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About The news-herald. (Plattsmouth, Neb.) 1909-1911 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 11, 1909)
A.. ik V;- 7- ' i ... fit I ' ' ik (FT V' . e. IS fmM 1 1 ' 7 : it:' 'LI ttjf j 7.r-s TT'lbt' wmm Bfr si II l!f W v ,,c ' ', . , w SELL WOODARD. USTI(1T10NS .OX lo follow DoiiRlas Al Havana Done:- Lincoln nioK( the nam day This was not. one of tlio joint soiit:lit oplKiitiinlllpM i closely us li" coiilil las ami hi isr.s. DOKN 1009 DIED dcliaicM, luit Lincoln hi the uflcrnoon an swcri'd what Douglas liad hnid in the foicnooii. I.ynian Lacoy, Sr., dcscrlhcs tin' two moot Inns. Lincoln avoided bo Ini; picst nt at the nicctlim's of DoiirIum. Ili arrived In Havana just lieforo "if ailernoon apiiolnlmcnt, but t lions wrro friends who outlined to li I ill the Hproch of lion-las In the forenoon. Hoiiulas," said Mr. Liicoy. "tiled to kill Lincoln with faint irulne. IteferrltiK to Mm opponent at Hie morning meetluK, Pounlas said: '.Mr. Lincoln Is u very iilco man, very sociable ami cnterlainlnK. He makes n very pleasant companion. I used to know him when lie lived at Old Salem In Menard county, when ho kept sloie and sold whisky to his customers.' Douglas never referred to Lincoln us a peat, lawyer or as a man of ability. At the aficrnoon nieelliiK Lincoln ppoko of Mr. )oimlas personally and said bo bad been Informed of the 1 1 Unite of pi also Mr. Ioiilas bad liestowed upon hiiu. H T li a i ebal K J I 1' t.ned ".!ie" Lincoln am tin y were p I ii across tl:" lier !o t"u;bt on Missouri "bioad..wor!ls." ii lion cavalry sab; I luted Siat s .01 with rei;iil:- brcs of the i : in . Those dra- worn t:(. years of Koons" in tl:is count ry. " As soon ns the ferry reai 1: .-.I ih land Mr. Lincoln was taken in on,. (i- -reetion iind Mr. sbiidds in the other. They were kIvoh seats on o-;ft nad bit to themselves while seconds and peat eimikf rs discussed the situation. In n short tiiu.- a sevious d.'.rect in the proceiiii!!.';-, on tho part of Shields came to !;:;ht. The chullenve had been sent ;ireniatnivly. The mistake is explaine.! quite clearly In i ln Alton traditions. Lincoln had amused himself and bin ontor'ained'the Wh.:s by writiiv,' funny letters to a Sprim'liHd pap.-r about the D' tnocra.'s. ami BiKiiint; his epi.-tle "Aunt IJebecea" Mary Toild, who ;itt erwards became Mrs. Lincoln, and .Inlia .layne conspired to adil to the nyety of the community by m-n Int; np an "Aunt Rebecca" letter of their own ( enipo;:i ion iiml send ing it to the paper alo'i:; wbh seme verses which they sliinod "Cat h ben." The letter which the I'-'ls wrote went outside of polities ami contained a burlesipie pro posal of lnariiai' to Auditor Shield.!, Now, the auditor, afterward a I'nited States senator from time stales, and a brave ireiiera! of two wars, was a llery youtii; man. While Sprln.".!ii Id laughed, Shields bean an investiga tion. He demanded of the editor the real name of Aunt Kobecra." The girls became frightened. Lumi, tho banker, went over to Mr. Lincoln's olilce and said: "We've got into an awful lix." "What's the niatti-i ?" asked Lincoln. "The girls have written some poetry on Shields," said liunn. "Didn't you see It in the paper? Well. Shields pays be won't stand it. What shall we do uhout it?" "Yon go back and when you meet Shields tell bitn I wrote It," said Lincoln. Shields accr pled this without verification and sent the challenge, Shields saw the error of proceeding further when he learned that Lincoln was not the writer. Tor an hour or nmre the writing mil exchanging of notes went on. Meantime the population of Alton stood in n dense mass on the river bank looking across the chan nel ami having a good view