The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-03-06
PRE-CIVIL WAR
DAYS RECALLED
MIR. BLYTHE GIVES LINCOLN STORIES
Veteran Tells Of Editors Change of
Heart Mrs. Abraham Gives StOr-
les of Washington


read at l.incoln-W ashington celebra-
tion, given by Candy Post and Candy
Corps, on Saturday, February %. by
S. F. Blythe:
We meet today to celebrate the an
niversaries of the births of George
Washington and Abraham Lincoln.
George Washington. the Father of his
Country. first in war, first in peace.
and first in the hearts Of his country
men. He freed us from the tyranny
of King George Ill. and all other
kings that might come after him.
Abraham Lincoln, Savior of the
Country, made the Declaration of In
dependence a reality This great doc
ument declared all men were born
free and equal. but slavery existed
and flourished in the land. Honesty
blushed when the Declaration of lnde-
Fourth of July celebrations before the
Civil War.
The story by Hon. Z. l.. Smith in
last weeks Glacier recounting scenes
witnessed by him at the Chicago con-
vention when Abraham Lincoln was
nominated for the Presidency, was
interesting and instructive to all of us.
We had heard the story before, and
some of have heard it from Mr.
Smiths lips. but each time it is re-
| peated it is listened to with renewed
| interest.
The fame of Lincoln. the Great
Emancipator. the great President, will
go on and on, gaining lustre with each
succeeding generation.
Mr. Smith had the pleasure of meet
ing Lincoln on three different occasions
and shaking hands with him. He is
probably the only man living in the
state of Oregon today who has had
that pleasure, of which he is justly
proud Who would not be proud if he
could say he met face to face with the
man who as Chief Magistrate success
fully piloted the nation through four
years of civil war and to have held
| the hand that signed the Emancipation
Proclamation, setting free three mil
| lion slaves?
Those of us here today who had the
honor to serve as Lincon's soldiers
"Lincoln's hirelings" we were some
times called-can we'll remember the
exciting scenes enacted during the
Presidential campaign of 1860.
happened to be in Wabash, Ind,
when the names of the nominees of
the Chicago convention reached that
town. There was great excitement
and speculation as to who would be
nominated for President. 1t was gen
orally expected William H. Seward, of
New York, would be the nominee.
When the news of the nominations
reached the town, an enthusiastic citi
zen, not grasping full understanding
of the names of the nominees, rushed
into the street shouting, "Hurrah for
Lick EN- and Hang EN- !" He was
right so far as the "lick EN-" went but
there was no hang EN-.
The penalty of treason is death
down in Mexico.
was employed on the Wabash Plain
Dealer, weekly newspaper that had
espoused the cause of that part of the
Democratic party opposed to Stephen
A. Douglas, the Little Giant" among
statesmen of those days. When the
split came in convention and the Dem
ocratic party had two candidates, the
editor of the Plain Dealer was in an
awful quandaiy. With united party
there was hardly patronage enough to
keep the paper going. So he sat down
and wrote on sheet Of fooslcap paper
an editorial boldly advocating the can
didacy of John c. Breckenridge, of the
party of his first love.
Then he went out on tha street and
interviewed prominent members of the
Democratic party, in the meantime
visiting the corner saloon where he
could help drown his sorrows in the
flowing bowl. Returning to the office,
he picked up the sheet of foolscap and
wrote upon the other side in favor of
Stephen A. Douglas.
He then handed me the copy, indi-
eating that | should set in type his
declaration in favor Of Douglas. The
editor then went out on the street
again, got "ginned up" some more,
came back and wrote an editorial
declaring for Lincoln and Hamlin and
the whole Republican ticket. We
went to press with the full Republican
ticket at the head of the editorial
columns.
That editor, during the war that fol.
| lowed, was colonel commanding ar
Indiana regiment.
The Plain Dealer is a Republican
paper to this day
| Not only Democratic country news
| papers but Democrats everywhere II
| the North were changing their party
| affiliations. Victory was in the air for
the Republican standard bearer.
Tho OF of Ohio apd Indiana tHar
held state elections in the month OF
/ October. The substantial majorities
Il given in these states to the Republican
candidates sounded the death knel Of
H all opposition to the election of Honest
Il Abe, the Rail Splitter from Illinois.
Il Every little town had its organiza
/ ton of wide Awakes" who paradeC
the streets nightly in their black oil
Il cloth capes with lanterns, and in the
Il cities the numbers in parade were i'm
i mense 1t was hot campaign from
start to finish. Nothing like 1t has
/ been seen since and probably never
II will be seen in our country.
H never had the pleasure of seeing
\ Lincoln. The nearest | ever came t
H seeing him was when the regiment t.
Il which belonged during my second en-
\ listment marched down Pennsylvania
II avenue on our way to the front an(
was lined up in front of the Whit,
4 House by our colonel. A colored mar
| came leisurely down the White HOUSE
II steps and informed the colonel that tn,
II President was out of the city.
II During Lincoln's administration wa
Il Democrats acted with the Republican
II party. which was known only as thu
II Union party while the war lasted
II There was much opposition in tn,
II party to the denomination of Lincoln
II 1t came from abolitionsts and other
II dissatisfied with what they elaine,
II was the slow prosecution of the war
II "On to Richmond !" was their cry, no
taking into consideration the fact tina
II formidable confederate army stood il