The Lincoln Story Book Part 16

MAKING THE DAGGER STAB THE HOLDER.

Upon the first debate of the Lincoln-Douglas series, an admirer of the former, having no doubt now "the stump speaker" would defeat the meretricious parliamentarian, said:

"I believe, Abe, you can beat Douglas for the Senate."

"No, Len, I can't beat him for the Senate, but I'll make him beat himself for the Presidency."

Douglas did gain the prize, but he lost his chances in the presidential race by alienating the whole Southern vote.--(Related by Mr. Leonard Swett, the "Len" above, to Mr. Augustus C. Buell.)

THE TAIL OF THE KITE.

"Congress, like the poor, is always with us!"--(To General Grant.

"Grant's Memoirs.")

NO DAY WITHOUT A LINE.

"I don't think much of a man not wiser to-day than he was yesterday."--(A. Lincoln.)

TRUTH AND THE PEOPLE.

"The people are always much nearer the truth than politicians suppose."--(A. Lincoln.)

"CALL ME 'LINCOLN.'"

Like the Friends, Abraham Lincoln had a dislike for handles to a name, and at the first incurred criticism in fastidious Washington circles by his using the last name and not the Christian one to familiars. To an intimate friend he appealed:

"Now, call me 'Lincoln,' and I'll promise not to tell of the breach of etiquette, if _you_ won't (Ah, how well he knew the vanity of great men's Horatios!), and I shall have a resting spell from _Mister_ Lincoln!"

THE ELOQUENT HAND.

The colonel of the famous Ma.s.sachusetts Sixth, which fought its way through Baltimore, risen in riot, B. F. Watson, led fifty men to cleave their way through "the Plug-uglies," vile toughs. On reporting at the capital he found Commanding General Scott receiving the mayor of Baltimore, hastening to sue for the sacred soil not being again trodden on by the ruthless foot of the Yankees. President Lincoln happened in and, recognizing Colonel Watson, who was only second in command then, complimented him on his "saving the capital," and introduced him to the company. Presuming that his quality would awe a young and amateur soldier, the unlucky mayor had the audacity to require his confirmation of his story. He said that he had dared the mob, and, to shield the soldiers, marched at their head, etc. But the officer, still warm from his baptism of fire, truly replied that he could not give a certificate of character. He related how the riff-raff had a.s.sailed the volunteers, wonderfully forbearing about not using their guns, and that the police and other officials had sworn that they should not pa.s.s alive, while the head and front, as he called himself, marched only a few yards--quitting on the pretext that it was too hot for him!

"Many times," said Colonel Watson, "have I recalled the mayor's look of intense disgust, the astonishing dignity of the commanding general, and the expression, half-sad, half-quizzical, on the face of the President at the evident infelicity of his introduction. If I did not leave that distinguished presence with my reputation for integrity unimpaired, the pressure of Abraham Lincoln's honest hand, as we parted, deceived me."

WOMAN.

"Woman is man's best present from his Maker."--(A. Lincoln.)

TO THINK AND TO DO WELL.

"It is more than mortal to think and to do well on all occasions and subjects."--(To Senator James F. Wilson.)

"SET THE TRAP AGAIN!"

To fix extreme abolition upon Abraham Lincoln, Senator Douglas lent himself to a.s.suring that his rival had taken part in a convention and helped pa.s.s a certain resolution. This was a fraud, as there was no such resolution pa.s.sed, and Lincoln was not present.

"The main object of that forgery was to beat Yates and elect Harris for Congress, object known to be exceedingly dear to Judge Douglas at the time.... The fraud having been apparently successful, both Harris and Douglas have more than once since then been attempting to put it to new uses. As the fisherman's wife, whose drowned husband was brought home with his body full of eels, said, when asked what was to be done with him: 'Take out the eels and set him again!' [Footnote: See Colman's "Broad Grins."] So Harris and Douglas have shown a disposition to take the eels out of that stale fraud by which they gained Harris' election, and set the fraud again, more than once."--(Speech by A. Lincoln, Jonesboro, Illinois, September 15, 1858.)

"NO ROYALTY IN OUR CARRIAGE."

From August to mid-October, 1858, Lincoln and Douglas warred on the platform throughout Illinois, in a celebrated series of debates. As the senator was in a high position, and expected to reap yet more important honors, the Central Railroad corporation extended to him all graces. A special car, the Pullman in embryo in reality, was at his beck, and a train for his numerous friends if he spoke. On the other hand, his rival, becoming more and more democratic in his leaning to the grotesque, gloried in traveling even in the caboose of a freight-train. He had no bra.s.s bands and no canteen for all comers; on one occasion his humble "freighter" was side-tracked to let the palace-cars sweep majestically by, a calliope playing "Hail to the Chief!" and laughter mingling with toasts shouted tauntingly through the open windows. The oppositionist laughed to his friends, and said:

"The gentleman in that decorated car evidently smelled no royalty in our scow!"

He scoffed at these "fizzlegigs and fireworks," to employ his phrase.

But his keen sense of the ludicrous was not shared with his admirers.

On the contrary, the women saw nothing absurd in drowning him with flowers and the men in "chairing him." Henry Villard relates that he saw him battling with his supporters literally, and beseeching them who bore him shoulder-high, with his long limbs gesticulating like a spider's, for them to "Let me down!"