of all of the movements. "Mill' Souther, good reporter that he was, kept bis eyes on the principals. lie told that for some time after the landing Lincoln ami Shields Fat quietly on their logs. Lincoln said nothing, and Souther thought he looked HTions. After a while something happened, and South er said that when he saw it he "nearly blew up." The bundle of sabres had been laid down near the lo wlvre Lincoln was sitting. Lincoln reached out and took up one of the weapons, lie drew the blade slowly from the scabbard, and Souther said "it looked ns long as a lonco rail." Holding the biaile by the back, Lincoln looked closely at the edge, and thin after the manner of one who has been crlndln;; a siythe or n corn knife, he b' an to feel gingerly the edve with the ball of bis thumb. My this time "Mill" Souther was ttenn ndom ty Interested. Hold ing the wilne by the handle. Lincoln stood up and looked about him. He evidently saw what be was looking for In a willow tree several feel away. liaising the mi.:hty weapon with his long arm. Lincoln n tubed and clipped one of the topmost twigs of tin- wi'iow. Winn he haj tkoroughly satisfied himself as t.i the e;;',ci"i:cy of the broadsword be sat down. A few liiiliUies later the cor responib'iicc was closed en lei in 'honorable to both par ties." A the boat put. bat k lo Al'on Hie spectatois on the bank were borrilied to see hing pn-i.e upon the deck a llgure covered with blood, while a well known Altmilan leaned over the llgure pling a Ian vlouously. No! un til the boat was cliiic In shore was it .-ecu that the iigitro wa a log of wood and Ha: the "I leiviv" coverim: was u red flannel shlit. Wet tworili dtoppi d the fan, s'oo I up mid grinned A Lincoln Mor uiiith wi never d'e is the i ly tie-pie.-lib'M liuide to the criticism of (ir.int's habits. Lin coln said: "lie wished he knew what brand of whisky Grant drank, in onlei' iliat hi l:'b;h! scl haul- el' I'iMsbii:; and almo'.t lost. had rt'thbed H. Surreiuli r" (!r 4, & -' 'j w'"' vj&'irn$ wm mm HEBREW THE BLADE LOWLY FROM THE i init mi . fMm If nr. r. v-i soille to tile other gcim-l Ills." The .amlinir. or Shilob, had been fought Three months Ik fore the country victor of l-'nrt lionelson "rneonditional i:t. and had made a hero of hint. Now. with the (lUiniiod responsil: ing siiriuise, tliere arose a of certain newspapers and superseded, it 'pre:- plesiih nl. He told iity for the I'lttsburg Land mighty clamor on the part politicians, that (Irani be ntailve I How talked freely with the 1 1 1 Til what he had known of Grant before the war and Mentioned the fear entei -tallied by some persons that Grant drank too nint h to be intrusted with high command. .Mr. Illow was a smooth npoken man, with sharp black eyes, quick lo appreciate humor, lb- had been a very successful business man for years before he became interested in politics. Ho was rather below the average height. Presld'-nr Lincoln listened thoughtfully until Mr. Illow had expressed himself, and then asked with apparent seriousness what brand of whisky Grant drank. Kxplainlng why he sought the In formation, be used the language about sending some lo the o' her cent rals, which litis become historic. Some men "who knew Lincoln'' do not believe the po litical history which has been written credits him with his full pari in the win sia of the Republican party. They remember where Lincoln stood toward' the last Whig conventions. They recall the movement to make him vice pp sblent en the ticket with Fremont in IS.'O, which fortunately was abandoned on gr iunds of expediency. And they mention political acts of Lincoln whlnh possess no small si'-iiilicance when taken with subsequent events. John R. Spears f Tallula knew Lincoln