diff options
| author | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:02:51 -0700 |
|---|---|---|
| committer | Roger Frank <rfrank@pglaf.org> | 2025-10-14 20:02:51 -0700 |
| commit | 43e8c00ab7ce511d0d94b31ea3075bd40a73a971 (patch) | |
| tree | 943e3c711c507f7c35243b145428d9f6e7d8e2e1 | |
| -rw-r--r-- | .gitattributes | 3 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 35009-h.zip | bin | 0 -> 93469 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 35009-h/35009-h.htm | 2805 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 35009-h/images/front.jpg | bin | 0 -> 39911 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | 35009.txt | 2541 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | 35009.zip | bin | 0 -> 50058 bytes | |||
| -rw-r--r-- | LICENSE.txt | 11 | ||||
| -rw-r--r-- | README.md | 2 |
8 files changed, 5362 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/35009-h.zip b/35009-h.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..af3ce69 --- /dev/null +++ b/35009-h.zip diff --git a/35009-h/35009-h.htm b/35009-h/35009-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..c154649 --- /dev/null +++ b/35009-h/35009-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,2805 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!-- $Id: header.txt 236 2009-12-07 18:57:00Z vlsimpson $ --> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Style-Type" content="text/css" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of Boys' And Girls' Biography Of Abraham Lincoln, by James H. Shaw.. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> + +body { + margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; +} + +p { + margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; +} + +hr { + width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; +} + +table { + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; +} + +.pagenum { /* uncomment the next line for invisible page numbers */ + /* visibility: hidden; */ + position: absolute; + left: 92%; + font-size: smaller; + text-align: right; +} /* page numbers */ + +.linenum { + position: absolute; + top: auto; + left: 4%; +} /* poetry number */ + +.blockquot { + margin-left: 5%; + margin-right: 10%; +} + +.sidenote { + width: 20%; + padding-bottom: .5em; + padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; + padding-right: .5em; + margin-left: 1em; + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; + color: black; + background: #eeeeee; + border: dashed 1px; +} + +.bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + +.bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + +.bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + +.br {border-right: solid 2px;} + +.bbox {border: solid 2px;} + +.center {text-align: center;} + +.smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + +.u {text-decoration: underline;} + +.caption {font-weight: bold;} + +/* Images */ +.figcenter { + margin: auto; + text-align: center; +} + +.figleft { + float: left; + clear: left; + margin-left: 0; + margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 1em; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +.figright { + float: right; + clear: right; + margin-left: 1em; + margin-bottom: + 1em; + margin-top: 1em; + margin-right: 0; + padding: 0; + text-align: center; +} + +/* Footnotes */ +.footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + +.footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + +.footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + +.fnanchor { + vertical-align: super; + font-size: .8em; + text-decoration: + none; +} + +/* Poetry */ +.poem { + margin-left:10%; + margin-right:10%; + text-align: left; +} + +.poem br {display: none;} + +.poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + +.poem span.i0 { + display: block; + margin-left: 0em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i2 { + display: block; + margin-left: 2em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + +.poem span.i4 { + display: block; + margin-left: 4em; + padding-left: 3em; + text-indent: -3em; +} + .poem span.i14 {display: block; margin-left: 14em; padding-left: 3em; text-indent: -3em;} + + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham +Lincoln, by James H. Shaw + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham Lincoln + +Author: James H. Shaw + +Release Date: January 20, 2011 [EBook #35009] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIOGRAPHY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN *** + + + + +Produced by Heather Clark, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + + +<h1>Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham Lincoln.</h1> + +<h2>By James H. Shaw.</h2> + + +<h3>Evergreen City Publishing Company,<br /> +Bloomington, Illinois.</h3> + +<h3>TYPOGRAPHY AND PRESSWORK BY<br /> +EARL MARQUAM,<br /> +BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS.</h3> + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<div class="figcenter"> +<img src="images/front.jpg" alt=""/> +</div> + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> + +<h2>CONTENTS</h2> + +<!-- Autogenerated TOC. Modify or delete as required. --> +<p> +<a href="#CHAPTER_I">CHAPTER I.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_II">CHAPTER II.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_III">CHAPTER III.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_IV">CHAPTER IV.</a><br /> +<a href="#CHAPTER_V">CHAPTER V.</a><br /><br /> +<a href="#Little_Stories_of_Lincoln">Little Stories of Lincoln.</a><br /><br /> +<a href="#HOW_HE_LOOKED">HOW HE LOOKED.</a><br /> +<a href="#FREEDOM_IN_THE_CABINET">FREEDOM IN THE CABINET.</a><br /> +<a href="#A_GREAT_MAN">A GREAT MAN.</a><br /> +<a href="#A_FORGIVING_MAN">A FORGIVING MAN.</a><br /> +<a href="#KIND_OF_LAWYER">KIND OF LAWYER.</a><br /> +<a href="#AN_UGLY_MAN">AN UGLY MAN.</a><br /> +<a href="#THE_BULL_STORY">THE BULL STORY.</a><br /> +<a href="#THE_LITTLE_WOMAN">THE LITTLE WOMAN.</a><br /> +<a href="#NOT_AFRAID">NOT AFRAID.</a><br /> +<a href="#KIND_OF_RELIGION">KIND OF RELIGION.</a><br /> +<a href="#MR_LINCOLNS_FIRST_DOLLAR">MR. LINCOLN'S FIRST DOLLAR.</a><br /> +<a href="#MR_LINCOLN_AT_SUNDAY_SCHOOL">MR. LINCOLN AT SUNDAY SCHOOL.</a><br /> +<a href="#TRIBUTE_TO_THE_WOMEN">TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN.</a><br /> +<a href="#MORE_LIGHT_WANTED">MORE LIGHT WANTED.</a><br /> +<a href="#THE_SHOOTING_STORY">THE SHOOTING STORY.</a><br /> +<a href="#FIRST_RIGHTFUL_DECISION">FIRST RIGHTFUL DECISION.</a><br /> +<a href="#GOD_NEEDED_CHURCH_FOR_SOLDIERS">GOD NEEDED CHURCH FOR SOLDIERS.</a><br /> +<a href="#A_DOUBTFUL_ABUTMENT">A DOUBTFUL ABUTMENT.</a><br /> +<a href="#SIGNING_EMANCIPATION_PROCLAMATION">SIGNING EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.</a><br /> +<a href="#MR_LINCOLNS_ENDURANCE">MR. LINCOLN'S ENDURANCE.</a><br /> +<a href="#GENERAL_FISKS_SWEARING_STORY">GENERAL FISK'S SWEARING STORY.</a><br /> +<a href="#GETTING_RID_OF_A_BORE">GETTING RID OF A BORE.</a><br /> +<a href="#LITTLE_INFLUENCE_WITH_ADMINISTRATION">LITTLE INFLUENCE WITH ADMINISTRATION.</a><br /> +<a href="#MR_LINCOLNS_HORSE_TRADE">MR. LINCOLN'S HORSE TRADE.</a><br /> +<a href="#HIS_FIRST_SPEECH">HIS FIRST SPEECH.</a><br /> +<a href="#HOW_HE_DIVIDED_MONEY">HOW HE DIVIDED MONEY.</a><br /> +<a href="#HELPED_HIS_STEP-MOTHER">HELPED HIS STEP-MOTHER.</a><br /> +<a href="#A_SMALL_AUDIENCE">A SMALL AUDIENCE.</a><br /> +<a href="#NOISE_DONT_HURT">NOISE DON'T HURT.</a><br /> +<a href="#LINCOLN_ON_TEMPERANCE">LINCOLN ON TEMPERANCE.</a><br /> +<a href="#MR_LINCOLNS_POEM">MR. LINCOLN'S POEM.</a><br /><br /> +<a href="#To_Be_Memorized">MR. LINCOLN'S QUOTATIONS</a><br /><br /> +<a href="#LINCOLNS_GETTYSBURG_SPEECH">LINCOLN'S GETTYSBURG SPEECH.</a><br /> +</p> +<!-- End Autogenerated TOC. --> + + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham Lincoln.</h2> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_I" id="CHAPTER_I"></a>CHAPTER I.</h2> + + +<p>A great English writer<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> in a lecture on America and the Americans said +that when an American gets to heaven he will not be satisfied unless he +can move farther west.</p> + +<p>He said this because it has been so much the custom of our people to +"move West." It is not so common now as it was a few years ago because +the great public lands, free to those who would settle on them or plant +trees, are mostly occupied.</p> + +<p>The Lincoln family a couple of hundred years ago first "moved west" from +England to Massachusetts; then they moved west again to Pennsylvania; +then west and south to Virginia; then west again to Kentucky.</p> + +<p>Way back in the last century a man was digging in the rich soil of +Kentucky. He turned up clods, planted seed and God sent the rain-drops +and sun-beams and the grain sprang up and became gold. The surest gold +mine in the world is our fertile soil and the surest miner is our +farmer.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"Whoever plants a seed beneath the sod<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And waits to see it push away the clod<br /></span> +<span class="i0">He trusts in God."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>A little boy watched his father work and learned the lesson that man +lives best by the sweat of his own brow, not by the sweat of other men's +brows. While they toiled, through the shadows of the surrounding forest +a savage stole secretly toward them on his soft moccasins. He paused, +aimed his gun and fired. The man fell over dead; then the Indian came +rapidly, caught up the boy and ran off toward the woods with him. But +his older brother, Mordecai, ran to the log hut and catching up the ever +ready gun shot the Indian through the heart and sent him to the "happy +hunting ground," and saved little Thomas Lincoln, who grew up to be a +man and became the father of our beloved martyr president, Abraham +Lincoln.</p> + +<p>You have no doubt read of the adventures of Daniel Boone and the +pioneers of Kentucky. A little boy thought these pioneers were so grand +he said he wanted to be a "pioneer" when he went to heaven. But these +pioneers had many hardships we do not have. They were constantly +fighting the Indians and did not have the pleasant homes we have, but +lived in rough log cabins, without plaster on the walls and with only +the earth for floors. The snow drifted through the cracks of the logs +and sometimes the children would wake up in the morning and find a +little drift of snow on top of the bed quilt.</p> + +<p>Though these Kentucky pioneers had hard times, they must have had a good +place to live in after all, for some of the most honored men of our +history, such as Andrew Jackson, Daniel Boone, David Crockett, Senator +Benton, Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln came from this pioneer country.</p> + +<p>The little boy, Thomas Lincoln, who was saved by his brother Mordecai, +was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky in 1778. He grew to be a man in +these wild surroundings. It was common to have a fight with the Indians +and many and many a time he shot deer and bears. The people did not have +much beef then but the meat was mostly wild turkeys, geese, prairie +chickens, quail, venison and bears' meat. Every boy learned to shoot +well and nearly always carried his gun with him even when he was working +in the field, for an Indian might steal up on him or some wild game pass +by. A large part of the clothing was made out of the skins of wild +animals.</p> + +<p>September 2d, 1806, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married; he was +twenty-eight years old and she was twenty-three. A Methodist minister, +Rev. Jesse Head, performed the ceremony.</p> + +<p>The preachers were called circuit riders then because they preached at +so many places and all the places were united into what was called a +circuit.</p> + +<p>This often included hundreds of miles and the preacher would only be at +one of the points once in several months. He rode on horseback and +carried his things in saddle bags hung across the horse's back.</p> + +<p>Thomas and Nancy settled on Rock</p> + +<p>Creek farm in Hardin county. Thomas built a new log cabin and fixed +things up. In this log cabin on the 12th of February, 1809, Abraham +Lincoln was born. He had a sister two years older and one young brother +who died while a little baby. Thomas Lincoln was a slow-moving man and +fond of jokes. He could not read until after he was married. This is not +so very strange for you must remember that at that time, in Kentucky, +there were very few schools. His wife taught him to read by spelling out +the words in the Bible.</p> + +<p>Nancy, Abraham's mother, was a very pretty woman. She was naturally +refined and was considered well educated and had a cultivated and strong +mind. Her son is supposed to have inherited his strong intellect from +his mother and his fondness for stories and jokes from his father.</p> + +<p>The mother taught her children to read and write and made them fond of +books so that her son Abraham became a hard student and thus laid the +foundation for his greatness. She was also a religious woman and trained +the children to love God and keep his commandments.</p> + +<p>Though Abraham grew up in very rough surroundings he did not learn to +think that his words were made more emphatic or his expressions stronger +by oaths. Abraham Lincoln never swore; he did not think it manly to take +God's name in vain. One time when he was clerking, a rowdy swore in the +store and in the presence of ladies. When they were gone Lincoln asked +the man to step outside. He then threw him down and rubbed smart-weed in +his eyes to punish him for his swearing, but as he was also kind-hearted +he got some water afterwards and helped wash the smart out.</p> + +<p>Kentucky has always been a great tobacco raising state and though little +Abe grew up to be quite a good-sized boy in that state he did not think, +as many boys foolishly do, that it is manly to use tobacco, for Abraham +Lincoln never used tobacco in any form.</p> + +<p>His mother taught him these good things and he learned to do what his +mother taught him and many years after she was dead and he had become a +great man he said, "All I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother." +These incidents seem all the more wonderful because there were but few +Sunday-schools then to teach such lessons and churches were so few +Abraham did not see one until he was twenty-one years old.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_II" id="CHAPTER_II"></a>CHAPTER II.</h2> + + +<p>The year Indiana was admitted into the Union, 1816, Thomas Lincoln moved +his family to Spencer county in the southern part of that state. Little +Abe was nearly eight years old at this time. It was a long, hard trip. +They said good bye to their old home and friends and with their goods on +a wagon drawn by oxen, slowly moved along. There were no such roads as +we have; often there was only a path through the woods and at other +times they had to cut down trees and tear away underbrush to get +through. They also had to ford some uncertain streams because there were +no bridges. They were ferried over the Ohio river.</p> + +<p>They settled in southern Indiana, near the town of Gentryville and built +a log cabin house which was called a half-faced camp because it was +enclosed on all sides but one. There was no floor other than the ground +and no door or window. Part of the land around it was cultivated, and on +this they raised corn and vegetables; but the most of it was woods. +Their neighbors were few and so far away even the smoke from their +chimneys could not be seen. At this time there were no steamers going up +the Ohio river to bring them news from Washington, to say nothing of +news from Europe, and as for railroads, there were none at all in this +western country, so that you can see it was very lonesome. They had no +such opportunities as we have. Abraham learned to use the ax and wedge +because with them most of the home was built. They did not even have +saws. For their clothing, they cut the wool from the sheep's back, and +mother would card, spin and weave it. They used needles from the pine +trees and buttons were made by sewing a bit of cloth on a piece of bone. +The one table they had in the one room, was made by cutting a rough slab +of wood, boring holes in the corners and making rough legs. The chairs +were made much the same way. They did not have any bed-steads; but made +a frame by putting holes in the logs of the house and fastening side +pieces to a pole driven down into the ground, then they covered it with +skin, dry leaves and some rough cloth. Little Abraham slept in the loft. +He had a corner there filled with dry leaves, to which he had to climb +by means of pegs driven into the logs. Their food was of the plainest +kind as far as bread went, corn dodger being the most common. Wheat +bread, which they called cake, they sometimes had for Sunday. Once in a +while they would have potatoes for a meal; but most of the time they had +fish and game, such as deer, bear, wild turkeys, ducks, etc., for all of +these were plentiful there. They did not have stoves as we have; but +used a large fireplace built of brick or stone in the side of the log +house. They had what was called a Dutch oven to do the baking. They did +not have the many cooking vessels we have now and hence did not have the +variety of food. They raised their own indigo with which they colored +the cloth they made. They also used sumac berries and white walnut bark +to color. They raised some cotton, which they would put near the +fireplace, to keep warm and make it sweat, and then card it, spin it and +finally color it. This would make what they called a pretty linsey dress +or suit. They had to make their own soap by taking the fat of hogs and +boiling it in a kettle with lye. Abraham's clothes were often made of +deerskin, and he wore a coonskin for a cap.</p> + +<p>One October day, a few of the friends of the Lincolns gathered around an +open grave under a large cypress tree, and they buried the mother of +Abraham Lincoln. They had lived but two years is that southern Indiana +home. When all the others had gone away, and the shades of night were +coming on, little Abraham threw himself on the new made grave and wept +hours, for the greatest sadness and loss that could come to him was the +death of his mother. Mother does more for us than any one else; when we +are helpless she cares for us, and waits on us, and teaches us and does +more for us than we can ever do for her. When a boy or girl loses his +mother, he loses the one who will always do the most for him. It was not +strange then that this little ten year old boy should feel so sad, when +he knew he never could have the kind care of his own mother again. There +were no preachers there who could perform the ceremony at the burial; +but Abraham wrote to an old preacher friend down in Kentucky, one of +those circuit riders I told you about, and many months later, he came +and preached the funeral sermon. The man's name was David Elkin. At this +time, all the friends from far and near came to hear the funeral sermon.