The Medina sentinel. [volume] (Medina, Ohio) 1888-1961, 1921-10-13
CopyrtshA Irving Bashsliss
CHAPTER XIV. G5

Being Brief Memoir by the Honor
able and Venerable Man Known In
These Pages 40 Josiah Traylor, Who
Saw the Great Procession Of Events
6stween Andrew jackson and Wood.
row Wilson and Especially the Max.
ING and the End Of Lincoln.
Now, as have done often sitting
5sin the chimney corner at the days
end, look back at my youth and
manhood and tell, with one eye upon
Y the clock, Of those years Of fulfillment
I in the progress Of our beloved pilgrim.
There are four and twenty Of them
s that I shall try to review In as many
i minutes. At this distance see only
\ the high places lone looming above
another like steps in a stairwax.
The years Of building and sentiment
ended on the fourth Of November,
1872 when he and Mary Todd were
\ Joined in marriage. Now, like one hav-
Y ing tahen note Of the storm clouds, he
\ strengthens the structure.
Mary tried to teach him fine man
\ ners. X was difficult undertaking.
\ 0ften, as might have been expected,
she hst her patience. Mary was an
h excellent girl, but rather Wholesome
and pragmatic Like most Of the prai-
fie fslk. for instance, Abe Lincoln had
! been accustomed to reach for the but
ter with his own knife, and to find
rest IN attitudes extremely indolent
and unbecoming. He enjoyed sprawl
ing ca the floor in his shirt-sleeves
and slippers with a pillow under his
head and book In his hand. He had
q liking for ample accommodation, not
fully satisfied by a bed or a lounge.
Mary undertook to turn him into new
VI ways and naturally there was irrita-
tibn In the house, but I think they got
along very well together for all that
Mary grew fond Of him and proud
of his great talents and was devoted
wife. For years she did the work of
I the house and bore him children. He
milked the COW and took care Of the
horse when he was at home. y
Annabel and I, having just been
married, went with him to Washing
ton on cur wedding tour in 1847. He
was taking his seat In congress that
year. We were with him there when
he. met Webster. Lincoln was deeply
Impressed BY the quiet dignity of the
great man. We went together to hear
Hmerssn lecture. It was motley au-
4 1ience business men, fashionable
ladies and gentlemen, statesmen, politi-
clans, women with their knitting and
lion-hunters The tall, awkward ora.
tor ascended the platform, took OH
I his tcp-cOat and drew manuscript
from Ais pocket. He had a narrow,
sloping forehead, a prominent nose.
gray eyes and a skin OF singular trans
parency. His voice was rich and mel
low, but not strong. Lincoln listened
with rapt attention to his. talk about
Democracy. It was q memorable
night. He spoke Of It often. Such
contact with, the great spirits Of that
time, VI which he studiously availed
himself M Washington, was M great
value TO- the statesman from Illinois.
His experiences on the floor were In
no way important to him, but since
1914 I have thought often Of what he
said there, regarding Polk's invasion
Of Mexico, unauthorized by congress
as It was: ..l
sThe provision Of the Constitution
giving the war-making power to con
gress was dictated. as understand 1t,
by the following reasons: Kings had
always been involving and impoverish-
ing their people in wars, pretending
generally that the good Of the people
was the object. This our convention
understood to be the most oppressive
Of an kingly expressions and they pro-
posed to So frame the constitution
that no man should hold the power Of
bringing this oppression upon us"
u The next year he stumped Massa-
chusetts for Zach Taylor and heard
Gov. Seward deliver his remarkable
speech Sn slavery, which contained
this striking itterance;
Congress has no power to inhibit
any duty commanded BY God On Mount
Sinai or BY His Son On the Mount Of |
olives VI
Il On his return home Lincoln con
fessed that we had soon to deal with |
that question. FIs
SsI was III his Office when Herndon
said: 4s NJ v 5,s @ s III
~ ten you that slavery must be
rooted out x ssi7
#What makes you think scr' Mr..
Lincoln asked. g M ss Al
v II feel lit in my bones" was Hern-
don,s answer. # S iAS
\ After that he used to speak with
respect Of 'sBil Herndon's bone phil /
Csophy.s As
4 His term ia congress having ended, /
be came back to the law ID partner v
ship with William H. Herndon man
of character and sound Judgment. |
Those days Lincoln wore black trou-
sers coat ana stock, q waistcoast Of
" Am av.d = YVot1incfns. hjoh ha< ~ T4n IA