from is:;:!, when he was u surveyor. He was prominent In the politics of tho day. He heard Lincoln speak In the Har rison convention of Illinois in 1SI0 and In BUpport of the iiomina.ion of flay before the Whig convention of Illi nois in 1MI, and on other occasions before the Republi can party organized. Mr. Spears has this recollection of the beginning of the Republican movement: "Lincoln called a meeting of a few friends al a coun try store w here Tallula now Is. Ho had boon 'a mirveyor when the county (now .Memirdi was a part of Sanga mon. He knew almost everybody. There were 40 or fid in Hie gathering nt the noro. ,ir. Lhicoln made a talk reviewing political conditions and offering suggestions as to Hie future. He inlh il for some paper to write down what posiHon he thoirht should be taken upon, tho ques tions of the day, especially upon slavery. Then? was no papi r to be bad. Lincoln drew n newspaper from bis pocket, lay down on the cellar door and wrote on the mar -in the essence or the principles which formed the Republican party. This, I believe, was tho first meeting of the kind In the l'liited States, li was a year or more before the convention lit Hloomltigtoti, where the Rcpub Mean parly of Illinois was started and where Lincoln made one of the best speeches of his life, which was lost." .Mr. Spears does not recall the exact time of (ills meet ing at which Lincoln wrote on Hie margin of a newspaper the first Republican ph'tfonn, n,, knows thai the meet in;; was called by Lincoln two yen is or more before Mm national convention which nominated Fremont In l'Ml. lie knows that this enunclaiiun of Re nibllcan principles us., I" fie-e Ibe Itlootiilnutoli coin elition, S.t,.t L, Lnnii.1 ote Iriiin N'ewraslle. lmj.. lo Mm , y O mu kifcA. -JUt'ii 'Mr. Douglas.' he.nild. 'has seen fit .i?r " i.v 1 Wr. sfitlivit U'j&K. ' ' .llrLH r.ive nie iiraMcin mh sneech. for w : f:lVl. WimmSS. U . i ... nk, mo linos Vll J UiWyfi V.U will, the ginge.br. ad. who said he 'f 'tl l ft ."'Hi -rM 1 l.-.V l M Lincoln f'eiitentiial association, contributing to the in formation about Lincoln's earliest relations with the for mation of the Republican parly. "The Whig National convention of IMS," .Mr. Mundy writes, "was completely under the control of Toon, In and Stephens of Georgia. They had (b ebb d thai Gen. Taj lor should be nominated on no platform but hi.-, record as a soldier and slaveholder. Greeley v.;is there fmiii New York (iffeiing to guarantee ilmt that state would cast lis electoral vote for Clay If the convon'ion would nominate him, but the Taylor managers would lis. in in no such proposition, no doubl for the reason thai Clay's not satisfactory. Lincoln the Informal ballot that it the record as a slaveholder was and Greeley loth agreed after was useless to press the inline of Clav any luliuc nomination of Taylor was a foregone concbi-iion, a id it so turned out. In the convention of lS"ei. wl in -"ie;Mnnt was nominated, the name of Lincoln was s-i .('ed for Vlce prsidel:l, hilt the lenders deemed It w e to Vive ll,e place to William M. Dayton of New .ler-:ey. an I It was. perhaps, fortunate for Lincoln that the convention did so " The' Mh of Auviisi the Republicans bad a tally at Springfield. Christian county sent up a delegation. W'il liam T. Maker, who, while a boy. had ground Lincoln'. bags of corn for' him during two yiais at tin- mil! on tho Sangamon in the rail-splitting das, was marshal of the delegation. "We mustered 10,'i wagons, most of 'In m having four or six horses, and loaded with Cliii.