</p> + +<p>Some time after his wife's death, Thomas Lincoln went back to Kentucky, +and there married a widow, Mrs. Sallie Johnson, who with her three +children, came to the log cabin home near Gentryville, where had been +left little Abraham and Sarah. Mrs. Johnson had a nice lot of household +furniture, and when she came, she brought it with her. There was a +bureau, table, set of chairs, clothes chest, knives and forks and +bedding. All of these seemed wonderfully nice to Abraham and Sarah, for +they did not have them before. Thomas Lincoln built a new log cabin +house that had four sides and a kind of door and window in it. They also +put a floor in the cabin made of slabs, and put plastering between the +cracks in the logs. A feather bed was made for the children to sleep on. +The step-mother was very good to them and took much interest in +Abraham's studies. They did not have many books at that time; but +Abraham was a great reader, and borrowed from all the neighbors. The +books he was most familiar with, were the Bible, Bunyan's Pilgrim's +Progress, Weems' Life of Washington and the poems of Robert Burns. He +did not have many books, and he read the ones he had over and over +again, and became very familiar with them. Edward Eggelston, the author +of the famous book "The Hoosier Schoolmaster," was one time confined by +a storm in a house where the only books they had were the Bible and a +dictionary. He said he learned more in those three days than in any +other three days of his life. There has been no statesman who quoted the +Bible so well as Mr. Lincoln, and the reason is, that he studied the +Bible thoroughly when a small boy. Hardly any of his speeches but have +many quotations from the Bible. His step-mother urged him all she could +to study. In reading the life of Washington, he came to think he might +make something out of himself. At this time, they were poor, and there +were few opportunities, and the chances for becoming a great and +prominent man seemed very small; yet young Abraham thought if he would +study hard, he might make something out of himself, and so he did. The +school was very small, and as he had to work a great deal of the time on +the farm, he could not attend it very much; but at night, he would +often, after working hard all day, lie in front of the fireplace and +figure on a piece of board. When he had used up all the space he scraped +it off, and figured again. He would also read books by this same light. +One night while reading the Life of Washington, lying in bed, he placed +the book in the crack between the logs and went to sleep. In the night, +it snowed, and some snow drifted between the logs on the book and +injured it a great deal. It was borrowed from one of the neighbors. +Abraham took it to the owner, and asked him what he could do to pay for +it, and the man said he could work three days on the farm, and Abraham +asked him if that would pay for the injury or pay for the book. The man +said, "Well Abraham, you may have the book, I do not want it." Perhaps +not many of us would be willing to work that hard to get the Life of +Washington; but it was that very hard work and liking to study that made +it possible for Mr. Lincoln to rise from such humble surroundings to be +the great man he was. If he had not worked hard and studied in that way, +he never could have become great. We cannot amount to much of anything +if we are not willing, as boys and girls, to study and work.</p> + +<p>He was always a good speller in school. They used to stand up in two +rows and spell down. When you failed on the word, you sat down and the +next one had a chance at it. A girl was trying to spell "definite," she +was afraid she would miss it and she became nervous, and was about to +spell it with a "y," when Abraham, who was standing across the room, put +his finger up to his eye, giving her a sign, and then she knew it was +"i" instead of "y." Abraham also made a habit of committing to memory +pieces out of the books he was reading, and thus it became possible in +after years for him to use fine quotations in his speeches. He was one +of the best scholars in school. He was also noted for keeping his +clothes clean longer than the others. Sometimes when Abraham was plowing +in the field, at the end of a long row, the horse was allowed to rest, +and he would then get his book from the corner of the fence and read a +little, until it was time to start again. His father did not want him to +do so much reading because he thought he was neglecting the necessary +work; but his step-mother persuaded his father that Abraham was a good +boy and ought to be allowed to read all he could, because it would make +a better man of him. A Mr. Jones, who kept a store in Gentryville took +about the only paper that was received there, and Abraham used to go +into the store regularly to borrow it. He would often read aloud to the +men who gathered there, and make comments. He was so bright in this that +there would always be a great crowd around to listen to him. Abraham was +a great story teller, and would give them many a hearty laugh with the +stories he could tell. Special subjects were also much discussed. About +this time, a few people began to claim that negro slavery was a bad +thing, and there was general discussion over it. Slavery was universally +common in the South. One question of debate was, which was the most to +be complained of, the Indian or the Negro. Soon Mr. Lincoln's habit of +making comments grew into speech making, and he sometimes gave sort of +stump speeches to the crowd in which he would recite passages that he +had committed from the speeches of some of the great orators. He used to +get up on the stump of an old tree to deliver these speeches. This is +why they were called stump speeches. His father did not like this +because it took his attention away from the farm work. Once in a while, +Abraham used to go to Booneville, the county seat to hear law suits. He +also wrote an essay on temperance, and a preacher thought it was so +good, he sent it to Ohio and it was published in a paper. He heard one +of the celebrated Breckenridges make a very fine speech in a law suit. +Although he was a rough country boy, when Mr. Breckenridge, after the +speech, came by where he sat, Lincoln told him the speech was fine; but +the great lawyer thought the young man too cheeky in speaking to him and +snubbed him. In after years when Mr. Lincoln was president, Mr. +Breckenridge called on him, and Mr. Lincoln reminded him of this +incident. In the spring of 1828 when he was nineteen, Mr. Gentry, +proprietor of the store at Gentryville, hired him to take a flat boat +loaded with bacon and farm produce to New Orleans. A son of Mr. Gentry's +was his companion. The boys had quite a time boating down the Ohio to +the Mississippi and then down the Mississippi to New Orleans. One night +when they had tied up the boat and were asleep, some negroes attacked +them and tried to steal their goods, but they successfully drove the +negroes away. At this time, there were a few steamers going up and down +the Mississippi and the boys came home by one of them. It was a +wonderful trip for these boys, Abraham was at this time, a remarkably +strong young man. He grew to be six feet four inches tall, and could +lift far more than any ordinary man, and could strike a heavier blow +with a maul and sink an ax deeper into the wood than almost any other +man. He got eight dollars a month and his board as pay for his hard trip +to New Orleans. He became a very good penman in school, and was known in +that neighborhood for his good writing. One of the copies in his +copy-book that was a favorite was:</p> + +<p>"Good boys who to their books apply, will all be great men bye and bye."</p> + +<p>His step-mother who was fond of him, said "Abraham was a good boy, and I +can say what scarcely a mother can say: Abraham never gave me a cross +word or look, and never refused in fact or appearance anything I +requested. I never gave him a cross word in all my life. His mind and +mine seemed to run together. Abraham was the best boy I ever saw or +expect to see."</p> + +<p>They used to teach politeness in school those days. One of the scholars +would go outside and knock at the door and another would admit him and +ask him to be seated, and the boy was to take off his hat and bow and be +as careful and polite as he could. Although Abraham was very tall and +awkward, he was said to be very gentlemanly in his manners, and the lady +for whom he worked, said he always lifted his hat when he bowed to her. +That was not common then. His sister Sarah, who was two years older than +himself, was married to Aaron Grigsby in 1828 and only lived a year and +a half after her marriage.</p> + +<p>After fourteen years of hard labor on the Spencer county soil, Thomas +Lincoln had learned what has proved ever since true, that it was very +poor farm land. In addition, the milk sickness was a sort of an epidemic +disease in those parts. It came about every year. It was from this that +Abe's mother died. These things, together with some word that he had +received, that Illinois had rich farm land, made him decide to move to +that state. A cousin had already moved there and gave splendid reports +of it. The company which moved to Illinois included Thomas Lincoln, his +wife and her three children, Abraham and some of the other relatives, +thirteen in all. They sold their land, cattle and grain in March, 1830 +and started on their trip. Their goods were packed in a big wagon, the +first one Thomas Lincoln ever owned. It was drawn by four oxen. The +people around Gentryville were very sorry to see them go, for the +neighbors in those days were almost like relatives, and those of them +that still live there, remember the leaving of the Lincoln's as quite an +event. The Lincoln family spent the last night with Mr. Gentry, the man +for whom Gentryville was named, and he went part of the way with them +along the road. One of the boys, James Gentry, planted a cedar tree in +memory of Abraham Lincoln on the ground where the Lincoln home had +stood. It must have been sad to Abraham to know he was leaving behind +him the graves of his mother and sister and the scene of so many +struggles to be a better man. As they drove through the country, +Abraham, who had some thirty dollars he had saved, purchased some things +and sold them as they came to settlements, and in this practical way +earned something along the trip.</p> + +<p>The things he sold were needles, pins, thread, buttons, knives and +forks, etc. Abraham wrote back to one of his friends that he doubled his +money on the way. This was Abraham's first effort as a merchant. They +were about two weeks on their trip. When they passed through Vincennes, +Indiana, they saw for the first time, a printing press. They landed in +Macon county, where John Hanks, their relative had already cut logs for +a new cabin. Many years afterward, when Decatur, the county seat, had +become a large city and Mr. Lincoln a great man, he walked out a few +feet in front of the court house with a friend, stood looking up at the +building and said, "Here is the exact spot where I stood by our wagon +when we moved from Indiana twenty-six years ago. This is not six feet +from the exact spot." The friend asked him if at that time he expected +to be a lawyer and practice law in that court house. He replied, "No, I +did not know I had sense enough to be a lawyer then."</p> + +<p>They fenced in with a rail fence, ten acres of ground, and raised a crop +of corn upon it. Mr. Lincoln and Dennis Hanks split the rails for the +fence, and many years afterwards, men carried some of them into a state +convention at Decatur, where Mr. Lincoln was nominated as the Illinois +candidate for president, with a banner, saying they were split by him, +and he was the "rail candidate."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_III" id="CHAPTER_III"></a>CHAPTER III.</h2> + + +<p>Thomas Lincoln was now well fixed to begin life over again, and as +Abraham was twenty-one, he wished to do for himself and started out. He +never afterwards was a member of his father's household. Thomas Lincoln +lived here a number of years; but afterwards moved to Coles county, +where he lived on a farm near the village of Farmington, that Abraham +bought for him. He died January 17th, 1851. Abraham at the time could +not be present on account of sickness in his own family, so he wrote as +follows: "I sincerely hope that father may recover his health. Tell him +to remember to call upon the great God and all-wise Maker, who will not +turn away from him in any extremity. He notes the fall of the sparrow, +He numbers the hairs of our heads, and will not forget the dying man who +puts his trust in Him. Say to him that if we could meet now it is +doubtful whether it would not be more painful than pleasant; but that if +it be His will for him to go now, he will soon have the joyous meeting +of the loved ones gone before, where the rest of us with the help of God +will hope ere long to join them." Talking to a friend after the death of +his father about his mother, he said "that whatever might be said of his +parents, however unpromising the surroundings of his mother may have +been, she was highly intellectual by nature and had a strong memory and +acute judgment." She had no doubt risen above her surroundings, and had +she lived, the stimulus of her nature would have accelerated the son's +success.</p> + +<p>When Abraham started out for himself, he had almost nothing, not even a +nice suit of clothes, and the very first work he did was to split four +hundred rails for enough money to buy him a pair of brown jeans pants. +He had no trade or influence; but he was strong and good natured. He +could out-lift and out-wrestle and out-work any man he came across. His +friends used to boast of his strength a great deal. One time when he was +president, a man came to him, who was shy on account of being before the +president. After his errand was done, Mr. Lincoln asked him to measure +with him, and the man proved to be even taller, and went away seeming to +think there was something wrong in his being taller than the president +of the United States. While his strength made him popular with the hard +working men, his good nature, wit, stories, and ability to make a good +speech made him popular with everybody! The people liked to have him +around, so he could always get work in the various kinds of labor +necessary on the farm about there. He remained in Macon county a year, +and made for one man alone, three thousand rails. He continued at this +time to read all the books he could get, and also to make stump +speeches, often doing it alone in the woods. A man came along making +political speeches. John Banks told Abraham that he could do better. +Abraham tried it, and the man after hearing his speech took him aside +and asked him how he learned so much and how he could do so well. +Abraham told him that he read a great deal and the man encouraged him to +continue.</p> + +<p>A Mr. Benton Offut wanted to send some produce to New Orleans. Abraham +had had some experience on a trip you will remember before, and so Mr. +Offut hired him at the rate of fifty cents a day to take a flat boat of +goods to New Orleans and sell them. When they were building this boat at +Sangamon, a town that is now gone, Lincoln used to tell stories +particularly in the evening when work was done. They would sit along a +log, and when they came to a funny part, they would laugh so hard that +the men would roll off the log. It is said they did this so often that +it polished the log. They called this "Abraham's log," and many years +afterward, even when Mr. Lincoln was noted, this log was pointed out to +strangers as "Abraham's log."</p> + +<p>When they started to New Orleans their boat got stuck on a dam in the +Sangamon River at New Salem, but Mr. Lincoln thought out a good plan for +getting it off and they finally reached New Orleans in May 1831. They +remained there a month. It was a large city and was very interesting to +Abraham. It was the great business center of the South, and as negro +slavery was a very prominent feature of the South, they saw it in all +its wickedness. At New Orleans one day, John Hanks and Abraham were +walking along the street and came to a slave market. They saw a +beautiful slave girl put up for sale. They pinched her and trotted her +up and down the street just as you would a horse to show its fine parts. +This disgusted Abraham so much that he turned to Hanks and said, "John, +if I ever get a chance to hit that thing (slavery) I will hit it hard." +Strange was it not that he should be the man that would hit it so hard +that it died.</p> + +<p>When he returned from New Orleans, Mr. Offut hired him to take charge of +a little store at New Salem, which he started. This town was a very +little village twenty miles north-west of Springfield. The place where +it was located is now simply a pasture for cattle and sheep, the town +having entirely passed away; but it will always be noted in history as +the place where Abraham Lincoln, the great man lived and conducted a +store. Thus you see that men are so much more important than places, and +it is <i>their deeds</i> that make history. In after years when Mr. Douglas +was debating with Mr. Lincoln he joked him about this store keeping, and +said that he sold liquor over the New Salem bar. When it came Mr. +Lincoln's turn to reply, he was just as witty in his reply and said that +if he did sell liquor over the New Salem bar as his friend had said, he +could assure his audience that the best patron he had was Stephen A. +Douglas. This was simply a joke between these two debaters; but it +illustrates how quick Mr. Lincoln's wit was.</p> + +<p>We all no doubt think ourselves honest; but I wonder if we are as +strictly honest as Mr. Lincoln was. After measuring out some tea for a +lady one evening in the store, he gave it to her. After attending to +other work in the store, he happened to pass by the scales and noticed +he had made a mistake and given her too little. He measured out the +difference, wrapped it up, and although the woman lived a long distance +away, he hastened off to bring her the difference. Perhaps the most of +us might have thought that we would wait until she came in again and +give it to her and perhaps then forget all about it; but that was not +Mr. Lincoln's way. One evening after discovering that he had taken six +and a fourth cents too much from a customer, he walked three miles and +returned the money at once. He also was postmaster, but the postoffice +was so small and did such a little business that the government closed +it up. They neglected, however, to get the balance due them of about +sixteen dollars. Many years afterwards when Mr. Lincoln was living in +Springfield, the agent for the government came to his office for the +money. In the meantime Mr. Lincoln had been through some very great +poverty, and often needed just a little money very much. I presume many +people would have borrowed that sixteen dollars for the time and +returned it when the agent came for it. A friend of Mr. Lincoln's called +him to one side when the agent came for the money, and said he knew he +was poor, and probably did not have that amount with him, and he would +loan it to him; but Mr. Lincoln said he did not need it, and asking the +agent to wait awhile, he went over to his room and got an old sock out +of his trunk and bringing this back to the office, untied it and dumped +on the table the exact money he had received as the postmaster many +years before. Here is a good lesson for us in strict and exact honesty. +This instance illustrates Mr. Lincoln's very strict honesty, and as he +became known about New Salem, and this characteristic was seen by the +people, he was nicknamed "Honest Abe," and this name for honesty went +with him ever afterward, and when he would speak to the jury in a law +suit, and tell them the facts, they would always believe him because he +was known as "Honest Abe," and would not tell a lie. So you see that it +was a very great advantage to him in after years to have been so +strictly honest. It proves the old saying true, that "Honesty is the +best policy."