The National tribune., 1909-03-04

WrItc today, Tor a Free Dea1neSS Treatment 10
Deafness Speciaii LIST sprouIe, Trade Build-
ing, BOSTON. Mass.
"WeI, you've been So smart about
this case" answered Lincoln kindly,
that you can find out for yourself how
to carry it up
The case ended right there.
Judge Davis said of Lincoln to the
Bar of Illinois:
II enjoyed for over 20 years the per-
sonal friendship of Mr.. Lincoln. We
were admitted to the bar about the
same time, and travelled for many years
what is known in Illinois as the Eighth
Judicial Circuit. In 1S4S. when 1 first
went on the bench. the circuit embraced
IA Counties, and Mr.. Lincoln went with
the court to every County. Railroads
were not then in use, and our mode OF
travel was either on horseback or i'll
buggies.
Loved Country Practice.
This simple life he loved, preferring
it to the practice of the law in a city,
where, altho the remuneration would
be greater, the opportunity would be
less for mixing with the great body of
the people, who loved him and whom
he loved. Mr.. Lincoln was transferred
from the bar of that circuit to the office
having been without official position
since he left Congress in 1S49. In all
the elements that constitute the great
lawyer he had few equals. He was
great both at nisi prius and before an
appellate tribunal. He seized the strong
points of a cause, and presented them
with clearness and compactness. His
mind was logical and direct, and he did
not indulge in extraneous discussion.
Generalities and plattudes had no
charms for him. An unfailing vein of
hun1or never deserted him, and he was
able to claim the attention of court and
jury when the cause was the most up-
interesting by the appropriateness OF
his anecdotes.
His power of comparison was large,
and he rarely failed in a legal discus
sion to use that mode OF reasoning. The
| framework of his mental and moral
| being was honesty, and wrong cause
was poorly defended by him. The abil-
| ity which some eminent lawyers pos
sess of explaining away the bad points
of a cause by ingenious sophistry was
denied him. In order TO bring into full
activity his great powers it was neces-
sary that he should be convinced of the
right and justice of the matter which
| he advocated. When so convinced.
whether the cause was great or small.
| he was usually successful. He read law
1
in hand made il necessary, yet he was
usually self-reliant, depending on his
own resources and rarely consulting his
brother lawyers either on the manage
| ment of his case or on The legal ques-
| tions involved.
Mr. Lincoln was the fairest and
most accommodating of practitioners
granting all favors which were consist
ent with his duty to his client and rare
" availing himself of an unwary over
sight of his adversary
He hated wrong and oppression
| everywhere, and many a man whose
fraudulent conduct was undergoing re-
! view in a court of justice has writhed
under his terrific Indignation and re-
Dukes. He was the most simple and
unostentatious of men in his habits
| having few wants, and those easily sup
piled. To his honor be it said that he
never took from a client even when his
cause was gained more than he thought
the services were worth and the client
could reasonably afford to pay. The
people where he practiced law were not
rich, and his charges were always small
When he was elected President / ques-
ton whether there was lawyer in the
circuit, who had been at the bar so long
a time, whose means were not larger
1t did not seem to be one of the pur-
poses of his life to accumulate a for
u
he had no knowledge of the way to
make money, and he never even at
tempted it.
MIR. Lincoln was loved by his breth-
ren of the bar, and no body of men
grieved more at his death or paid more
sincere tributes to his memory. His
presence on the circuit was watched
produce joy or hilarlty. When casually
absent the spirits of both bar and peo-
pie were depressed He was not fond
of litigation, and would compromise a
lawsuit whenever practicable"
; His partnership with Herndon was
only dissolved by death.
1t was in the courts, however, thai
Lincoln's nature and disposition showed
to best advantage, and II was there
that he won his most enduring popu
larity and his first real recognition
Lawyers frequently refer to each Other
as brothers, but there Is very little rea
fraternity in the profession. The sharp
personal collisions inevitable in litiga
tion, bruise and jar the contestants, nc
matter how hardened they may be, ant
the man who emerges from the fray
with no prejudice against his opponent
and without having given the least of
| fense possesses a remarkable tempera.
ment-and such man was Abraham
| Lincoln He knew how to try cas-.
without making it a personal issue be
. tween counsel. He could utter effect
: i've replies without insulting his oppo
nent, and during all his practice h,
i, inever made an enemy in the ranks o.
the profession. No one but a lawye
can appreciate what this means; bu
|, it requires generosity, patience, tact
courtesy, firnness, courage, self-control
4 and a bigmindedTess which few mel
: possess Yet, day after day and yea
s after year, Lincoln met all sorts ant
, conditions of lawyers at time whei
they were all young, ambitious, ant