-tian e-iunty Republi cans," said Mr. Maker. "On the way up w camped ir.or night on the Sangamon, near Rochester. When we catm1 to Springfield we formed In line and parsed iIoaii in from, of Lincoln's home, where we halted. Lincoln was stand ing on the steps shaking hands with hundreds of people who hud come In to attend the rallv. As I rode up at the head of my deleeailon Lincoln left the slept, came cm: lo us, took tue b the hand, and .-aid: 'How are ou. Maker?' Then he looked clown the long b.ie oi wagons and men and said: 'Maker, It must take a ti.od many men to run n tbtephlng machine In ChiisMan county'" While there were only seven joint ib lMii s of formal character under the challenge, there wen oiher eei a sioiis when lunulas and Lincoln lilied aponi it n i,:s s i close together lis to aff'U'd tile cxi In-cecil i f p-.uial passages. Lincoln was anxious In get li- tore ihe Demo craUe supporters of Douglas, lie did no! shun, but latin r to hlch lor liked it better than any oilier man did. hut got h ss of it. As" to what Mr. Doiigla sab! about his acquaintance with me In Old Salem, that I kept store, attended bur sit e! sold whisky, nil I have to say Is that while I practiced at the bar on the In side. .Indue Douglas pracliecd on till milsido of Hie bar.' This created great applause from Mr. Lincoln's audience'. I have' always remembeieil this debate. A few !as iro I had a conversation with Kav Watkins ef Mi mud county, who knew Lincoln in those days, and was at the ';! dies I have referred to; he n'uietnbci cd It U8 I have stated." Lincoln's speeches have suffered in tho reporting. As they have been collected from vaiious sources, they show m-rlceii difference's. The speeches which Mr. Lincoln wr"o in advance v i'ie rot many. The speeches which were t;'en down by a competent steiiocrapber, like thoso el' llveied in the Joint debates, are. of course, authentic. Met many short -.peiche s were wri'ten out from memory or fiom longhand notes, and varying versions of them up pear In the later bh'otles unci ccdlect ieuis. One of tho iiio,! notable of Lincoln's impromptji, short addresses was that which Is call". his farewell at Springfield when ho Maitid for Wadiii.g'nn. There ;:re s.-vc-ral versions of this i -pe c eh. .1. II. Cheney of Mlooiniii'Mon was one of tho c rowd "of not more than Kill," he rM.vs, vlio went to the G'eat 'i lern cb pot and heard he fareWedl address. "Tills soiei Ii." Clmi.ey thinks. ' hii.i Ve'-'lonl. If f'ver, been e orrii tly epiotejl in the hb-toii s i' Lincoln.. Nicolay and who are all men yon would- look .lo for u 'correct ver fail to give Ii as it v,s iekrii.". . . Chene y took the copy, which Is here,, reproduced, the Chicago Tribune, thi., mniiig nft.er Lituuiln's He thinks any one who will take J ho trouble to ,i. with ti e vefsiiui in the later histories will it is tile heller Speech. Hay. sioii. M r. f.om eleparluriv compare t' iigrc'i with him that ' M l ileiiis -No one not in' iiiy'situaHon can nppre e iate my feelitr:s oi" sullies at'ltds 'parting. To Mils place and tie kli.iliu -s of'lhis peofe' owe cvcrythlnR. Ib ie have live d a i;u .irter of a i'eMitw)', atid have passed ttoin a vo'itu to an old man. ILore my chJIdreu were hot II and ol"' lies bat ied. . . . ,. I now h ave, iioi knowing when or whether ever I may retiiii', with ;i t.i.-.k before me gre,i,ter than that which ii -t d on the i-hou'd' rs of Washlngion. ' Wltfoi.t the .-1 : 1 1 ,,' that DMne 'Me ing who ever aided him. who coni r.-ds mine ami all ib's'itihs, I can not sue e e-e.,1 'tt Mint as. ; ,anc I cannot fail. "lrn ting in him v. lo i in r.o wiili me and remain with "'! and he i v. -rywh.i ie Uv l'o.sI, h t us confidently hope ' 1 ! , i Ii It Will be' we :i, " To I is c are comn.e i . 1 1 1 -g on. as I ho v In your praycm veil ws; (o!al,:ilil Pie. I !i!e H . frionda ami tlelghhors, an iifi'e-ctioiii.ic faieWe 11."