</p> + +<p>Mr. Offut, Abraham's employer was very proud of his strength and was +wont to boast of it very often. There was a settlement near New Salem +called Clary's Grove. A large number of young men who lived in that +vicinity ran together and were known as the Clary's Grove boys. They +were large and strong young men, and very much given to fun and sport. +They were rude and rough and would wrestle, fight and do a great many +tricks. Abraham, being a stranger bragged on by his employer they +thought it was necessary to "take the starch out of him," so they put up +their best man, Jack Armstrong to wrestle against Abraham. Jack +Armstrong was a square built fellow and strong as an ox. Abraham did not +like this sort of thing, but it was hard to avoid it. So they met on a +certain day for the wrestling match. The crowd came to witness the +contest. For a long time they struggled without either gaining a +victory, and both keeping on their feet. Finally Armstrong made a foul +and this made Abraham furious, so he caught Jack by the throat, held him +out at arm's length and shook him as though he was only a child. +Armstrong's friends rushed to his aid, but Abraham backed up to the +building and stood ready. His friends came to his support, and when all +knew about Armstrong's trick and also recognized Abraham's wonderful +strength, they became admirers of him, and ever after the Clary's Grove +boys were staunch friends of Mr. Lincoln.</p> + +<p>He used the influence thus acquired to teach them that the mind is the +measure of the man, and not physical strength and by his example taught +them that to cultivate the mind by reading and study was the more +important thing and he did them a great deal of good.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_IV" id="CHAPTER_IV"></a>CHAPTER IV.</h2> + + +<p>While Abraham clerked in Mr. Offut's store he studied hard. Some one +told him he ought to study grammar. In all the neighborhood there was +but one grammar. He heard where it was, and started off at once, and got +Kirkham's grammar. He applied himself to learning it, and would recite +to his friend, Green, and then would consult the school teacher, Mr. +Graham about points. In a few weeks he had learned it, and then took up +other studies. The men thereabouts, seeing him study so much, got the +idea that he was going to be a great man.</p> + +<p>One morning in April, 1832, a messenger from the governor came into New +Salem, scattering circulars asking for volunteers for the Black Hawk +war. Black Hawk was one of the Indian chiefs who had caused the +government a great deal of trouble.</p> + +<p>He made an attack on the settlers. The governor called for help, and +volunteers. Mr. Lincoln with a number of the Clary's Grove boys and +others about New Salem volunteered and went down to Beardstown on the +22nd of April, 1832 to form a regiment. They did not have regular +uniform, but each was dressed in whatever clothing he had. Many of them +wore buckskin breeches and coonskin caps. Each man had his own blanket, +and carried flint lock rifles, with a powder horn slung over his +shoulder. Mr. Kirkpatrick wanted to be captain, and Lincoln thought he +would like to be. This same Mr. Kirkpatrick had owed Abraham some money +for a long time and would not pay it; so Lincoln said to a friend, he +would run for the place, and may be Kirkpatrick would pay him. Each one +stood out, and the men were told to stand beside the man they preferred +for captain, and about two-thirds of them stood beside Lincoln, and thus +he was made captain. He said afterwards when he was president, that he +was never so proud of any election as that. They were not very well +trained soldiers, and Mr. Lincoln did not know the commands very well. +One day he wanted to get his company through a gateway, and he said, "I +could not for the life of me remember the word of command for getting my +company endwise so that it would get through the gate. So as we came +near the gate, I shouted, this company will disband for two minutes, +then it will fall in again on the other side of the gate."</p> + +<p>A helpless Indian came to the camp one day and seven men wanted to kill +him, but Captain Lincoln stood in front of the seven men and told them +they should not hurt the helpless savage. The warfare was not very +successful and the company mustered out in May; but in the latter end of +the same month, Lincoln joined another company. A strange incident then +occurred, the meeting of four men, who afterwards became very +celebrated. It was on the Rock River near Dixon. There were together, +Colonel Zachary Taylor, afterwards commander in general and president of +the United States; Abraham Lincoln, afterwards president of the United +States; Lieut. Anderson, afterwards commander of Ft. Sumter when it was +fired upon and Lieut. Davis, afterwards president of the Southern +Confederacy. On July 10th, Lincoln's company mustered out. It was three +weeks before the last battle of the war which finally killed most of the +Indians and scattered the rest.</p> + +<p>He returned to New Salem, ran for a member of the legislature. There +were eight candidates. He issued a circular in favor of widening the +Sangamon River and made a canvass of the district, going largely to +public sales and shaking hands with the people, and making speeches. At +one place he helped settle a fight and then got upon the platform and +went on with his speech. Lincoln was beaten in the election, although he +was third man in the number of votes of the eight candidates. This was +the only time that Abraham was ever defeated in a direct vote of the +people.</p> + +<p>After the election, he bought an interest with a man named Berry in a +store. At the same time Lincoln began to study law. The law books were +not very numerous. One day a man going past drove up to the store, and +wanted him to buy a barrel of rubbish for which he had no room in his +wagon. Lincoln paid half a dollar for it. Sometime afterwards in looking +over the stuff, he found a complete edition of Blackstone's law +commentary. "The more I read," said he, "the more interested I became. +Never in my life was my mind so thoroughly possessed. I read until I +devoured it." These books are quite a large set of books and it must +have required a good deal of work to have learned them.</p> + +<p>Lincoln was postmaster. The rates of postage then, were much higher than +they are now. For instance, a single sheet letter carried thirty miles +or under eighty was ten cents, four hundred miles, eighteen and one-half +cents, and over that twenty-five cents. As Mr. Lincoln studied so hard, +and his partner Berry did not attend to the business very well, the +store was not prosperous. They gave it up and sold out. Lincoln then +studied surveying, and became a surveyor. He also began to practice a +little law, and when anybody had a law suit about New Salem, he was +frequently employed. It is said that when he first took up surveying, he +was too poor to buy him a chain, and had to use a grape vine. Between +the surveying and a little law practice, Lincoln made his living; but it +was not until fifteen years afterwards that he was able to settle all +the debts made by the store of Berry & Lincoln.</p> + +<p>The summer of 1834 he again ran for the legislature and was elected. The +capital at this time was located at Vandalia instead of Springfield. +They only had rough tables and benches for the legislators, and they did +not receive as much pay as they do now. They wore the same kind of +suits, buckskin trousers and coonskin caps as the soldiers of the Black +Hawk war. At the time Mr. Lincoln was a member of the legislature it was +very unpopular to be an abolitionist. The legislature passed a +resolution condemning the abolitionists because they stirred up the +people by agitating the freedom of slaves. Mr. Lincoln and one other man +signed a protest against the resolution, and were the only members of +the Illinois legislature at this time who were willing to stand up for +the freedom of the slaves.</p> + +<p>Mr. Lincoln continued to study law quite hard while he was a member of +the legislature. He had four terms, and met some men there as +fellow-members who afterwards became very prominent men.</p> + +<p>It was about one hundred miles from New Salem to Vandalia, the capital +of the state, where the legislature met. There were few railroads at +that time and in addition Abraham Lincoln was very poor, so he walked to +and from Vandalia. He was quite a big man and of course had big feet. +They tell a funny story of one time he and a companion were walking home +from Vandalia. It was cold weather and Mr. Lincoln complained of being +very cold. His companion said: "Well, Abe, I don't see how you can help +it when there is so much of you on the ground."</p> + +<p>Mr. Lincoln was eight years a member of the state legislature and was +one of the most active members in securing the change of the capital +from Vandalia to Springfield, where it now is. Stephen A. Douglas was +also a member of the legislature. There is another funny story I might +tell you of Mr. Lincoln's peculiarity of appearance. Mr. Lovejoy, who +was a congressman from Princeton, Illinois, and a great abolitionist was +talking with Mr. Douglas one day in Washington when Mr. Lincoln was +passing by. They called over Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Lovejoy said: "Abe, I +have been telling Judge Douglas that his legs are too short (Mr. Douglas +was a very short, heavy-set man), and yours are too long; what do you +think about it?" Mr. Lincoln replied, "Well, I never gave the matter +much thought but I have always been of the opinion that a man's legs +ought to be long enough to reach from his body to the ground." In March, +1837, he was licensed to practice law, and concluded to move from New +Salem to Springfield. A pathetic incident is related of his moving. He +had very little goods, so borrowed a horse and put most of them into a +pair of saddle-bags, rode up to Springfield and went into the store of +his friend Speed and asked him how much it would cost to buy a bedroom +set of furniture. Mr. Speed figured it up. About the cheapest would be +seventeen dollars. A sad look came over Abraham's face, and he said, +"Well Speed, I suppose that is cheap enough, but cheap as it is, I have +not the money to pay for it." "Well," said Speed, "I tell you, Abraham, +I have a big double bed up stairs, and if you want to occupy half of it +with me, you are welcome." Mr. Lincoln grabbed his saddle-bags and went +up stairs. In another minute he was down, with a smile on his face. +"Well Speed, I moved," and he never moved again but once, and that was +when he moved as president of the United States from Springfield to +Washington. A strange comparison.</p> + +<p>I must tell you a little story that happened to Mr. Lincoln at New +Salem, before he moved to Springfield. One of the prominent families +there was that of James Rutledge. They had a very pretty and sweet +daughter named Anne. She was gentle, kind and good, and everyone loved +her. She was also bright intellectually as a student, and a good many +young men about there tried to court her. Although Mr. Lincoln was a +very homely man, he had studied and developed his mind so much, and had +so much information that he really was handsome.</p> + +<p>It proves that what we know, not how we look is the important thing, and +so he was the one favored by Anne Rutledge. They became quite in love +with each other and were engaged.</p> + +<p>While Mr. Lincoln was away, Anne was taken sick and continued to get +worse. When he returned he found her past recovery. She died August +25th, 1835. Mr. Lincoln was wonderfully overcome with grief, and said to +a friend who tried to cheer him, and urge him to control his sorrow, "I +cannot. The thought of snow and rain on her grave fills me with +indescribable grief," and it was a long time before he could shake off +the melancholy and sadness of her death so as to apply himself to his +regular duties. He was wont to go off to her grave, and said, "My heart +is buried there." In years after, he said, "I really and truly loved the +girl, and think often of her now, and I have always loved the name of +Rutledge to this day."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="CHAPTER_V" id="CHAPTER_V"></a>CHAPTER V.</h2> + + +<p>After settling in Springfield, Mr. Lincoln formed a law partnership with +Mr. John T. Stewart, who was known as one of the leading lawyers in +Springfield. They were quite successful. At that time it was customary +for the lawyers to go around with the judge from one county-seat to +another where court was held in the district. Judge David Davis was +Circuit Judge at this time, and there were a number of men in the group +that went around Central Illinois together, who afterward became famous +men. Mr. Lincoln was one of the most popular in the crowd, for he was a +splendid story-teller, and would keep the crowd amused for hours with +funny stories after court was over for the day. One time the son of Jack +Armstrong, whom Abraham had thrown in the wrestling match at New Salem, +was accused of committing a murder. His mother was poor and Jack +Armstrong was dead. She came to Mr. Lincoln and told him she had no +money, but wished very much he could help her and defend her son. He did +so. A man at the trial swore he saw by the moonlight this young +Armstrong strike the man who was killed. Mr. Lincoln got the almanac and +proved by it that there was no moon shining at that time. Then when he +told the jury with tears in his eyes how the poor old mother was down in +the pasture waiting with a sad heart for the verdict and that he +believed the young man was innocent, they all believed him, for they +knew him as "Honest Abe Lincoln," so they cleared young Armstrong and +sent him to support his poor old mother. Mr. Lincoln used to win very +many cases, for the juries all believed him. You remember he was so +honest in the little New Salem store that he got the name of "Honest Abe +Lincoln." Thus it was proved in his case very clearly that "honesty is +the best policy." He never made much money, although he was so +successful, because he was low in his charges and he was never a rich +man. He tried many cases for poor people without charging them anything. +One day as the lawyers were riding their horses along the road, some one +said: "Where is Abe?" and another lawyer spoke up and said: "I left him +back there hunting the nest for some birds that had lost it." You see by +this how kind-hearted he was even towards birds and animals.</p> + +<p>They used to have debating societies in Springfield and Abraham was fond +of taking part. The practice he got in this way helped make him a fine +speaker. The Washingtonian society was a strong temperance organization +at that time. At one of its meetings, February 22, 1842, Mr. Lincoln +spoke and said what has often been quoted since: "When the victory shall +be complete, when there shall be neither a slave nor a drunkard on the +earth, how proud the title of that land which may claim to be the +birth-place and cradle of those resolutions that shall have ended in +victory."</p> + +<p>You see by this, that as far back as 1842 Mr. Lincoln was a strong +temperance man as well as opposer of slavery. When the committee came to +notify him of his nomination for president, instead of treating them to +wine, as was the custom, Mr. Lincoln gave them water and remarked that +he would continue his habit of using and giving his guests "Adam's Ale," +or pure water. Mr. Lincoln ran for congress against the famous Illinois +pioneer preacher, Peter Cartwright. Mr. Cartwright was a very noted and +popular man and it is therefore all the more to the credit of Mr. +Lincoln that he was elected. He was only two years in congress and was +not able in that length of time to make much of a record, as new men do +not get heard very easily.</p> + +<p>A beautiful young lady, Miss Mary Todd, came from Kentucky to live with +her sister, Mrs. Edwards, in Springfield. The Edwards family was very +prominent for the father had been governor of Illinois. Miss Todd was +one of the popular belles in Springfield and was courted by many of the +leading young men. Mr. Lincoln was the successful suitor, however, and +they were married November 4, 1842. They had three boys. Only one of +them is living now; the Honorable Robert Lincoln, a lawyer in Chicago +and former American minister to Great Britain. The other boys died while +little fellows.</p> + +<p>Two young men who became very famous in the history of our country +really started their careers at Springfield, Illinois. One was Stephen +A. Douglas and the other Abraham Lincoln. It would be hard to say which +of these young men was the smarter; they were both brilliant and hard +workers. That is, they studied hard and that made them successful. +Although they were both great men, they were not much alike in +appearance or in disposition or in the quality of their minds.</p> + +<p>Mr. Lincoln came from the South where they liked slavery and Mr. Douglas +from Vermont where they hated slavery. They both came to Illinois at +about the age of twenty-one, when they became citizens according to the +law.</p> + +<p>At this time Illinois was a sort of debating battle-ground. Emigrants +came to it from the north and east, who were opposed to slavery; others +came from the south, who were in favor of slavery, and these two +classes, in the absence of slavery and on rather mutual ground, debated +the rights and wrongs of slavery with constant and energetic debate.</p> + +<p>The Democratic party at this time was mostly in the South and the Whig +party mostly in the North. Slavery was in the South, but not in the +North. Naturally, therefore, the Democratic party favored slavery, and +the Whig party, while it did not oppose slavery, yet did not favor it. +You would think, under the circumstances, that Mr. Lincoln coming from +the South, would have been a Democrat, and Mr. Douglas coming from the +North would have been a Whig. But they each did the opposite. The +Democratic party was in the majority in Illinois at this time and I +presume Mr. Douglas, coming to the state, ambitious to succeed, thought +he could best succeed if he went in with the popular party, for it had +control of the offices and could give him a place and then advance him +higher and higher as he proved his worth. After events proved that he +was thus advanced and to very great honors.