Evening journal., 1910-10-21
new NEWS OF YESTERDAY
The Preacher Who Sat at
LinCOIn'S Feet
BY "HolIand."

BY "HoIIand."

After Abraham Lincoln had deliver
ed his now traditional speech at Coop
er Union, in New York, IN February,
1860, he was urged to speak in Con
necticut. Rhode Island and New
Hampshire. At that time these three
New England States held their cleo
tions in the early spring: and as the
spring elections of 1860 were thought
likely to reveal what popular feeling
was on the questions then uppermOst
in the minds of the people, there was
a special eagerness on the part of the
young Republican party. then about
to enter upon its second presidential
campaign. to carry these three states.
Mr.. Lincoln was willing to speak
three times i'm Connecticut. once in
Rhode Island and. II possible, once
I'm New Hampshire. One Of the towns
selected in Connecticut for speech
was Norwich, the home of the Repub-
lican candidate for governor. William
A. Buckingham.
One of the men who sat upon the
platform the night that Lincoln de-
iivered his Norwich speech was the
Rev. DR.. John p. CULVER. At that
time he was one of the most distin-
! guished clergymen In his denomina-
! tiOn-the Congregational. He after
| wards was president Of Knox College,
/ In LincOln's own state, and later a
distinguished professor in AndOver
Seminary, holding that position until
his death in 1894.
81 had been much impressed by the
scanty reports of the speeches made
by Mr.. Lincoln I'm his debates with
Douglass said DR.. CULVER, land
was especially impressed by the re-
poft which appeared in the New York
Tribune of the Cooper Union address.
But I must say that 7 was not pre-
pared FOR what I saw and heard at
the meeting in our own Breed Hall.
Mr.. Lincoln had not spoken five min
utes before he had me completely
under his sway. / sat amazed at the
profound logic. irresistible and com
plete, with which he presented his
subject. And I caught myself Won
dering doubtless many another
wondered that night-how It had hap
pened that this lawyer Of the prairies,
unschooled and untutore6. had obtain
ed such mastery of the English Ian
guage and OF argument-mastery that
rose to heights which appeared to me
to be sublime
Il was so greatly affected by the
speech that when ! returned home
and went to bed ! found IL impossible
to go to sleep. I lay awake for hours
thinking of the speaker and his
speech. And finally | was possessed
by the thought that ! must see him
again-m must talk with him. Then lt
occurred to me that he was going to
take the 6 o'clock train in the morn
Ing for Providence. where he was TO
speak in the evening. and deter
mined 70 meet him at the station.
II got up at once and dressed,
/ hitched up my old gray horse, and in
/ the early morning drove down 10 the
[ railroad station. Il was dark,
/ gloomy morning, with a mist rising
/ from the river. Alone ! paced tic
station platform for about half an
hour and then, through the gloom
and the mist. ] saw him come around
the corner into the alley which led
] TO the station. His tall, gaunt form
loomed up grotesQuely in the mist. Hl
was unattended, and he swung a
carpet bag i'm his hand as he took
giant strides towards the station.
introduced myself to Mr.. Lincoln
told him how had been seized with
the idea 10 meet him at the station
ana ended by asking II ] could ride q
snort distance with him. With the
utmost good humor-though I after
wards learned he had had but two
hours sleep and had planned to do
some resting on the train-he told m,
mat we could sit together while we
rode and talk about the matters tina
were IN everybody's mind And b,