Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1911-08-22
NEW NEWS OF YESTERDAY
When lincoln and Greeley
We're congressman
BY Holland.


The late Colonel George Bliss. who
was prominent in Republican politics
in New York State for upwards of
thirty years, and at one time was
United States district attorney for the
southern district of New York, was for
many years an intimate personal
friend of Horace Greeley. His intimacy
with Greeley was SO close that the
great editor was accustomed to call
Cononel Bliss by his first name, and
often by the diminutive Of George"
Bliss being much the younger man OF
the two.
1T was at the time when Lincoln's
body was lying in state in the rotunda
of the City Hall in New York" said
Colonel Bliss. that Greeley told me OF
his most vivid recollection of Abraham
Lincoln as a member of Congress. Lit
tie known as the fact may be today,
Lincoln and Greeley were members Of
the same Congress; Lincoln was elect
ed for full term in 1876, and to fill
vacancy in the same Congress Greeley
took his seat in the House in Deem
Der, 184S, and remained there until
March 4 of the following year. Greeley
]
for two reasons, he told me; first, be-
cause he wanted to get a view of what
was going on from the inside in the
way Of national legislation and poll
tics. and, next, because he thought it
would be a good chance for him 10
write special political letters to The
Tribune from Washington.
IT was the last session of the Con-
gress In which Lincoln sat- continued
Mr.. Greeley, and had heard very lit
tie OF Abraham Lincoln, except that
had been told that a Wing Of that name
had been elected to Congress unex-
pectedly from the Sangamon district
in Illinois. That was about the only
thing that gave Lincoln any promin-
ence in those days; and l was, In fact,
so little interested in the man that
served almost a month IN Congress be-
fore ] had him pointed out to me.
" "A few days after that I made Lin
coins acquaintance. 1t was not long
before l discovered that he and / both
agreed on the slavery question as one
which must be answered permanently
in the course of few years, and after
that he and had held many converse
tons
Il asked Mr.. Greeley" continued
Colonel Bliss, whether Lincoln at
tracted much attention as a represen-
tative or enjoyed any noticeable popu-
| larity?
Not that ! Observed replied Gree
ley. He seemed TO me about as quiet
and inconspicuous and serious-minded
a man as any one Of the two hundred
members of the House at that time.
There is one thing, however, that
/ do remember about Lincoln the con-
gresham which has always seemed 70
me very strange. Ten years later we
printed reports of Lincoln's debates
with Douglas, and particularly notic-
ed that Lincoln interpolated his
speeches with a great many anec-
dotes. inquired about this and friends
of Lincoln told me that in Illinois 1t
was his invariable custom to illustrate
or point an argument by a story OF
course, when he became President the
country became speedily familiar with
Lincoln's habits Of using stories in this
manner. But here is a strange thing.
had a great many chats with Lincoln
in the last two months or six weeks
of the session of Congress of which We
we're both members We found our.
selves very nearly in agreement or
most political questions; we were
strongly in agreement on protection
And Lincoln got in the habit of com
ing almost every day to my seat and
talking with me. Yet in all our con
versations Lincoln did not once tel
one story or relate a single anecdote o.
indulge in any humor except occasion
ally a dry, trihing scintillation of hu
NOR I thought him as serious-mindeG
and serious-mannered a man as haS
ever met. / have often wondered
whether he refrained from telling
stories to me because he thought wal
man who would not appreciate [
story, or whether he began to indulge
in that sort of thing generally after h
became popular as a stump speaker II
Illinois. I have never been able to de
eide which explanation is the correc
one
Copyright, 1911. by e. ], Edwards. AL
Rights Reserved