</p> + +<p>When Mr. Lincoln was making a speech at Charleston, Illinois, one time, +a man in the audience tried to ridicule him, and shouted out: "Say, +Lincoln, when you came to Illinois, didn't you come barefoot and driving +a yoke of oxen?"</p> + +<p>Showing how coming poor from a slave state, he was helped to be what he +was, by the free state of Illinois. Mr. Lincoln wound up the reply with +these magnificent words:</p> + +<p>"Yes, and we will speak for freedom and against slavery as long as the +constitution of our country guarantees free speech, until everywhere on +this wide land, the sun shall shine and the rain fall and the wind blow +upon no man who goes forth to unrequited toil."</p> + +<p>Thus you see Mr. Lincoln was opposed to slavery, and though he was as +ambitious as Mr. Douglas and would have been glad to be on the +successful and winning side so he could be advanced, he was nevertheless +so strictly honest that he would not join the popular party because it +endorsed slavery, and he was so determined to be strictly honest in his +politics as well as everything else that he was willing to apparently +throw away his chances of success and join the unpopular party because +it did not endorse slavery, which he thought a wicked institution.</p> + +<p>So these two young men started out. One went into the popular and +successful party and succeeded with it. The other went into the +unpopular and unsuccessful party and failed with it, yet did not fail, +because he kept his principles. Mr. Douglas went on higher and higher in +honors and fame and was United States senator a number of years. In the +senate he ranked as one of the greatest statesmen of the day.</p> + +<p>Mr. Lincoln was only a well-to-do lawyer, unknown out of Central +Illinois. Twenty years after their start he thus wrote of it:</p> + +<p>"Twenty years ago Douglas and I first became acquainted. We were both +young then. Even then we were both ambitious. I, perhaps quite as much +as he. With me the race of ambition has been a failure—a flat failure. +With him it has been one of splendid success. His name fills the nation +and is not unknown even in foreign lands. I affect no contempt for the +high eminence he has reached. So reached, that the oppressed of my +species might have shared with me in the elevation, I would rather stand +on that eminence than wear the richest crown that ever pressed a +monarch's brow."</p> + +<p>By this you see he appreciated Mr. Douglas' honors, but would not accept +them himself if to do so, he had to endorse slavery.</p> + +<p>In 1858 Mr. Douglas was generally recognized as the ablest man in the +Democratic party, and it was thought that two years later, he would be +the Democratic nominee for president, and as the Democrats were in the +majority he would certainly be the next president of the United States. +Mr. Lincoln was not known much outside of Central Illinois, where he +practiced law.</p> + +<p>One of the political doctrines of Mr. Douglas was called "Squatter +Sovereignty." It meant that in the new territories and states being +added to the Union, that if they wanted slavery there, the people could +vote to have it or they could vote not to have it. Mr. Lincoln was +opposed to this, and wanted no more slave states added to the Union. He +challenged Mr. Douglas, as the representative of Illinois in the United +States senate to a joint debate. Mr. Douglas finally agreed, and they +held seven wonderful debates in different parts of the state. Great +crowds came from far and near to hear them. They were drawn by the fame +of Mr. Douglas, who rode on special trains and had bands of music, and +cannons fired off when he entered the town. Mr. Lincoln often rode in +the caboose of a freight train or was hauled over-land in the wagon of +some farmer friend. The people, when they had heard these debates, went +home and talked them over, and it was seen that two wonderful men had +met in the political battlefield. Mr. Douglas seemed just as able as Mr. +Lincoln, and they said so; but they saw Mr. Lincoln was right, and +standing by a principle, while Douglas was wrong, and compromising with +a principle. Mr. Douglas did receive the Democratic nomination for +president although his party split.</p> + +<p>These debates and Mr. Lincoln's right stand made him suddenly famous. +His fame spread rapidly over the whole country east and west. He was +asked to go and speak in New York city in Cooper Institute, and +delivered a wonderful address there and at other places in the East. He +came to Bloomington, Illinois and delivered a speech in which he said: +"As long as Almighty God reigns and the school children read, this foul, +black lie of African slavery shall not continue; it shall not remain +half slave and half free." Mr. Seward, of New York, a great statesman, +who was the author of the famous "irrepressible conflict" expression was +thought to be the man who would be nominated for president by the +Republican party which had taken the place of the Whig party and was +standing stronger against slavery. There were several others, like Mr. +Chase, of Ohio, and Mr. Stanton, who it was thought might also receive +the nomination. Some were advocating Mr. Lincoln for vice president; but +he said he would not have that. The Illinois state convention met at +Decatur, and in the midst of it, some men came in carrying a banner +supported by two fence rails on which was this: "Abraham Lincoln, the +rail candidate for president in 1860. Two rails from a lot of three +thousand made in 1830 by Thomas Hanks and Abraham Lincoln, whose father +was the first pioneer of Macon county." This created a wonderful +excitement, and the vote of Illinois became in favor of Lincoln as the +nominee for president.</p> + +<p>A large, rough building was erected in Chicago, called the Wigwam, in +which the Republican convention was held. Large delegations with bands +of music came on special trains from all over the country. The +excitement was great. Illinois sent thousands to shout for Mr. Lincoln. +The hotels were packed with noisy people. Banners and mottes in +profusion floated from the business houses and public buildings. But a +small part of the crowd could get into the Wigwam, although it held +several thousand. Mr. Seward, of New York, the author of "the +irrepressible conflict" was the most popular and most noted of the +candidates and it was thought he would receive the nomination. The +Illinois men and Mr. Lincoln's friends started to work for Mr. Lincoln's +nomination. They worked day and night, scarcely eating or sleeping. The +first ballot showed Mr. Seward to be considerably ahead but not enough +to win. Then breaking began on the following ballots from the smaller +candidates to Mr. Lincoln, and he received a majority of the votes and +was nominated as the Republican candidate for president May 16, 1860. A +man was on top of the Wigwam; as soon as the result of the last ballot +was announced he shouted to a man on the edge of the building, "Fire the +salute, Lincoln is nominated." He passed it on to others. Soon the bells +began to ring, cannon were fired and the people on the streets were wild +with enthusiasm.</p> + +<p>Mr. Douglas received the Democratic nomination, but that party split and +Mr. Breckenridge was nominated by a few. There was now the direct +conflict between the extension and non-extension of slavery. Mr. Lincoln +became very much worked up on the slavery question, and talking to Dr. +Bateman, whose room, as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was +next his in the capital at Springfield, he said:</p> + +<p>"I know there is a God, and he hates injustice and slavery. I see the +storm coming. I know that His hand is in it. If He has a place for me +and work for me and I think He has—I believe I am ready. I am nothing, +but truth is everything. I know I am right because I know that liberty +is right, for Christ teaches it and Christ is God. I have told them that +a house divided against itself cannot stand, and Christ and reason say +the same and they will find it so. Douglas don't care whether slavery is +voted up or down, but God cares and humanity cares and I care; and with +God's help I shall not fail. I may not see the end, but it will come and +I shall be vindicated and these men will find that they have not read +their Bible right."</p> + +<p>The election came off in November, and Mr. Lincoln found the people had +read their Bibles' right on slavery and elected him by a tremendous +majority.</p> + +<p>March 4, 1861, Mr. Lincoln stood at the Capitol building to deliver his +inaugural address as president of the United States. He did not see a +place to put his hat and Mr. Douglas reached forward, took it and held +it while Mr. Lincoln spoke.</p> + +<p>Now you see the outcome of these two men. One compromised with this +great principle, and, after thus holding the hat of his successful +rival, who would not compromise with the principle, went out and died a +few months afterward with a broken heart for his lost ambition. Before +he died, however, Mr. Douglas became an outspoken defender of the Union +and opposed to the war of the rebellion. On the other hand, Mr. Lincoln, +true to this principle suffered defeat for many years, but in the end +won the greatest honor and became the greatest president of our nation. +It pays to be true to principle, no matter how unpopular it may be and +though seeming defeat of our ambitions stare us in the face. "This above +all things, to thine own self be true," was the wise advice of Polonius +to his son in Shakespeare's play of Hamlet.</p> + +<p>The preceding president had been favorable to the South and slavery and +many of their men were in command of the military posts and other +important parts. The navy was scattered to distant ports and large +quantities of arms and ammunition were stored in the Southern forts. The +election of Mr. Lincoln seemed to anger the Southern men beyond +endurance and there were loud threats of secession. When he delivered +his inaugural address he saw many scowling, angry faces in front of him. +In great kindness he appealed to them and his last thought was very +beautiful when he said:</p> + +<p>"In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, are +the momentous issues of civil war.</p> + +<p>"You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government. While +I have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it.</p> + +<p>"We are not enemies, but friends. Though passion may have strained, it +must not break our bonds of affection.</p> + +<p>"The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and +patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad +land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as +surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."</p> + +<p>It was all in vain and South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, +Georgia, Louisiana and Texas in turn led off in secession. They met at +Montgomery, Alabama and formed the "Confederate States of America," with +Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi as president and Alexander H. Stephens +of Georgia as vice-president. Arsenals, custom-houses, forts and ships +of the United States were seized. Fort Sumter was fired upon by Gen. +Beauregard April 14, 1861, and the great Civil war, the greatest in +history, began.</p> + +<p>This was the hardest place a president of the United States was ever in. +There was but a small army, and as I said the navy was scattered. +President Lincoln at once called for volunteer troops. The attack on +Fort Sumter so aroused the North that men rapidly left their families +and homes, that which one most loves, and rushed to enlist as volunteer +soldiers. They had a song in which were these words:</p> + +<p>"We are coming Father Abraham, Three hundred thousand strong."</p> + +<p>Thus they called the great president "Father Abraham" and showed how +much they loved him.</p> + +<p>Gen. George B. McClellan was put in command of the army. The first +battle of any note was that of Bull Run, near Washington. In this the +Northern soldiers were driven back and beaten. It seemed very +discouraging then for the cause of the Union.</p> + +<p>More soldiers enlisted and the army was trained and drilled until Mr. +Lincoln thought they ought to attack Gen. Lee, who commanded the +Confederate army. He felt sure as they had more men they could defeat +him and capture Richmond, which was now the capital of the Confederate +States. General McClellan seemed to be afraid to move forward and wanted +more time to drill the men he had and make other preparations and also +wanted more men. In the meantime, of course Gen. Lee was making stronger +his army and preparing more defences around Richmond so that it was +harder to defeat him.</p> + +<p>The army in the West was not doing very well either. But at last +Illinois furnished another son in the person of General Grant, who won +great and decisive victories. Vicksburg, which was the great stronghold +of the Southern army in the West surrendered to him July 4, 1863. +President Lincoln had been trying in every way to get General McClellan +to move on the enemy but could not, and at last the general was moved +from command. General Meade had command of the Eastern army which fought +the battle of Gettysburg and won that great victory on the same Fourth +of July that General Grant captured Vicksburg.</p> + +<p>The battle of Gettysburg is said to have been about the greatest in +history; 23,000 soldiers were killed. Now there was great rejoicing in +the North. In these early years of the war, President Lincoln was placed +in a very hard position. The abolitionists abused him because he did not +issue the emancipation proclamation, freeing the slaves; the Middle +states, that had not seceded, threatened to do so if he did. Some of his +own Cabinet were not true to him. The people cried out because General +McClellan would not move forward, and Mr. Lincoln tried in vain to get +him to do so. Therefore these great victories of Vicksburg and +Gettysburg came to him as a wonderful blessing and relief from the awful +strain he had been enduring. General Grant had won some other grand +victories preceding the capture of Vicksburg, and the Union, as the old +ship of state, seemed to be sailing into more peaceful waters.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"Sail on, O ship of state,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Sail on, O Union, strong and great;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Humanity with all its fears,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">With all its hopes of future years,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Is hanging breathless on thy fate.<br /></span> +<span class="i0">In spite of rock and tempest roar,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">In spite of false lights on the shore;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers are all with thee."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>General Grant was given command of the Eastern army, and pushing the +enemy hard, victory after victory came to the North. Gen. Sherman +marched his army right through the middle of the enemy, dividing it into +two parts. He captured Atlanta and then went on to the sea. The song, +"Marching through Georgia," was written over this wonderful march. There +were more victories in the South and West. General Grant was made +commander-in-chief of the armies, and it soon became clear that the +cause of secession was lost.</p> + +<p>Mr. Lincoln had written an emancipation proclamation and was working it +over, thinking and consulting about it. He did not know just when was +the best time to issue so momentous a document, that would set free four +million of colored men in the degradation and bondage of human slavery. +Mr. Seward was Secretary of State and a very wise man; he gave him some +good advice about it. Mr. Carpenter quotes Mr. Lincoln's words as +follows:</p> + +<p>"I put the draft of the proclamation aside, waiting for a victory. Well, +the next news we had was of Pope's disaster at Bull Run. Things looked +darker than ever. Finally came the week of the battle of Antietam. I +determined to wait no longer. The news came, I think on Wednesday, that +the advantage was on our side. I was then staying at the Soldiers' Home. +Here I finished writing the second draft of the proclamation; came up on +Saturday; called the Cabinet together to hear it, and it was published +the following Monday. I made a solemn vow before God, that if General +Lee was driven back from Maryland I would crown the result by the +declaration of freedom to the slaves."</p> + +<p>The Emancipation Proclamation is certainly the greatest thing in the +nineteenth century.</p> + +<p>The Confederate army continued to grow weaker. They were short of food +and rest. General Grant's army gave them no rest but pushed after them +day and night. They made one more gallant and brave attack on the Union +forces, but in vain, and April 9, 1865, Gen. Lee surrendered +unconditionally to Gen. Grant at Appomatox Court House, Va. At the +instance of President Lincoln, Gen. Lee's soldiers were allowed to ride +home their horses, and, no longer rebel soldiers, but American citizens, +begin to plow the ground with their horses, to till the soil and make a +living for themselves and families. To-day there are none that rejoice +more than the men of the South that African slavery is forever +abolished.</p> + +<p>In 1864 Mr. Lincoln was again elected president by a very large majority +over Gen. McClellan, the Democratic nominee. At his second inaugural he +uttered some very fine things. Some of them are as follows:</p> + +<p>"Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration it has +already obtained. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and +each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men +should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from +the sweat of other men's faces. But let us judge not that we be not +judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. * * * The Almighty +had his own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses, for it +must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the +offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of +these offenses, which in the providence of God must needs come * * * and +he gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to +those by whom the offense came, shall we discern there any departure +from those divine attributes, which the believers in a living God always +ascribe to him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this +mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet if God wills that it +continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and +fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of +blood drawn by the lash shall be paid by another drawn by the sword, as +was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said that 'the +judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'"</p> + +<p>Saturday, April 8, 1865, was a glad day throughout the North. Men met +each other early on that day and shook hands with smiling faces. Many +shouted and threw their hats in the air. Great bonfires were kindled and +bands came out and played happy airs. Flags floated everywhere. That +morning word came on the telegraph wires that Richmond had been +captured. Lee had surrendered and the war was over.