Evening star., 1922-02-12

OF ILLINOIS AND A MEMBER OF
it, but, unfortunately, have lost that,
and I have never seen 1t anywhere
else. I cannot now quote it, but in
substance it was this:
"T never so fully realize my man
hood. I never feel myself so fully
rising to the complete exercise Of the
faculties which God has given me, as
when contemplate my country. as
sailed and In danger. and I. alone,
standing between her and the perils
that surround her
\ u. y
stTHE speech was full of what
would nowadays be called
sophomorical eloquence and. we must
remember. was written at the age of
thirty. when Mr.. Lincoln was merely
a member OF the little Illinois legis-
lature. only twenty-one years after
Illinois was made state and full
twenty-five years before the eventful
March. 1851. when he was inaugural
ed as President" Representative
Yates reminds. "It certainly has a
prophetic sound. and whatever his
intention when writing it. prefer to
believe that In the midnight hour.
when that sentence was framed-in
the rare and radiant moment when
his wrought-up brain converted that
high thought to his swift and shining
pen-Abraham Lincoln was inspired.
At any rate, the hour, then imagined.
actually came, and in time of sad
ness and Of darkness that was to all
others unutterably appalling, this
man who could not be appalled, took
into his firm grasp the quivering
helm of the then struggling ship of
state and never lifted his hand nor
rested his eye until it entered the
haven Of rest"
Representative Yates says that an
outstanding feature Of Lincoln. as
known to his family, was that he
"loved to help others. He frequently
thought about others before they
thought about themselves. He was
Of that type of man of whom it can
be and is said, He is your friend
behind your back"
As illustrating this point. he pro-
duces a letter, dated from Washing
ton, December 10, 1S47, addressed to
his own father, which he interprets
as showing that Lincoln wanted his
old friends and boon companions
"back home" to know all that he
knew; wanted to share his knowl-
edge. to give 1t to others. The let
ter follows:
Friend Yates: ] presented your
claim to Douglass this morning. He
says that it is all right and that he
will pay it in few days. When he
shall have done SO you shall hear
from me at once.
Things have not advanced. far
enough to enable me to tell you
much in the way of politics, more
than you see in the papers. I be-
lieve Mr.. Calhoun and what force
he can control are preparing to sup.
port Gen. Taylor FOR the presidency
I get this impression from conver.
sations with Dun Greene, who boards
at the same house I do. There are
however, a great many wings here
who do not wish to 60 for Taylor
and some of whom fear cannot bt
brought to do It. There are still
many others Of them who are strong
for him, among whomI class Mr.. Crit
| tenden. although he does not express.
| ly say SO. 1 shall be pleased t
| have a line from you occasionally
Some inside history Of politics tt
| which Lincoln and the elder Yatei
were parties is told by the presen'
! representative WHEN he explains tha'
Lincoln did not attempt to succeed
| himself; there was q compact betweel
| four men, and it was kept. Edwart
| d. Baker was to run in 1914 for tn,
| Lincoln was to run in 1S4S for th,
Thirtieth Congress: third gentleman
| was to run in 1t48 for the Thirty.firs
| Congress, and my father was to rul
in 1850 for the Thirty-second Con
| gress. The third plank in the com
pact failed Of fulhllment only because
the party Of the third part was van
| quishsd at the polls BY Mat. Thoma,
l. Harris, . gallant vstsran OF th'
Mexican war. who IN turn succumbet
to Yates in 1850 and In 1889, only I,
| overthrow Yate0 in 1854"
4 + + X ~:
u REPRESENTATIVE YATES dis
N plays several letters from LincoI,
which show . 'deapsrate anxiety" Il
help his old friend yates during tn
1854 campaign, and which warn hin
| Of the canard being spread that b.
| had been q knew-nothing. On tn
reverse of one OF these, an old vel