The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1914-02-05

airy IL, 1909. a descendant OF Samuel
Lincoln of Norwich, England aud tho
son of Thomas Lincoln, an unelN-
Gated and thriftless carpenter, who
had married Nancy Hanks Few books
came within his way in boyhood. but
he had access to the Bible, Shake
speare, "Aesop's Fables" "Rob.2son
Crusoe' Pilgrims Progress" and a
history of the United States and
Weems Washington, the reading and
re-reading Of which laid the founda-
ton Of that mastery of idiomatic Eng
fish which he was to show so often in
later life.
At The age Of twentyone he accom-
panied his father to Illinois. and there
won reputation as rail-splitter by
helping to clear and plant some Ii
acres of land. In 1881 he made ac-
quaintance with slavery In ~ trip to
New Orleans, renewing the expert
ence ten years afterward
After slight service as volunteer,
Lincoln settled at New Salem, enter
ed for a while into politics, tried his
fortunes in dry goods and grocery
store, and finally settled down to the
study of law. In May, 1888, he was
appointed to postmastership of New
Salem. and held the position for three
years.
Elected TO the legislature as Wing
in 1884, Lincoln was sent to congress
in VII a
public campaign against slavery and
his oratorical contest with his rival,
Stephen A. Douglas. On July /, 1852,
he delivered his eulogy on Henry
Clay, and in October, 1854, spoke pow
erfully against the extension of slav-
cry into the territories. Lincoln, aft
err being again returned to the leg
islaturc, was on June II. 1856, named
for vice-president at the Republican
nominating convention in Philadel-
phia Then followed his challenge to
the seven famous debates with Doug
las, and in May, 1860 his nomination
as candidate for president at the Re-
publican national convention in Chi
! cago
The platform adopted while de-
handing that slavery be forbidden
| in the territories, denied the right OF
congress to interfere with slavery III
| the states. The south now prepared
| for secession. Lincoln, elected TO the
presidency, denied in his inaugural
| the right Of any state or number OF
! states to leave the Union. The re-
ply of the Confederate government
was General Beauregard's lombard
ment OF Fort Sumter. The president
at once called out $4,000 volunteers,
and the war for the Union was on.
| The history Of the conflict was thence
| forward a part of Lincoln's own polit.
| ical history until his death by the
hand Of an assassin on April a.
| 1865.
The martyr president" says Ward
coin, was six feet four inches high
| the length of his legs being out OF
! all proportion To that of his body.
| When he sat on a chair he seemed to
taller than an average man, measur-
| ing from the chair to the crown OF
his head; but his knees rose high in
| front. He weighed about $50 pounds
but was thin through the breast, mar
row across the shoulders, and had
the general appearance Of consump'
tive subject. Standing up he stoop'
ed slightly forward; sitting down. he
usually crossed his long legs or threw
them over the arms of the chair. His
head was long and tall from the base
of the brain and the eyebrows. his
forehead high and narrow, inclining
backward as il rose.
! His ears were large and stood out +;
eyebrows we're heavy, ir:ting forward
over small sunken blue eyes, nose
] long, large and blunt; chin projecting
far and sharp. curved upward to meet
a thick lower lip, which hung down.
ward; cheeks flabby. the loose skin
falling in folds mole on one cheek
and an uncommonly prominent AID.
ans apple In his throat. HIS hair
was dark brown, stiff and unkempt;
complexion dark, skin yellow, shriv.
eled and leathery.
Every feature of the mantle hol.
| low eyes, with the dark rings be.
| meath; the long, sallow. cadaverous
face, intersected by those peculiar
deep lines: his whole air, his walk,
his long and silent reveries, broken
at intervals by sudden and startling
EXPLANATIONS, as II to confound an
observer who might suspect the ma.
ture OF his thoughts-showed that he
was man of SORROWS not OF today or
Of yesterday, but long treasured and
deep. bearing with him continual
sense of WEAKNESS and pain"
Lincoln was nevertheless fond OF
fun and TESTED frequently He could
tell as well as enjoy good story
His aptness at repartee made him for.
midable in debate; he used this pow.
er both in the court room and on
the public platform. The native gen
| crosby and kindness of heart which
enabled him TO sympathize with the
slave were never more in evidence
| than when he call for severity came
TO him in the trying moments OF the
Civil war
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