Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-07

friend 1 have" He's not for me now, but
1 can win him over" and so on. 1 found
that he knew almost positively how every
man stood, and the great majority of them
were for him.
An Interesting Catalogue.
1t was an interesting catalogue Of per-
sonal characteristics, and / knew then that
Abraham Lincoln's habit of studying men
had not laTsed when he went to Washing
ton, and / saw, too, that he had a perfect
knowledge of congress and its personnel.
1 well recall a common I heard him
make, concerning James G. Blaine, who
was then in the house. Blaine had made
a speech that day that had attracted at
tention. Lincoln said of him. "Blaine is
one Of the rising young men of our coun-
try" an assertion which succeeding years
proved to be true.
1 well recall the morning when the mes
sage came from Washington that the
president had been killed, and it so hap
pened that I was called upon to announce
the terrible news to the great crowd as
sembled in the old state house square in
Springfield.
Five years previous he had departed
from Springfield for Washington, never
to return. 1 clasped hands with him at
parting, and there passed between us a
conversation which strengthened my de-
termination to go to congress. I was the
newly elected speaker OF the Illinois house
Of representatives, and Mr.. Lincoln had
just attained his title Mr.. President"
which I took delight in using.
Goodbye, Mr.. President" said I, "I
will be down in Washington with you one
of these days" Come on Mr.. Speaker 81
he replied. II hope you will appear there
soon"
After n few years I kept my promise,
and Immediately following my election to
the house 1 took a trip to Washington to
look over the field of my coming labors,
as the successor OF Congressman John 7.
Stewart. / boldly entered the room OF
Secretary Nicolay at the White house, as
4 had been accustomed to do during my
visits TO Washington. and found, much ia
my surprise, that I had broken in on a
conference between the president and Sec
rotary seward. President Lincoln, seeing
me. as 1 was about to withdraw, said
Come In, Cullom,' and. turning to his
cabinet officer. Seward, you remember
my old friend Stewart. who was here last
term? Well. he was beaten for reelection
and this is the young mar who beat him.
Brilliant Crowd.
There were many great and interesting
men in both the house and senate In thos.
terrible days during the civil war, anC
many of them continued leading figurei
during the days Of reconstruction immedi
ately following. With many OF these
was personally and later became more o.
less intimately acquainted. There was Fes
sender OF Maine. who succeeded as secre
tary of the treasury the dignified Salmon
p. Chase. whom many people dncludini
himself thought Indispensable, and sue
ceeded him in the office so we'll that tn
ountry never felt the change. There wa
John Sherman in the senate. even then on
of the leaders. later to become one OF tn
greatest secretaries of the treasury; Thad
deus Stevens in the house. who welded al
Influence second to none; Charles Sumner
one of the great men OF his day, who file
a peculiarly important place in the his
tory Of his time, then serving as chairmai
of the foreign relations committee. Senate
rumbu of Illinois was one of the leader
of the upper house and was recognize
as one of the great lawyers of the nation
Hendricks OF Indiana. Wilson Of Massa
chusetts, Howe OF Wisconsin, Henderson o
Missouri, Chandler OF Michigan, were the
in their prime. John A, Logan was durin
the early part OF Lincoln's administratio
a member OF the house, resignlng In lSt
he became the foremost volunteer officer @
the civil wal.
some of His Colleagues.
1 regarded Thaddeus Stevens as the dom
mating figure in the house during the wa
and the days OF reconstruction. but ther
were others who became famous in Amer
lean political life later, There was VooI
hees OF Indiana. William B. Allison c
Iowa. James @. Blaine Of Maine, Conf
ling OF New York. next to whom / occy
pied a seat and was practically at hi
elbow during his fierce struggle in debat
with Blaine some years later. owen Lows
Soy represented one OF the Illinois district
previous to my own term in the house.
was at the White House when the new
OF his death was brought to Mr.. LncolI
ana / recall the kindly manner In whic
ne apoks Of min. Lovsjoy had been soms