The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-03-12
LINCOLN
As Lawyer
ano Debater
By WARD HILL LAMON,
cHAPTER XlIL
Bloomington Speech Is Called Lincoln,
Gnndea Efon.

Gfandea Efon.
A. Bloomington Llncoln was the
~ great dgure Beside him all
the rest even the oldest In
the faith and the slronges, Ia
the work were small. Yet he was
universally regarded as recent con
vert, although the most important one
that could be made Ia the state Of M
nols 1--WE met at Bloomington, and
Il Was there, says Mr. lierndon Ia
one of BIS lectures. that MIR Lincoln
was baptized and Joined our church.
He made speech 10 us. | have heard
or read an Mr.. Lincoln's great speech.
es. and give II as my opinion. on my
best Judgment, that the Bloomington
speech WAS the grand effort OF his
life. Heretofore and up TO this mo-
ment he had simply argued the slavery
question on grounds OF policy ON what
are called the statesman's grounds
never reaching the question OF the rad.
ical aud the eternal right, Now he was
newly baptized aud freshly born. lie
had the fcryOr OF a new convert, the
smOthered flame broke out; enthusI
asm unusual TO him blazed up; his
eyes were aglow with an inspirations;
he felt justice; his heart was alive TO
the right; his sympathles, remarkably
deep for him, burst forth, and he
stood before the throne Of the eternal
Right In presence OF his God, and then
and there unburdened his penitentlal
aud fired soul This speech was fresh,
new, genuine odd. original; filed with
feryor not unmixed with divine en-.
thuslasu his head breathing out
through his tender heart It's truths, Its
sense OF right aud It's feeling of the
good and for the good This speech
was full of fire and energy and force,
Ii was logic; 1t was pathos; II was
enthusiasm. II was Justice, equity.
truth, right and the good, set ablaze
by the divine fires Of n soul maddened
by the wrong, 1t was hard, heavy,
knotty, gnarly, edged and heated
attempted for about fifteen minutes.
as was usual with me then. to take
notes, but at the end OF that time
threw pen and paper TO the dogs and
lived only In the inspiration of the
hour II Mr.. Lincoln was six feet four
inches high usually, at Bloomington he
was seven feet and inspired at that.
From that dry 10 the day OF his death
he stood firm on the right He felt his
great cross, had his great idea. nursed
II, kept II, taught 1t to others and in
his fidelity bore witness of 1t TO his
death and finally sealed II with his
precious blood
II anything In the foregoing descrlp-
tion by Mr.. IIerndon seems extraya-
CANT TO the reader something must be
pardoned to the spirit OF patient
friend and an impatient teacher who
saw In this scene the first fruits OF |
his careful husbandry and the end OF |
his long vigil. He appears to have par
ticlpated even then in the belief which |
Mr. Lincoln himself avowed- that the |
latter was designed by the Dispenser
of all things TO occupy great place
In the worlds history, and he felt that |
that days doings had fixed his po-
litieal character forever The Bloom.
ington convention was called "Repub- |
llcan,' and the Republican party Of |
Illinois was there formed, but the most |
noted Aboliilonists were In It. the splr-
II OF the Loyejoys was present. and Mr..
Iierndon had a right TO say that II Mr..
Lincoln was not an AbolitionIst he was
tending Aboitonward so surely that |
no doubt could be entertained Of his /
ultimate destination But, after all,
the resolutions of the convention were
very moderate. They merely de
nounced the administration for IFS
course regarding Kansas. stigmatlzed
the repeal OF the Missouri compromise
as an act Of bad faith and opposed
"the extension OF slavery into terri.
tories heretofore free"