The Bingham County news. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1918-1930, 1922-05-12
AManfor
the ages
4 Story of the Builders
Of Democracy
By Irving Bachelor
CHAPTER XIII.

CHApTeH NNIk.
Which Presents the Pleasant Comedy
q IndividuaIlsm in the New Capital,
and the courtship Of Lincoln and
Mary Todd.
Samson, with "Mr. Nimble" on 4
pad stuffed with straw in front Of
him, logged across the prairies and
waded the creeks and sloughs on his
way to Springfield. The little lad was
In his fourth year that summer. He
slept and talked much on the way and
kept Samson busy with queries about
the sky and the creeks and the great
1owery meadows.
They camped the FIRST night in Z
belt Of timber and Samson writes that
the boy slept snug against me with
his head on my arm. He went to sleep
crying for his mother" He adds:
1T reminded me of the old days Of
my young fatherhood. Mr.. Nimbls'
wanted to pick all the flowers and
splash his bare feet In every stream.
In the evening he would talk to the
stars A. II he were playing with them.
He IL like some Of the grown folks in
Chicago. He would sit hanging on to
the relnso and talk to the horse and
to God by the hour. He used to tell
me that God was a friend Of his and
I think he was right. It was good
luck to get back to Sarah and the
children. They took the little stran-
Cer into their hearts. Heart room,
house room IL the motto Of this part
q the country"
It was q new town to which Samson
returned. The governor and the state
enlcsrs had moved to Springfield, The
new capitol was nearing completion.
The hard times which had followed
the downfall Of 81 had unjustly dim
inishsd Mr.. Lincoln's confidence in his
ability as a legislator. He enjoyed
the practice of the law, which had be-
gun to turn his interest from tho af-
fairs of state. But the pot of political
science boiled before the fireplace In
the rear Of Joshua Speeds store every
ovening that Lincoln and his associ-
ates were in Springfield. The wit and
wisdom which dubbed into it's vapors
and the heat that surrounded 1t were
the talk Of the town. Many came
. witness the process and presently
lt was moved, for a time, to more
accommodating quarters. Before
crowd of people in the PRESBYTERIAN
church, Lincoln, Logan, Baker ana
Browning for the Wings, and Douglas.
Calhoun, Lamborn and Thomas for
the Democrats, having assiduously
prepared for the trial, debated the
burning issues of the time. The effort
Df each filled an evening and Lincoln's |
speech gave him new hope Of himself. |
Wise men began to have great conf
dence In his future. He had taken |
the style Of Webster for his model.
He no longer used the broad humor
which had characterized his efforts on
the stump. A study of the best
speeches Of the great New Highlander
had made him question its value In
public address. Dignity, clear rea-
sonlng and 1mpressiveness were the
chief aims of his new method, the lat
Ter of which is aptly illustrated by
his passage from his speech In reply
o Douglas in the debate mentioned:
If l ever feel the soul within me
elevate and expand to those dimen-
'ions not wholly unworthy of its AL
mighty Architect, it is when l con-
emplate the cause Of my country de-
'erted by all the world besides. and
standing up boldly and alone and
lurling defiance at her victorious op-
'ressors. Here without contemplating
before high heaven and
n the face of the world swear eter-
lal fidelity to the just cause, as
ieem it, of the land Of my life, my
liberty and my love-"
In these perfervid utterances one
nay find little to admire save a great
spirit seeking to express itself and
acking as yet the refinement of taste
equal to his undertaking. He was
10 heaven-bOrn genius sprung in full
'anoply from the head Of Jove." He
vas just one Of the slow, common
ok, with passion for justice and
human rights, slowly feeling his way
Upward. His spirit was growing.
strong In its love and knowledge Of
ommon men and Of the things neces-
airy to their welfare, it was beginning
o seek and know "the divine power
4 words" Every moment of leisure
e gave to the study Of Webster and
|urke and Byron and Shakespeare and
burns. He had begun to study the
TT Of Irving and Walter Scot. and of
new writer of the name Of Dickens.
There were four men who slept with
Inn In the room above Speeds store,
nd one Of them has told how he used
0 lie sprawled on the floor, with his
ilow and candle, reading long after
ne others had gone to sleep. Samson
rites that he never knew a man who
the art Of using minutes as
e did. A detached minute was to
i'm thing to be filled with value.