</p> + +<p>Just one week later men met each other on the street with tears in their +eyes; signs of mourning were seen everywhere, and the bands played sad +tunes. Word came on the telegraph wire that morning that the beloved +president was dead; killed by an assassin's bullet.</p> + +<p>Mr. Lincoln and his wife were out riding around Washington, and he said, +"Mary, we have had a stormy life in Washington, and after this term of +office is over, we will go back to Springfield and live a quiet life." +But God had willed otherwise. That evening while he was resting from his +hard labors and duties as president by attending Ford's theater, John +Wilkes Booth, a wild fanatic, who had been a southern rebel, stole upon +him from the rear and shot him in the back of the head, then jumped to +the stage, and shouted, "Sic semper tyrannis." Booth then leaped out of +the window. Although his leg had been broken by the first jump, he got +on a horse and rode day and night until he got into Virginia, and there +hid in a barn. When they tried to capture him, he would not come out of +the barn, so they set the barn on fire, and when he came out they shot +him. Several others who were in this plot were hung. They carried +President Lincoln to the house across the street, where, as the dawn of +day came, his soul departed to its everlasting rest in Heaven.</p> + +<p>There probably has never been a death more sudden and unexpected and +terrible in the history of the nations. Not only in this country did men +everywhere cease their work as people do when a relative dies; but even +in the countries of Europe they did so. All organizations passed +resolutions of sympathy and the governments universally expressed +theirs. It was a world-wide calamity.</p> + +<p>He had gone through the four years of a terrible civil war unharmed, and +now, when he had saved his country, conquered the enemy, and made him a +friend again, and beautiful peace had come everywhere, to think his life +should be taken by a cruel murderer, seemed more than men could bear. +Every family mourned as though one of its own number had died suddenly.</p> + +<p>The Washington funeral took place at the White House, Wednesday, April +19. The body was then taken to the rotunda of the capitol and covered +with flowers. It lay in state until Friday, April 21. Thousands of +people came to look at the calm, sad face that so many had looked at for +hope through the long years of the awful war. It was now cold in death, +but had a peaceful, natural look.</p> + +<p>A great funeral train was formed that moved slowly across the country, +going back along the route he came as the new president in 1861. It was +over a week on the journey, as at many of the cities and towns it had to +be stopped, so memorial exercises might be held and the people get a +chance to see for the last time, the face of the martyr president. More +than a million people, no doubt, thus looked on the dead face of +President Lincoln.</p> + +<p>They reached Springfield May 3 and there the greatest funeral ceremony +took place and he was buried in Oakwood cemetery. Bishop Simpson +preached the funeral sermon. In the beautiful tomb and under the +magnificent monument since erected, Abraham Lincoln, his wife and two +sons now sleep, awaiting the great resurrection day.</p> + +<p>The nations of the world passed so many tributes in his honor that they +were bound into a book of nearly a thousand pages.</p> + +<p>As Mr. Lincoln was returning from Richmond on the steamer, the last +Sunday of his life, he read aloud to some friends this seeming tribute +for himself, from Shakespeare:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i2">"Duncan is in his grave;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">After life's fitful fever he sleeps well;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Can touch him further."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>The other passage might have been well added:</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i4">"This Duncan<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been<br /></span> +<span class="i0">So clear in his great office, that his virtues<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against<br /></span> +<span class="i0">The deep damnation of his taking off."<br /></span> +</div></div> + +<p>May we be able to imitate the virtues of Abraham Lincoln.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i2">"Lives of great men all remind us<br /></span> +<span class="i0">We can make our lives sublime<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And departing leave behind us<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Footprints on the sands of time."<br /></span> +</div></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="Little_Stories_of_Lincoln" id="Little_Stories_of_Lincoln"></a>Little Stories of Lincoln.</h2> + + +<p>There always cluster around a great man like Mr. Lincoln, many +interesting incidents and stories. They are not always entirely true, +and it is not always possible to prove or disprove them. Nevertheless, +they often show true traits of the character, and as side lights help us +form the proper estimate. I have therefore added some of these incidents +and stories.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="HOW_HE_LOOKED" id="HOW_HE_LOOKED"></a>HOW HE LOOKED.</h2> + + + +<p>Mr. Lincoln was tall and rugged. His face had even more strength than +his person. He had very simple manners and as natural as though among +neighbors. He wrote a plain hand. He was very kind-hearted and inclined +to pardon those who did wrong, particularly those who from fatigue fell +asleep when on guard. He was kind to the poor and thoughtful of their +needs. He was an example of that saying—"There is nothing so kingly as +kindness." He was a very modest man and without pretense or jealousy. He +often appointed to places of honor, those who had been his rivals and +even those who had said ugly things about him.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="FREEDOM_IN_THE_CABINET" id="FREEDOM_IN_THE_CABINET"></a>FREEDOM IN THE CABINET.</h2> + + +<p>Secretary Usher relates some interesting facts.</p> + +<p>"I was in the Cabinet somewhat more than two years. It was very +ill-assorted. There was hardly ever such a thing as a regular cabinet +meeting in the sense of form. Under Johnson and Grant the chairs were +placed in regular order around the table. Nothing of the kind ever +occurred in Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet. Seward would come in and lie down on +a settee. Stanton hardly ever stayed more than five or ten minutes. +Sometimes Seward would tell the president the outline of some paper he +was writing on a State matter. Lincoln generally stood up and walked +about. In fact every member of the Cabinet ran his own department in his +own way. I don't suppose that such a historic period was ever so simply +operated. Lincoln trusted all his subordinates and they worked out their +own performances."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="A_GREAT_MAN" id="A_GREAT_MAN"></a>A GREAT MAN.</h2> + + +<p>He was one of the greatest men who ever lived. It has now been many +years since I was in his Cabinet and some of the things which happened +there have been forgotten, and the whole of it is rather dreamy. But +Lincoln's extraordinary personality is still one of the most distinct +things in my memory. He was as wise as a serpent. He had the skill of +the greatest statesman in the world. Everything he handled came to +success. Nobody took up his work and brought it to the same perfection.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="A_FORGIVING_MAN" id="A_FORGIVING_MAN"></a>A FORGIVING MAN.</h2> + + +<p>That Mr. Lincoln was not only kind-hearted, but forgiving, is shown by +his treatment of the secession leaders. He never spoke unkindly of them, +including even Jefferson Davis, who caused so much of the trouble. Some +at the close of the war said: "Do not let Davis escape. He must be +hanged." To which Mr. Lincoln replied: "Judge not, that ye be not +judged." When he was assassinated he was planning pardon and kind +treatment for those who were defeated in the rebellion.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="KIND_OF_LAWYER" id="KIND_OF_LAWYER"></a>KIND OF LAWYER.</h2> + + +<p>Fairness was the predominating quality of Mr. Lincoln as a trial lawyer. +He did not claim his side was all right and the other side all wrong. +Sometimes he would say: "I do not think my client is entitled to the +whole of what he claims. In this or that point he may be in error." He +was not abusive, as so many lawyers are, of the opposing side, but if he +said a stern thing under necessity he would qualify it by saying he was +sorry to have to make a severe statement.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="AN_UGLY_MAN" id="AN_UGLY_MAN"></a>AN UGLY MAN.</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Lincoln was not vain of his personal appearance. Indeed if you look +at his picture in the front of this book you will see he was a homely +man. He only wore a beard while president. Previous to that time he +shaved all his beard. He would laugh at a joke on himself as heartily as +anyone else. He used to tell and laugh over the following:</p> + +<p>"When I was traveling the circuit in Illinois, practicing law, I was +accosted one day on the cars by a stranger who said:</p> + +<p>"'Excuse me, sir, but I have an article which belongs to you.'</p> + +<p>"'How is that?' I asked, astonished.</p> + +<p>"The stranger took a pocket knife out and said: 'This knife was put in +my hands some time ago with the instruction that I was to keep it until +I found an uglier man than myself. I have carried it ever since. Allow +me to say I think it now rightly belongs to you, sir, and I respectfully +hand you your property.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="THE_BULL_STORY" id="THE_BULL_STORY"></a>THE BULL STORY.</h2> + + +<p>One day when he was crossing a field a fierce bull saw him and made a +charge. Mr. Lincoln ran for the fence but even his long legs could not +go fast enough to reach it before the bull would catch him, so he ran to +a hay-stack and began running around it. The bull could not make the +sharp curves around the hay-stack as well as Mr. Lincoln, so he began to +gain on the bull, until instead of the bull overtaking him, he began to +overtake the bull and at last catching up, he seized the tail of the +bull with a tight grip. Then as often as he could, he began to kick the +bull until he bellowed in pain and dashed across the field with Mr. +Lincoln still hanging to his tail, kicking him whenever he could and +shouting "Who began this fight, anyhow?"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="THE_LITTLE_WOMAN" id="THE_LITTLE_WOMAN"></a>THE LITTLE WOMAN.</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Lincoln was seated in the Journal office at Springfield with some +friends, when a telegraph boy came running across the street from the +telegraph office, waving a telegram, and shouting, "Mr. Lincoln, you are +nominated." His friends gathered around to shake his hand in +congratulation as he stood reading the momentous little yellow sheet. In +a sort of absent-minded way he shook hands with them and then said: +"Gentlemen, excuse me, there is a little woman down the street that is +more interested in this than I am, and I will take it to her." He then +started down the street with long strides toward his home. This nicely +shows how thoughtful he was of his wife and how much he loved her. She +was the first to him in his hour of great success and honor.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="NOT_AFRAID" id="NOT_AFRAID"></a>NOT AFRAID.</h2> + + +<p>In the time of the Civil war there was a danger that Mr. Lincoln might +be killed because he was president and conducting the war. It was +thought that some traitor might watch until he got a good chance, when +the president was unprotected, and then shoot him. Mr. Lincoln never +seemed to fear this, however. He would walk over from the White House to +the War department at night and alone. It would be midnight and two +o'clock in the morning sometimes. At the War department Secretary +Stanton would receive dispatches from the officers in the army on the +situation at the front and Mr. Lincoln, after the day's work desired to +get the latest word from the battles. When he was cautioned about danger +he said: "If anyone desires to kill me, I do not suppose any amount of +care could prevent it." How sadly true this was even when the war was +over.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="KIND_OF_RELIGION" id="KIND_OF_RELIGION"></a>KIND OF RELIGION.</h2> + + +<p>A while before his assassination, two Tennessee ladies called on the +president, asking for the release of their husbands, who were prisoners +of war at Johnson's Island. One of the ladies urged upon the president +as a cause for her husband's release, that he was a religious man. He +finally released them, but said:</p> + +<p>"You say your husband is a religious man: tell him when you meet him +that I say I am not much of a judge of religion, but that in my opinion, +the religion that sets men to rebel and fight against their government, +because, as they think, that government does not sufficiently help some +men to eat their bread by the sweat of other men's faces, is not the +sort of religion upon which people can get to Heaven."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="MR_LINCOLNS_FIRST_DOLLAR" id="MR_LINCOLNS_FIRST_DOLLAR"></a>MR. LINCOLN'S FIRST DOLLAR.</h2> + + +<p>In the president's chamber some men were conversing one evening, and the +conversation running on that line Mr. Lincoln said: "Seward, you never +heard, did you, how I earned my first dollar? I was about eighteen years +old and we were quite poor. We had raised some produce and I got +mother's consent to take it down the river on a flat boat and sell it. +There were then no wharves on the river. I was down at the bank looking +over my flat boat to see that it was all right before I started out. Two +men came along and wanted to get out to a steamer in the river and asked +me if I would take them and their trunks out. I said, 'Certainly.' So +they got on the flat boat and I pulled them out to the steamer and they +got aboard and I lifted on the trunks. The steamer was about to go and +the men had forgotten to pay me, so I shouted to them and each of them +threw a silver half dollar on the floor of my boat. I could scarcely +believe my eyes when I saw the amount of the money. It may seem a small +sum to you gentlemen, but it seemed an immense sum to me. To think that +I, a poor boy, had earned a dollar in less than a day and by honest +work, was almost too good to be true. But there it was and the world did +not not seem such an awful big and terrible place after all, and I +thought perhaps I could do great things yet, even if I was such a poor +and helpless chap."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="MR_LINCOLN_AT_SUNDAY_SCHOOL" id="MR_LINCOLN_AT_SUNDAY_SCHOOL"></a>MR. LINCOLN AT SUNDAY SCHOOL.</h2> + + +<p>Five Points in New York for many years was considered about the most +wicked place in the city. They started missions there and made it +better. One Sunday morning when Sunday School commenced, a tall, strange +looking man entered and sat down. He listened with close attention to +the exercises and when the lesson was over, the superintendent asked him +if he would say something to the children. He said he would gladly; and +going forward he talked in a plain, simple, earnest way and fascinated +the children so that they all became very quiet and listened to all he +had to say very eagerly. The faces of the children would brighten as he +told some beautiful lesson or break into laughter as he quaintly told a +humorous incident and then they would look serious as he warned them of +sin and wrong and what would follow. Once or twice he tried to stop, but +the little folks shouted, "Go on, Oh, do go on!" The superintendent +wondered who this unusually interesting man was and when he was leaving, +asked his name. The reply was, "I am Abraham Lincoln."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="TRIBUTE_TO_THE_WOMEN" id="TRIBUTE_TO_THE_WOMEN"></a>TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN.</h2> + + +<p>During the war many fairs were held to raise money to send extra food, +clothing and medicine to the soldiers in the fields and hospitals. The +ladies generally managed these fairs in the different towns. They asked +Mr. Lincoln to speak at one of them and he gladly consented. He said:</p> + +<p>"This extraordinary war in which we are engaged falls heavily on all +classes of people, but the most heavily on the soldier. For it has been +said, 'All that a man hath will he give for his life.' And while all +contribute of their substance, the soldier puts his life at stake and +often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then, is +due the soldier. In this war extraordinary developments have manifested +themselves, such as have not been seen in former wars, and among these +manifestations, nothing has been more remarkable than these fairs for +the relief of suffering soldiers and their families. The chief agents of +these fairs are the women of America. I am not accustomed to the +language of eulogy; I have never studied the art of paying compliments +to women; but I must say that, if all that has been said by orators and +poets were applied to the women of America, it would not do them justice +for their conduct during this war. I will close by saying, God bless the +women of America."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="MORE_LIGHT_WANTED" id="MORE_LIGHT_WANTED"></a>MORE LIGHT WANTED.</h2> + + +<p>Another of Mr. Lincoln's stories was this:</p> + +<p>A traveler on the frontier lost his way one stormy night. It was a +terrible thunder storm. He floundered along until his horse played out. +He could see only when the flashes of lightning came. The peals of +thunder, however, were proportionately strong and frightening. One roar +and all around him seemed crashing; he fell on his knees. He was not +much given to praying so his prayer was short:</p> + +<p>"O, Lord, if it's all the same to you, give us a little more light and a +little less noise."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="THE_SHOOTING_STORY" id="THE_SHOOTING_STORY"></a>THE SHOOTING STORY.