Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1909-02-04

that he might send to the other generals. The
battle of Pittsburg Landing Shiloh had been fought
and almost lost. Three months before the country
had dubbed the victor Fort Doneson Unconditional
Surrender Grant, and had made hero of him. Now
with the disputed responsibility for the Pittsburg
ing surprise, there mighty clamor the part
of certain newspapers and politicians that Grant be
superseded. Representative Blow freely with the
president He told him what he had known of Grant
before the and mentioned the fear entertained by
persons that Grant drank too be ntrusted
with high command. Mr. Blew was smooth spoken
with sharp black eyes, quick to appreciate humor
He had been very successful business years
before he became interested in politics. He was rather
below the average height President Lincoln listened
thoughfully until Mr.. Blow had expressed himself and
then asked with apparent seriousness what brand of
whisky Grant drank Explaining why he sought the in
formation, he used the language about sending some to
the other generals which has become historic
Some men who knew Lincoln" do not believe the po
litical history which has been written credits him with
his full part in the genesis of the Republican party They
remember where Lincoln stood toward the last Wing
conventions. They recall the movement to make him
vicepresident the ticket with Fremont in 1856 which
fortunately was abandoned grounds of expedency
And they mention political acts of Lincoln which possess
small significance when taken with subsequent
events. John R. Spears of Talula knew Lincoln from
1888, when he was He prominent in the
politics of the day. He heard Lincoln speak in the Har
rson convention of Illinois in 1910 support of the
nomination of Clay before the Wing convention of I'LL
nos in 1874 and on other occasions before Repub
party organized Mr. Spears has this recollection of
the beginning of the Republican movement:
Lincoln called meeting of few friends at coun
try store where Tallua is. He had been surveyor
when the county (now Menard) part of Sanga-
mon. He knew almost everybody. There 40 so
in the gathering at the store Mr.. Lincoln made talk
reviewing political conditions and offering suggestions
as to the future He called for paper write down
what position he thought should be taken upon the ques
tons of the day, especially slavery. There
paper to be had Lincoln drew newspaper from his
pocket, lay down the cellar door and wrote on the
margin the of the principles which formed the
Republican party This, believe, the first meeting
of the kind in the United States 1t year or more
before the convention at Bloomington where the Repub
hcan party of Illinois started where Lincoln
made of the best speeches of his life, which was
lost"
Mr. Spears does not recall the time of this
ing which Lincoln wrote the margin of newspaper
the first Republican platform He knows that the meet
ing called by Lincoln two years more before the
national convention which nominated Fremont in 1856
He knows that this enunciaon of Republican principles
before the Bloomington convention.
Martin L. Bundy wrote from Newcastle Ind. to the