: 'D-n that fool speech. II viii
he The cause " the death OF Lincoln
aud the Republican psrty Such folly,
Such nonsense. D-n H."
Lincoln Douglas Cou,eaes.
slnee ls40 Lincoln and Douglas had
appeared before the people almost a.
regularly as The elections came round
10 discuss the one against the other the
merits of parties. candidates snd prin
eipies Thus far Mr. lincoln had heen
10 CERTAIN sense the Dursaer He
had lain in wait for Mr. Douglas. be
had caught him 81 unexpected turns