</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Lincoln used to tell the story of a shaggy old man, who was a great +hunter and lived in the edge of the timber. One morning he stood out in +front of his door firing away at a squirrel in a tree. He kept shooting, +but the squirrel did not come down. His son came up and asked what he +was firing at. The father said: "Don't you see that squirrel up there in +the tree?" The son looked and looked in every possible way but could see +no squirrel. Still the father kept firing away. At last the son looking +at him said: "Father I see what's the matter. There is an ant hanging on +the end of your eyebrow and you have been looking at it."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="FIRST_RIGHTFUL_DECISION" id="FIRST_RIGHTFUL_DECISION"></a>FIRST RIGHTFUL DECISION.</h2> + + +<p>Attorney-General Bates objected to the appointment of a certain Judge to +a government position. Mr. Lincoln said: "He did me a favor once, let me +tell you about it."</p> + +<p>"I was walking to court one morning with ten miles of bad road before +me. The Judge overtook me and said:</p> + +<p>"'Hello, Lincoln, going to the court house? Get in and I will give you a +ride.'</p> + +<p>"I got in and the Judge went on reading some court papers. Soon the +carriage struck a stump on one side of the road and then something else +on the other side. I looked out and saw the driver jerking from one side +to the other on his seat, so I said, 'Judge I think your driver has +taken a drop too much of liquor this morning.'</p> + +<p>"'Well I declare Lincoln,' said he, 'I should not much wonder if you are +right, for he has nearly upset me half a dozen times since starting.' +Putting his head out of the window he shouted, 'You scoundrel, you are +drunk.'</p> + +<p>"Upon which pulling up his horses and turning around with gravity, the +driver said, 'Golly, but that's the first rightful decision your honor +has given for the last twelve months.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="GOD_NEEDED_CHURCH_FOR_SOLDIERS" id="GOD_NEEDED_CHURCH_FOR_SOLDIERS"></a>GOD NEEDED CHURCH FOR SOLDIERS.</h2> + + +<p>"Among the numerous applicants who visited the White House one day was a +well-dressed lady. She came forward without apparent embarassment in her +air or manner, and addressed the president. Giving her a very close and +scrutinizing look, he said:</p> + +<p>"'Well, madam, what can I do for you?'</p> + +<p>"She told him that she lived in Alexandria; that the church where she +worshiped had been taken for a hospital.</p> + +<p>"'What church, madam?' Mr. Lincoln asked in a quick, nervous manner.</p> + +<p>"'The —— Church,' she replied; 'and as there are only two or three +wounded soldiers in it, I came to see if you would not let us have it, +as we want it very much to worship God in.'</p> + +<p>"'Madam, have you been to see the Post Surgeon at Alexandria about this +matter?'</p> + +<p>"'Yes sir; but we could do nothing with him.'</p> + +<p>"'Well, we put him there to attend to just such business, and it is +reasonable to suppose that he knows better what should be done under the +circumstances than I do. See here; you say you live in Alexandria; +probably you own property there. How much will you give to assist in +building a hospital?"</p> + +<p>"'You know, Mr. Lincoln, our property is very much embarassed by the +war;—so, really, I could hardly afford to give much for such a +purpose.'</p> + +<p>"'Well, madam, I expect we shall have another fight soon; and my opinion +is, God wants that church for poor wounded Union soldiers as much as he +does for secesh people to worship in.' Turning to his table he said, +quite abruptly: 'You will excuse me; I can do nothing for you. Good day, +madam.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="A_DOUBTFUL_ABUTMENT" id="A_DOUBTFUL_ABUTMENT"></a>A DOUBTFUL ABUTMENT.</h2> + + +<p>In Abbott's "History of the Civil War," the following story is told as +one of Lincoln's "hardest hits:"</p> + +<p>"I once knew," said Lincoln, "a sound churchman by the name of Brown, +who was a member of a very sober and pious committee having in charge +the erection of a bridge over a dangerous and rapid river. Several +architects failed, and at last Brown said he had a friend named Jones, +who had built several bridges and undoubtedly could build that one. So +Mr. Jones was called in.</p> + +<p>"'Can you build this bridge?' inquired the committee.</p> + +<p>"'Yes,' replied Jones, 'or any other. I could build a bridge to the +infernal regions if necessary!'</p> + +<p>"The committee was shocked, and Brown felt called upon to defend his +friend. 'I know Jones so well,' said he, 'and he is so honest a man and +so good an architect, that if he states soberly and positively that he +can build a bridge to—to—why, I believe it; but I feel bound to say +that I have my doubts about the abutment on the infernal side.'</p> + +<p>"So," said Mr. Lincoln, "when politicians told me that the northern and +southern wings of the Democracy could be harmonized, why, I believed +them, of course; but I always had my doubts about the 'abutment' on the +other side."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="SIGNING_EMANCIPATION_PROCLAMATION" id="SIGNING_EMANCIPATION_PROCLAMATION"></a>SIGNING EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION.</h2> + + +<p>"The Emancipation Proclamation was taken to Mr. Lincoln at noon on the +first day of January, 1863, by Secretary Seward and Frederick, his son. +As it lay unrolled before him, Mr. Lincoln took a pen, dipped it in ink, +moved his hand to the place for the signature, held it for a moment, and +then removed his hand and dropped the pen. After a little hesitation he +again took up the pen and went through the same movement as before. Mr. +Lincoln then turned to Mr. Seward, and said:</p> + +<p>"'I have been shaking hands since nine o'clock this morning, and my +right arm is almost paralyzed. If my name ever goes into history it will +be for this act, and my whole soul is in it. If my hand trembles when I +sign the Proclamation, all who examine the document hereafter will say, +'He hesitated.'</p> + +<p>"He then turned to the table, took up the pen again, slowly and firmly +wrote 'Abraham Lincoln,' with which the whole world is now familiar. He +then looked up, smiled and said: 'That will do.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="MR_LINCOLNS_ENDURANCE" id="MR_LINCOLNS_ENDURANCE"></a>MR. LINCOLN'S ENDURANCE.</h2> + + +<p>"On the Monday before the assassination, when the President was on his +return from Richmond, he stopped at City Point. Calling upon the head +surgeon at that place, Mr. Lincoln told him he wished to visit all the +hospitals under his charge, and shake hands with every soldier. The +surgeon asked him if he knew what he was undertaking, there being five +or six thousand soldiers at that place, and it would be quite a tax upon +his strength to visit all the wards and shake hands with every soldier. +Mr. Lincoln answered, with a smile, he 'guessed he was equal to the +task; at any rate he would try, and go as far as he could; he should +never, probably, see the boys again, and he wanted them to know that he +appreciated what they had done for their country.'</p> + +<p>"Finding it useless to try to dissuade him, the surgeon began his rounds +with the President, who walked from bed to bed, extending his hand to +all, saying a few words of sympathy to some, making kind inquiries of +others, and welcomed by all with the heartiest cordiality.</p> + +<p>"As they passed along they came to a ward in which lay a rebel who had +been wounded and was then a prisoner. As the tall figure of the kindly +visitor appeared in sight, he was recognized by the rebel soldier who, +raising himself on his elbow in bed, watched Mr. Lincoln as he +approached and, extending his hand, exclaimed while tears ran down his +cheeks:</p> + +<p>"'Mr. Lincoln, I have long wanted to see you, to ask your forgiveness +for ever raising my hand against the old flag.'</p> + +<p>"Mr. Lincoln was moved to tears. He heartily shook the hand of the +repentant rebel, and assured him of his good-will, and with a few words +of kind advice passed on. After some hours the tour of the various +hospitals was made, and Mr. Lincoln returned with the surgeon to his +office. They had scarcely entered, however, when a messenger boy came, +saying that one ward had been omitted, and 'the boys' wanted to see the +President. The surgeon who was thoroughly tired and knew Mr. Lincoln +must be, tried to dissuade him from going; but the good man said he must +go back; he would not knowingly omit any one; 'the boys' would be so +disappointed. So he went with the messenger, accompanied by the surgeon, +and shook hands with the gratified soldiers, and then returned again to +his office.</p> + +<p>"The surgeon expressed the fear that the President's arm would be lamed +with so much hand-shaking, saying that it certainly must ache. Mr. +Lincoln smiled, and saying something about his 'strong muscles,' stepped +out at the open door, took up a very large, heavy axe which lay there by +a log of wood, and chopped vigorously for a few moments, sending the +chips flying in all directions; and then pausing, he extended his right +arm to its full length, holding the axe out horizontally, without its +even quivering as he held it. Strong men who looked on—men accustomed +to manual labor—could not hold that same axe in that position for a +moment. Returning to the office, he took a glass of lemonade, for he +would take no stronger beverage; and while he was within, the chips he +had chopped were gathered up and safely cared for by the hospital +steward, because they were 'the chips that Abraham Lincoln chopped.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="GENERAL_FISKS_SWEARING_STORY" id="GENERAL_FISKS_SWEARING_STORY"></a>GENERAL FISK'S SWEARING STORY.</h2> + + +<p>"General Fisk, attending the reception at the White House, on one +occasion saw, waiting in the ante-room, a poor old man from Tennessee. +Sitting down beside him, he inquired his errand, and learned that he had +been waiting three or four days to get an audience, he said that on +seeing Mr. Lincoln probably depended the life of his son, who was under +sentence of death for some military offense.</p> + +<p>"General Fisk wrote his case in outline on a card, and sent it in, with +a special request that the President would see the man. In a moment the +order came; and past senators, governors and generals, waiting +impatiently, the old man went into the President's presence.</p> + +<p>"He showed Mr. Lincoln his papers, and he, on taking them, said he would +look into the case and give him the result on the following day.</p> + +<p>"'To-morrow may be too late! My son is under sentence of death! The +decision ought to be made now!' and the streaming tears told how much he +was moved.</p> + +<p>"'Come,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'wait a bit, and I'll tell you a story;' and +then he told the old man General Fisk's story about the swearing driver, +as follows:</p> + +<p>"'The General had begun his military life as a Colonel, and, as he was a +religious man, he proposed to his men that he should do all the swearing +of the regiment. They assented; and for months no instance was known of +the violation of this promise. The Colonel had a teamster named John +Todd, who, as roads were not always the best, had some difficulty in +commanding his temper and his tongue. John happened to be driving a +mule-team through a series of mud holes a little worse than usual, when, +unable to restrain himself any longer, he burst forth into a volley of +energetic oaths. The Colonel took notice of the offense, and brought +John to an account."</p> + +<p>"'John,' said he, 'didn't you promise to let me do all the swearing of +the regiment?'</p> + +<p>"'Yes I did, Colonel,' he replied, 'but the fact was the swearing had to +be done then or not at all, and you were not there to do it.'</p> + +<p>"As he told the story, the old man forgot his boy, and both the +President and his listener had a hearty laugh together at its +conclusion. Then he wrote a few words which the old man read, and in +which he found new occasion for tears; but these tears were tears of +joy, for the words saved the life of his son."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="GETTING_RID_OF_A_BORE" id="GETTING_RID_OF_A_BORE"></a>GETTING RID OF A BORE.</h2> + + +<p>President Lincoln was quite ill one winter at Washington, and was not +inclined to listen to all the bores who called at the White House. One +day just as one of these pests had seated himself for a long interview, +the President's physician happened to enter the room, and Mr. Lincoln +said, holding out his hands: "Doctor, what are those blotches?" "That's +variloid, or mild small-pox," said the doctor. "They're all over me. It +is contagious, I believe?" said Mr. Lincoln. "I just called to see how +you were," said the visitor. "Oh, don't be in a hurry sir," placidly +remarked the executive. "Thank you sir; I'll call again," replied the +visitor, making towards the door. "Do sir," said the President. "Some +people said they could not take very well to my proclamation, but now I +have something everybody can take." By this time the visitor was quite +out of sight.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="LITTLE_INFLUENCE_WITH_ADMINISTRATION" id="LITTLE_INFLUENCE_WITH_ADMINISTRATION"></a>LITTLE INFLUENCE WITH ADMINISTRATION.</h2> + + +<p>"Judge Baldwin, of California, being in Washington, called one day on +General Halleck, and, presuming upon a familiar acquaintance in +California a few years before, solicited a pass outside of our lines to +see a brother in Virginia, not thinking that he would meet with a +refusal, as both his brother and himself were good Union men.</p> + +<p>"'We have been deceived too often,' said General Halleck, 'and I regret +I can't grant it.'</p> + +<p>"Judge Baldwin then went to Stanton, and was very briefly disposed of, +with the same result. Finally, he obtained an interview with Mr. +Lincoln, and stated his case.</p> + +<p>"'Have you applied to General Halleck?' inquired the President.</p> + +<p>"'Yes, and met with a flat refusal,' said Judge Baldwin.</p> + +<p>"'Then you must see Stanton,' continued the President.</p> + +<p>"'I have, and with the same result,' was the reply.</p> + +<p>"'Well, then,' said Mr. Lincoln, with a smile, 'I can do nothing; for +you must know that I have very little influence with this +Administration."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="MR_LINCOLNS_HORSE_TRADE" id="MR_LINCOLNS_HORSE_TRADE"></a>MR. LINCOLN'S HORSE TRADE.</h2> + + +<p>"When Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer in Illinois, he and a certain Judge +once got to bantering one another about trading horses; and it was +agreed that the next morning at 9 o'clock they should make a trade, the +horse to be unseen up to that hour, and no backing out, under a +forfeiture of $25.00.</p> + +<p>"At the hour appointed the Judge came up, leading the sorriest looking +specimen of a horse ever seen in those parts. In a few minutes Mr. +Lincoln was seen approaching with a wooden saw-horse upon his shoulders. +Great were the shouts and the laughter of the crowd, and both were +greatly increased when Mr. Lincoln, on surveying the Judge's animal, set +down his saw-horse, and exclaimed: 'Well, Judge, this is the first time +I ever got the worst of it in a horse trade.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="HIS_FIRST_SPEECH" id="HIS_FIRST_SPEECH"></a>HIS FIRST SPEECH.</h2> + + +<p>"The following first speech of Abraham Lincoln was delivered at +Poppsville, Ill., just after the close of a public sale, at which time +and in those early days speaking was in order. Mr. Lincoln was then but +twenty-three years of age, but being called for, mounted a stump and +gave a concise statement of his policy:</p> + +<p>"'Gentlemen, fellow-citizens: I presume you know who I am. I am humble +Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by many friends to become a +candidate for the legislature. My politics can be briefly stated. I am +in favor of the internal improvement system, and a high protective +tariff. These are my sentiments and political principles. If elected, I +shall be thankful. If not it will be all the same.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="HOW_HE_DIVIDED_MONEY" id="HOW_HE_DIVIDED_MONEY"></a>HOW HE DIVIDED MONEY.</h2> + + +<p>"A little fact in Mr. Lincoln's work will illustrate his ever present +desire to deal honestly and justly with men. He had always a partner in +his professional life, and, when he went out upon the circuit, this +partner was usually at home. While out, he frequently took up and +disposed of cases that were never entered at the office. In these cases, +after receiving his fees, he divided the money in his pocket-book, +labeling each sum (wrapped in a piece of paper), that belonged to his +partner, stating his name, and the case on which it was received. He +could not be content to keep an account. He divided the money, so that +if he, by any casualty, should fail of an opportunity to pay it over, +there could be no dispute as to the exact amount that was his partner's +due. This may seem trivial, nay, boyish, but it was like Mr. Lincoln."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="HELPED_HIS_STEP-MOTHER" id="HELPED_HIS_STEP-MOTHER"></a>HELPED HIS STEP-MOTHER.</h2> + + +<p>"Soon after Mr. Lincoln entered upon his profession at Springfield, he +was engaged in a criminal case, in which it was thought there was little +chance of success. Throwing all his powers into it, he came off +victorious, and promptly received for his services five hundred dollars. +A legal friend, calling upon him the next morning, found him sitting +before a table, upon which his money was spread out, counting it over +and over.</p> + +<p>"'Look here, Judge,' said Lincoln; 'see what a heap of money I've got +from the —— case. Did you ever see anything like it? Why, I never had +so much money in my life before, put it all together.' Then crossing his +arms upon the table, his manner sobering down, he added, 'I have got +just five hundred dollars; if it were only seven hundred and fifty, I +would go directly and purchase a quarter section of land and settle it +upon my old step-mother.'</p> + +<p>"His friend said that if the deficiency was all he needed he would loan +him the amount, taking his note, to which Mr. Lincoln instantly acceded.</p> + +<p>"His friend then said: 'Lincoln, I would not do just what you have +indicated. Your step-mother is getting old, and will not probably live +many years. I would settle the property upon her for her use during her +lifetime, to revert to you upon her death.'</p> + +<p>"With much feeling, Mr. Lincoln replied: 'I shall do no such thing. It +is a poor return at the best, for all the good woman's devotion and +fidelity to me, and there is not going to be any half-way business about +it" and so saying he gathered up his money and proceeded forthwith to +carry out his long-cherished purpose into execution.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="A_SMALL_AUDIENCE" id="A_SMALL_AUDIENCE"></a>A SMALL AUDIENCE.