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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."
