Evening journal., 1915-12-31
New News Of Yesterday
Two Men Who We're
Presidential Timber
pr holland.

Lafayette S. Foster who in part
represented Connecticut in the United
States Senate from 1854 to 1867. and
who was president pro-tempore Of the
Senate when Lincoln was assassi-
mated and would have been President
had Atzerodt succeeded in his at
tempt to assassinate yice-President
johnson. used occasionally. after he
retired from the Senate, to tell his
friends some of his recollections Of
the great men with whom he was as
Senator associated in public life. lt
is impossible for me to repeat the
precise words Senator Foster used in
the story he told his friends of the
reception Stephen A. Douglas met
with when he returned to the Senate
after he had been elected, in 1858,
having beaten Abraham Lincoln for
the senatorship It is possible. how
ever to give the substance of Senator
Fosters narrative as it was after
ward told to me.
In the now traditional debate be-
tween Lincoln and Douglas. i'm 1858,
Lincoln with great ability and con-
summate shrewdness compelled Doug
las to make some admissions respect
ing the slavery issue, for otherwise
Douglas could not have held all his
Northern constituency. These ad-
missions, however, were not well re-
ceived in the South, and Lincoln knew
they would be criticised. Il was, in
fact, due to them that Douglas lost
the support of many of the leaders
of the South for the Presidential
nomination Of 1860.
\ The Senate had abandoned the old
Senate chamber and entered into pos
y session Of the room which 1t has
occupied ever since. but Douglas did
not appear 10 take his seat until some
weeks after the Senate had assembled
in the new place. He therefore was
4 a stranger to the new Senate cham
ber when he appeared before the
Vice-President and was sworn in
Many of the Senators eyed him
furtively and curiously They watched
to sec how he would be greeted by
the distinguished Senators from the
South, who represented that wing OF
the party whose hostility Douglas
, had incurred when speaking in reply
to Lincoln. Some Of these Senators
did not greet him. Many othera
+ however, greeted him cordially, and
/ especially jefferson Davis, between
. whom and Douglas a long acquaint-
: ance had existed.
At last William II. Seward. who
at that time was regarded as sure
to obtain the Republican nomination
, for President in 1860, crossed the
aisle and with much cordiality wei
coined the distinguished Democrat
who II ny believed would bl
Stewards opponent in the Presidentia
, campaign. The two men were th'
center OF observation. Senators won
derod what they found to talk about
but in a moment or two they saw
Seward take Douglas by the arm an
} lead him around the Senate chan be
while at the same time he pointel
out the many architectural beautie
: and characteristics of the room a
though he realized that Dougla
would appreciate courtesy of tina
kind. The two men seemed to b.
! deeply interested in this inspection
: of the place, and when it was owe
Douglas took his seat upon one sid
of the aisle and Seward returned t
his place upon the other
= Copyright, 1915. by E. J. Edwards
All rights reserved.)
Tomorrow-Mr Edwards will tell o
Two Wings Who Became Famous.