</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Herndon got out a huge poster announcing a speech by Mr. Lincoln, +employed a band to drum up the crowd, and bells were rung, but only +three persons were present. Mr. Lincoln was to have spoken on the +slavery question.</p> + +<blockquote><p><span class="smcap">Gentlemen:</span> This meeting is larger than I knew it would be, as +I knew Herndon (Lincoln's partner) and myself would be here, +but I did not know any one else would be here: and yet another +has come—you John Pain, (the janitor.)</p> + +<p>These are bad times, and seem out of joint. All seems dead, +dead, dead: but the age is not yet dead; it liveth as our Maker +liveth. Under all this seeming want of life and motion, the +world does move nevertheless.</p> + +<p>Be hopeful. And now let us adjourn and appeal to the people.</p></blockquote> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="NOISE_DONT_HURT" id="NOISE_DONT_HURT"></a>NOISE DON'T HURT.</h2> + + +<p>"When General Phelps took possession of Ship Island, near New Orleans, +early in the war it will be remembered that he issued a proclamation, +somewhat bombastic in tone, freeing the slaves. To the surprise of many +people, on both sides, the President took no official notice of this +movement. Some time had elapsed, when one day a friend took him to task +for his seeming indifference on so important a matter.</p> + +<p>"'Well,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'I feel about that a good deal as a man whom +I will call 'Jones,' whom I once knew, did about his wife. He was one of +your meek men, and had the reputation of being badly henpecked. At last, +one day his wife was seen switching him out of the house. A day or two +afterward a friend met him on the street, and said: 'Jones, I have +always stood up for you, as you know; but I am not going to do it any +longer. Any man who will stand quietly and take a switching from his +wife, deserves to be horsewhipped.' Jones looked up with a wink, patting +his friend on the back. 'Now don't,' said he: 'why, it didn't hurt me +any, and you've no idea what a power of good it did Sarah Ann.'"</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="LINCOLN_ON_TEMPERANCE" id="LINCOLN_ON_TEMPERANCE"></a>LINCOLN ON TEMPERANCE.</h2> + + +<p>In response to an address from the Sons of Temperance in Washington, on +the 29th of September, 1863, Mr. Lincoln made the following remarks:</p> + +<p>"As a matter of course, it will not be possible for me to make a +response co-extensive with the address which you have presented to me. +If I were better known than I am, you would not need to be told that, in +the advocacy of the cause of temperance, you have a friend and +sympathiser in me. When a young man—long ago—before the Sons of +Temperance, as an organization had an existence, I, in an humble way, +made temperance speeches, and I think I may say that to this day I have +never, by my example belied what I then said.</p> + +<p>"I think the reasonable men of the world have long since agreed that +intemperance is one of the greatest, if not the very greatest of all +evils among mankind. That is not a matter of dispute, I believe. That +the disease exists, and that it is a very great one, is agreed upon by +all. The mode of cure is one about which there may be differences of +opinions. You have suggested that in an army—our army, drunkenness is a +great evil, and one which while it exists to a very great extent, we +cannot expect to overcome so entirely as to leave such success in our +arms as we might have without it. This, undoubtedly, is true, and while +it is, perhaps rather a bad source to derive comfort from, nevertheless, +in a hard struggle, I do not know but what it is some consolation to be +aware that there is some intemperance on the other side, too; and that +they have no right to beat us in physical combat on that ground."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="MR_LINCOLNS_POEM" id="MR_LINCOLNS_POEM"></a>MR. LINCOLN'S POEM.</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Lincoln, in 1844 upon a visit to the old neighborhood in which he +was raised was moved to write the following little poem. It is the only +one he is known to have written.</p> + +<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"My childhood's home I see again,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">And sadden with the view;<br /></span> +<span class="i0">And still, as memory crowds my brain,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">There's pleasure in it too.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"O Memory! thou midway world<br /></span> +<span class="i2">'Twixt earth and paradise,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Where things decayed and loved ones lost<br /></span> +<span class="i2">In dreamy shadows rise.<br /></span> +</div><div class="stanza"> +<span class="i0">"And, freed from all that's earthly vile,<br /></span> +<span class="i2">Seem hallowed, pure and bright,<br /></span> +<span class="i0">Like scenes in some enchanted isle<br /></span> +<span class="i2">All bathed in liquid light."<br /></span> +</div></div> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="To_Be_Memorized" id="To_Be_Memorized"></a>To Be Memorized.</h2> + + +<p>Mr. Lincoln wrote many passages worthy of being committed to memory. His +phrase "Government of the people, for the people and by the people," is +more quoted than any other on the question of government. I add a few +that are well worthy of memorizing and remark, that every boy and girl +in America ought to be able to recite the Gettysburg speech.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us to +the end dare to do our duty as we understand it."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"With malice toward none and charity to all, with firmness in the right +as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are in."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government +cannot permanently endure half slave and half free. I do not expect the +Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do +expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all the one thing or +the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further +spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the +belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction, or its advocates +will push it further until it becomes alike lawful in all the states, +old as well as new, North as well as South."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion +may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic +chords of memory stretching from every battlefield and patriot's grave +to every loving heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will +swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will +be, by the better angels of our nature."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"'The Father of Waters' again goes unvexed to the sea."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"Among free men there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the +bullet."</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<p>"And then there will be some black men who can remember that with silent +tongue, and clinched teeth and steady eye and well-poised bayonet they +have helped mankind on to this great consummation; while I fear there +will be some white ones unable to forget that with malignant heart and +deceitful speech they strove to hinder it."</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2><a name="LINCOLNS_GETTYSBURG_SPEECH" id="LINCOLNS_GETTYSBURG_SPEECH"></a>LINCOLN'S GETTYSBURG SPEECH.</h2> + + +<p>Four score and ten years ago our fathers brought forth upon this +continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the +proposition that all men are created equal.</p> + +<p>Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or +any nation so conceived or so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on +a great battlefield of that war. We are met to dedicate a portion of it +as the final resting place of those who here gave their lives that that +nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do +this. But, in a larger sense we cannot dedicate—we cannot +consecrate—we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and +dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our power to add +or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say +here; but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the +living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work that they +have thus far so nobly carried on. It is for us to be here dedicated to +the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take +increased devotion, that we here highly resolve that the dead shall not +have died in vain; that the nation shall under God, have a new birth of +freedom; and that government of the people, by the people and for the +people shall not perish from the earth.</p> + +<hr style="width: 45%;" /> + +<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> Charles Dickens.</p></div> + + + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham +Lincoln, by James H. Shaw + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIOGRAPHY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN *** + +***** This file should be named 35009-h.htm or 35009-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/5/0/0/35009/ + +Produced by Heather Clark, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> diff --git a/35009-h/images/front.jpg b/35009-h/images/front.jpg Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..ff60755 --- /dev/null +++ b/35009-h/images/front.jpg diff --git a/35009.txt b/35009.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..1edf414 --- /dev/null +++ b/35009.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2541 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham +Lincoln, by James H. Shaw + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham Lincoln + +Author: James H. Shaw + +Release Date: January 20, 2011 [EBook #35009] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIOGRAPHY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN *** + + + + +Produced by Heather Clark, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + + + + + + + + + Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham Lincoln. + + By James H. Shaw. + + + Evergreen City Publishing Company, + Bloomington, Illinois. + + TYPOGRAPHY AND PRESSWORK BY + EARL MARQUAM, + BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS. + + + + +[Illustration] + + + + +Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham Lincoln. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +A great English writer[1] in a lecture on America and the Americans said +that when an American gets to heaven he will not be satisfied unless he +can move farther west. + +[Footnote 1: Charles Dickens.] + +He said this because it has been so much the custom of our people to +"move West." It is not so common now as it was a few years ago because +the great public lands, free to those who would settle on them or plant +trees, are mostly occupied. + +The Lincoln family a couple of hundred years ago first "moved west" from +England to Massachusetts; then they moved west again to Pennsylvania; +then west and south to Virginia; then west again to Kentucky. + +Way back in the last century a man was digging in the rich soil of +Kentucky. He turned up clods, planted seed and God sent the rain-drops +and sun-beams and the grain sprang up and became gold. The surest gold +mine in the world is our fertile soil and the surest miner is our +farmer. + + "Whoever plants a seed beneath the sod + And waits to see it push away the clod + He trusts in God." + +A little boy watched his father work and learned the lesson that man +lives best by the sweat of his own brow, not by the sweat of other men's +brows. While they toiled, through the shadows of the surrounding forest +a savage stole secretly toward them on his soft moccasins. He paused, +aimed his gun and fired. The man fell over dead; then the Indian came +rapidly, caught up the boy and ran off toward the woods with him. But +his older brother, Mordecai, ran to the log hut and catching up the ever +ready gun shot the Indian through the heart and sent him to the "happy +hunting ground," and saved little Thomas Lincoln, who grew up to be a +man and became the father of our beloved martyr president, Abraham +Lincoln. + +You have no doubt read of the adventures of Daniel Boone and the +pioneers of Kentucky. A little boy thought these pioneers were so grand +he said he wanted to be a "pioneer" when he went to heaven. But these +pioneers had many hardships we do not have. They were constantly +fighting the Indians and did not have the pleasant homes we have, but +lived in rough log cabins, without plaster on the walls and with only +the earth for floors. The snow drifted through the cracks of the logs +and sometimes the children would wake up in the morning and find a +little drift of snow on top of the bed quilt. + +Though these Kentucky pioneers had hard times, they must have had a good +place to live in after all, for some of the most honored men of our +history, such as Andrew Jackson, Daniel Boone, David Crockett, Senator +Benton, Henry Clay and Abraham Lincoln came from this pioneer country. + +The little boy, Thomas Lincoln, who was saved by his brother Mordecai, +was born in Jefferson county, Kentucky in 1778. He grew to be a man in +these wild surroundings. It was common to have a fight with the Indians +and many and many a time he shot deer and bears. The people did not have +much beef then but the meat was mostly wild turkeys, geese, prairie +chickens, quail, venison and bears' meat. Every boy learned to shoot +well and nearly always carried his gun with him even when he was working +in the field, for an Indian might steal up on him or some wild game pass +by. A large part of the clothing was made out of the skins of wild +animals. + +September 2d, 1806, Thomas Lincoln and Nancy Hanks were married; he was +twenty-eight years old and she was twenty-three. A Methodist minister, +Rev. Jesse Head, performed the ceremony. + +The preachers were called circuit riders then because they preached at +so many places and all the places were united into what was called a +circuit. + +This often included hundreds of miles and the preacher would only be at +one of the points once in several months. He rode on horseback and +carried his things in saddle bags hung across the horse's back. + +Thomas and Nancy settled on Rock + +Creek farm in Hardin county. Thomas built a new log cabin and fixed +things up. In this log cabin on the 12th of February, 1809, Abraham +Lincoln was born. He had a sister two years older and one young brother +who died while a little baby. Thomas Lincoln was a slow-moving man and +fond of jokes. He could not read until after he was married. This is not +so very strange for you must remember that at that time, in Kentucky, +there were very few schools. His wife taught him to read by spelling out +the words in the Bible. + +Nancy, Abraham's mother, was a very pretty woman. She was naturally +refined and was considered well educated and had a cultivated and strong +mind. Her son is supposed to have inherited his strong intellect from +his mother and his fondness for stories and jokes from his father. + +The mother taught her children to read and write and made them fond of +books so that her son Abraham became a hard student and thus laid the +foundation for his greatness. She was also a religious woman and trained +the children to love God and keep his commandments. + +Though Abraham grew up in very rough surroundings he did not learn to +think that his words were made more emphatic or his expressions stronger +by oaths. Abraham Lincoln never swore; he did not think it manly to take +God's name in vain. One time when he was clerking, a rowdy swore in the +store and in the presence of ladies. When they were gone Lincoln asked +the man to step outside. He then threw him down and rubbed smart-weed in +his eyes to punish him for his swearing, but as he was also kind-hearted +he got some water afterwards and helped wash the smart out. + +Kentucky has always been a great tobacco raising state and though little +Abe grew up to be quite a good-sized boy in that state he did not think, +as many boys foolishly do, that it is manly to use tobacco, for Abraham +Lincoln never used tobacco in any form. + +His mother taught him these good things and he learned to do what his +mother taught him and many years after she was dead and he had become a +great man he said, "All I am or hope to be I owe to my angel mother." +These incidents seem all the more wonderful because there were but few +Sunday-schools then to teach such lessons and churches were so few +Abraham did not see one until he was twenty-one years old. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +The year Indiana was admitted into the Union, 1816, Thomas Lincoln moved +his family to Spencer county in the southern part of that state. Little +Abe was nearly eight years old at this time. It was a long, hard trip. +They said good bye to their old home and friends and with their goods on +a wagon drawn by oxen, slowly moved along. There were no such roads as +we have; often there was only a path through the woods and at other +times they had to cut down trees and tear away underbrush to get +through. They also had to ford some uncertain streams because there were +no bridges. They were ferried over the Ohio river. + +They settled in southern Indiana, near the town of Gentryville and built +a log cabin house which was called a half-faced camp because it was +enclosed on all sides but one. There was no floor other than the ground +and no door or window. Part of the land around it was cultivated, and on +this they raised corn and vegetables; but the most of it was woods. +Their neighbors were few and so far away even the smoke from their +chimneys could not be seen. At this time there were no steamers going up +the Ohio river to bring them news from Washington, to say nothing of +news from Europe, and as for railroads, there were none at all in this +western country, so that you can see it was very lonesome. They had no +such opportunities as we have. Abraham learned to use the ax and wedge +because with them most of the home was built. They did not even have +saws. For their clothing, they cut the wool from the sheep's back, and +mother would card, spin and weave it. They used needles from the pine +trees and buttons were made by sewing a bit of cloth on a piece of bone. +The one table they had in the one room, was made by cutting a rough slab +of wood, boring holes in the corners and making rough legs. The chairs +were made much the same way. They did not have any bed-steads; but made +a frame by putting holes in the logs of the house and fastening side +pieces to a pole driven down into the ground, then they covered it with +skin, dry leaves and some rough cloth. Little Abraham slept in the loft. +He had a corner there filled with dry leaves, to which he had to climb +by means of pegs driven into the logs. Their food was of the plainest +kind as far as bread went, corn dodger being the most common. Wheat +bread, which they called cake, they sometimes had for Sunday. Once in a +while they would have potatoes for a meal; but most of the time they had +fish and game, such as deer, bear, wild turkeys, ducks, etc., for all of +these were plentiful there. They did not have stoves as we have; but +used a large fireplace built of brick or stone in the side of the log +house. They had what was called a Dutch oven to do the baking. They did +not have the many cooking vessels we have now and hence did not have the +variety of food. They raised their own indigo with which they colored +the cloth they made. They also used sumac berries and white walnut bark +to color. They raised some cotton, which they would put near the +fireplace, to keep warm and make it sweat, and then card it, spin it and +finally color it. This would make what they called a pretty linsey dress +or suit. They had to make their own soap by taking the fat of hogs and +boiling it in a kettle with lye. Abraham's clothes were often made of +deerskin, and he wore a coonskin for a cap. + +One October day, a few of the friends of the Lincolns gathered around an +open grave under a large cypress tree, and they buried the mother of +Abraham Lincoln. They had lived but two years is that southern Indiana +home. When all the others had gone away, and the shades of night were +coming on, little Abraham threw himself on the new made grave and wept +hours, for the greatest sadness and loss that could come to him was the +death of his mother. Mother does more for us than any one else; when we +are helpless she cares for us, and waits on us, and teaches us and does +more for us than we can ever do for her. When a boy or girl loses his +mother, he loses the one who will always do the most for him. It was not +strange then that this little ten year old boy should feel so sad, when +he knew he never could have the kind care of his own mother again. There +were no preachers there who could perform the ceremony at the burial; +but Abraham wrote to an old preacher friend down in Kentucky, one of +those circuit riders I told you about, and many months later, he came +and preached the funeral sermon. The man's name was David Elkin. At this +time, all the friends from far and near came to hear the funeral sermon. + +Some time after his wife's death, Thomas Lincoln went back to Kentucky, +and there married a widow, Mrs. Sallie Johnson, who with her three +children, came to the log cabin home near Gentryville, where had been +left little Abraham and Sarah. Mrs. Johnson had a nice lot of household +furniture, and when she came, she brought it with her. There was a +bureau, table, set of chairs, clothes chest, knives and forks and +bedding. All of these seemed wonderfully nice to Abraham and Sarah, for +they did not have them before. Thomas Lincoln built a new log cabin +house that had four sides and a kind of door and window in it. They also +put a floor in the cabin made of slabs, and put plastering between the +cracks in the logs. A feather bed was made for the children to sleep on. +The step-mother was very good to them and took much interest in +Abraham's studies. They did not have many books at that time; but +Abraham was a great reader, and borrowed from all the neighbors. The +books he was most familiar with, were the Bible, Bunyan's Pilgrim's +Progress, Weems' Life of Washington and the poems of Robert Burns. He +did not have many books, and he read the ones he had over and over +again, and became very familiar with them. Edward Eggelston, the author +of the famous book "The Hoosier Schoolmaster," was one time confined by +a storm in a house where the only books they had were the Bible and a +dictionary. He said he learned more in those three days than in any +other three days of his life. There has been no statesman who quoted the +Bible so well as Mr. Lincoln, and the reason is, that he studied the +Bible thoroughly when a small boy. Hardly any of his speeches but have +many quotations from the Bible. His step-mother urged him all she could +to study. In reading the life of Washington, he came to think he might +make something out of himself. At this time, they were poor, and there +were few opportunities, and the chances for becoming a great and +prominent man seemed very small; yet young Abraham thought if he would +study hard, he might make something out of himself, and so he did. The +school was very small, and as he had to work a great deal of the time on +the farm, he could not attend it very much; but at night, he would +often, after working hard all day, lie in front of the fireplace and +figure on a piece of board. When he had used up all the space he scraped +it off, and figured again. He would also read books by this same light. +One night while reading the Life of Washington, lying in bed, he placed +the book in the crack between the logs and went to sleep. In the night, +it snowed, and some snow drifted between the logs on the book and +injured it a great deal. It was borrowed from one of the neighbors. +Abraham took it to the owner, and asked him what he could do to pay for +it, and the man said he could work three days on the farm, and Abraham +asked him if that would pay for the injury or pay for the book. The man +said, "Well Abraham, you may have the book, I do not want it." Perhaps +not many of us would be willing to work that hard to get the Life of +Washington; but it was that very hard work and liking to study that made +it possible for Mr. Lincoln to rise from such humble surroundings to be +the great man he was. If he had not worked hard and studied in that way, +he never could have become great. We cannot amount to much of anything +if we are not willing, as boys and girls, to study and work. + +He was always a good speller in school. They used to stand up in two +rows and spell down. When you failed on the word, you sat down and the +next one had a chance at it. A girl was trying to spell "definite," she +was afraid she would miss it and she became nervous, and was about to +spell it with a "y," when Abraham, who was standing across the room, put +his finger up to his eye, giving her a sign, and then she knew it was +"i" instead of "y." Abraham also made a habit of committing to memory +pieces out of the books he was reading, and thus it became possible in +after years for him to use fine quotations in his speeches. He was one +of the best scholars in school. He was also noted for keeping his +clothes clean longer than the others. Sometimes when Abraham was plowing +in the field, at the end of a long row, the horse was allowed to rest, +and he would then get his book from the corner of the fence and read a +little, until it was time to start again. His father did not want him to +do so much reading because he thought he was neglecting the necessary +work; but his step-mother persuaded his father that Abraham was a good +boy and ought to be allowed to read all he could, because it would make +a better man of him. A Mr. Jones, who kept a store in Gentryville took +about the only paper that was received there, and Abraham used to go +into the store regularly to borrow it. He would often read aloud to the +men who gathered there, and make comments. He was so bright in this that +there would always be a great crowd around to listen to him. Abraham was +a great story teller, and would give them many a hearty laugh with the +stories he could tell. Special subjects were also much discussed. About +this time, a few people began to claim that negro slavery was a bad +thing, and there was general discussion over it. Slavery was universally +common in the South. One question of debate was, which was the most to +be complained of, the Indian or the Negro. Soon Mr. Lincoln's habit of +making comments grew into speech making, and he sometimes gave sort of +stump speeches to the crowd in which he would recite passages that he +had committed from the speeches of some of the great orators. He used to +get up on the stump of an old tree to deliver these speeches. This is +why they were called stump speeches. His father did not like this +because it took his attention away from the farm work. Once in a while, +Abraham used to go to Booneville, the county seat to hear law suits. He +also wrote an essay on temperance, and a preacher thought it was so +good, he sent it to Ohio and it was published in a paper. He heard one +of the celebrated Breckenridges make a very fine speech in a law suit. +Although he was a rough country boy, when Mr. Breckenridge, after the +speech, came by where he sat, Lincoln told him the speech was fine; but +the great lawyer thought the young man too cheeky in speaking to him and +snubbed him. In after years when Mr. Lincoln was president, Mr. +Breckenridge called on him, and Mr. Lincoln reminded him of this +incident. In the spring of 1828 when he was nineteen, Mr. Gentry, +proprietor of the store at Gentryville, hired him to take a flat boat +loaded with bacon and farm produce to New Orleans. A son of Mr. Gentry's +was his companion. The boys had quite a time boating down the Ohio to +the Mississippi and then down the Mississippi to New Orleans. One night +when they had tied up the boat and were asleep, some negroes attacked +them and tried to steal their goods, but they successfully drove the +negroes away. At this time, there were a few steamers going up and down +the Mississippi and the boys came home by one of them. It was a +wonderful trip for these boys, Abraham was at this time, a remarkably +strong young man. He grew to be six feet four inches tall, and could +lift far more than any ordinary man, and could strike a heavier blow +with a maul and sink an ax deeper into the wood than almost any other +man. He got eight dollars a month and his board as pay for his hard trip +to New Orleans. He became a very good penman in school, and was known in +that neighborhood for his good writing. One of the copies in his +copy-book that was a favorite was: + +"Good boys who to their books apply, will all be great men bye and bye." + +His step-mother who was fond of him, said "Abraham was a good boy, and I +can say what scarcely a mother can say: Abraham never gave me a cross +word or look, and never refused in fact or appearance anything I +requested. I never gave him a cross word in all my life. His mind and +mine seemed to run together. Abraham was the best boy I ever saw or +expect to see." + +They used to teach politeness in school those days. One of the scholars +would go outside and knock at the door and another would admit him and +ask him to be seated, and the boy was to take off his hat and bow and be +as careful and polite as he could. Although Abraham was very tall and +awkward, he was said to be very gentlemanly in his manners, and the lady +for whom he worked, said he always lifted his hat when he bowed to her. +That was not common then. His sister Sarah, who was two years older than +himself, was married to Aaron Grigsby in 1828 and only lived a year and +a half after her marriage. + +After fourteen years of hard labor on the Spencer county soil, Thomas +Lincoln had learned what has proved ever since true, that it was very +poor farm land. In addition, the milk sickness was a sort of an epidemic +disease in those parts. It came about every year. It was from this that +Abe's mother died. These things, together with some word that he had +received, that Illinois had rich farm land, made him decide to move to +that state. A cousin had already moved there and gave splendid reports +of it. The company which moved to Illinois included Thomas Lincoln, his +wife and her three children, Abraham and some of the other relatives, +thirteen in all. They sold their land, cattle and grain in March, 1830 +and started on their trip. Their goods were packed in a big wagon, the +first one Thomas Lincoln ever owned. It was drawn by four oxen. The +people around Gentryville were very sorry to see them go, for the +neighbors in those days were almost like relatives, and those of them +that still live there, remember the leaving of the Lincoln's as quite an +event. The Lincoln family spent the last night with Mr. Gentry, the man +for whom Gentryville was named, and he went part of the way with them +along the road. One of the boys, James Gentry, planted a cedar tree in +memory of Abraham Lincoln on the ground where the Lincoln home had +stood. It must have been sad to Abraham to know he was leaving behind +him the graves of his mother and sister and the scene of so many +struggles to be a better man. As they drove through the country, +Abraham, who had some thirty dollars he had saved, purchased some things +and sold them as they came to settlements, and in this practical way +earned something along the trip. + +The things he sold were needles, pins, thread, buttons, knives and +forks, etc. Abraham wrote back to one of his friends that he doubled his +money on the way. This was Abraham's first effort as a merchant. They +were about two weeks on their trip. When they passed through Vincennes, +Indiana, they saw for the first time, a printing press. They landed in +Macon county, where John Hanks, their relative had already cut logs for +a new cabin. Many years afterward, when Decatur, the county seat, had +become a large city and Mr. Lincoln a great man, he walked out a few +feet in front of the court house with a friend, stood looking up at the +building and said, "Here is the exact spot where I stood by our wagon +when we moved from Indiana twenty-six years ago. This is not six feet +from the exact spot." The friend asked him if at that time he expected +to be a lawyer and practice law in that court house. He replied, "No, I +did not know I had sense enough to be a lawyer then." + +They fenced in with a rail fence, ten acres of ground, and raised a crop +of corn upon it. Mr. Lincoln and Dennis Hanks split the rails for the +fence, and many years afterwards, men carried some of them into a state +convention at Decatur, where Mr. Lincoln was nominated as the Illinois +candidate for president, with a banner, saying they were split by him, +and he was the "rail candidate." + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +Thomas Lincoln was now well fixed to begin life over again, and as +Abraham was twenty-one, he wished to do for himself and started out. He +never afterwards was a member of his father's household. Thomas Lincoln +lived here a number of years; but afterwards moved to Coles county, +where he lived on a farm near the village of Farmington, that Abraham +bought for him. He died January 17th, 1851. Abraham at the time could +not be present on account of sickness in his own family, so he wrote as +follows: "I sincerely hope that father may recover his health. Tell him +to remember to call upon the great God and all-wise Maker, who will not +turn away from him in any extremity. He notes the fall of the sparrow, +He numbers the hairs of our heads, and will not forget the dying man who +puts his trust in Him. Say to him that if we could meet now it is +doubtful whether it would not be more painful than pleasant; but that if +it be His will for him to go now, he will soon have the joyous meeting +of the loved ones gone before, where the rest of us with the help of God +will hope ere long to join them." Talking to a friend after the death of +his father about his mother, he said "that whatever might be said of his +parents, however unpromising the surroundings of his mother may have +been, she was highly intellectual by nature and had a strong memory and +acute judgment." She had no doubt risen above her surroundings, and had +she lived, the stimulus of her nature would have accelerated the son's +success. + +When Abraham started out for himself, he had almost nothing, not even a +nice suit of clothes, and the very first work he did was to split four +hundred rails for enough money to buy him a pair of brown jeans pants. +He had no trade or influence; but he was strong and good natured. He +could out-lift and out-wrestle and out-work any man he came across. His +friends used to boast of his strength a great deal. One time when he was +president, a man came to him, who was shy on account of being before the +president. After his errand was done, Mr. Lincoln asked him to measure +with him, and the man proved to be even taller, and went away seeming to +think there was something wrong in his being taller than the president +of the United States. While his strength made him popular with the hard +working men, his good nature, wit, stories, and ability to make a good +speech made him popular with everybody! The people liked to have him +around, so he could always get work in the various kinds of labor +necessary on the farm about there. He remained in Macon county a year, +and made for one man alone, three thousand rails. He continued at this +time to read all the books he could get, and also to make stump +speeches, often doing it alone in the woods. A man came along making +political speeches. John Banks told Abraham that he could do better. +Abraham tried it, and the man after hearing his speech took him aside +and asked him how he learned so much and how he could do so well. +Abraham told him that he read a great deal and the man encouraged him to +continue. + +A Mr. Benton Offut wanted to send some produce to New Orleans. Abraham +had had some experience on a trip you will remember before, and so Mr. +Offut hired him at the rate of fifty cents a day to take a flat boat of +goods to New Orleans and sell them. When they were building this boat at +Sangamon, a town that is now gone, Lincoln used to tell stories +particularly in the evening when work was done. They would sit along a +log, and when they came to a funny part, they would laugh so hard that +the men would roll off the log. It is said they did this so often that +it polished the log. They called this "Abraham's log," and many years +afterward, even when Mr. Lincoln was noted, this log was pointed out to +strangers as "Abraham's log." + +When they started to New Orleans their boat got stuck on a dam in the +Sangamon River at New Salem, but Mr. Lincoln thought out a good plan for +getting it off and they finally reached New Orleans in May 1831. They +remained there a month. It was a large city and was very interesting to +Abraham. It was the great business center of the South, and as negro +slavery was a very prominent feature of the South, they saw it in all +its wickedness. At New Orleans one day, John Hanks and Abraham were +walking along the street and came to a slave market. They saw a +beautiful slave girl put up for sale. They pinched her and trotted her +up and down the street just as you would a horse to show its fine parts. +This disgusted Abraham so much that he turned to Hanks and said, "John, +if I ever get a chance to hit that thing (slavery) I will hit it hard." +Strange was it not that he should be the man that would hit it so hard +that it died. + +When he returned from New Orleans, Mr. Offut hired him to take charge of +a little store at New Salem, which he started. This town was a very +little village twenty miles north-west of Springfield. The place where +it was located is now simply a pasture for cattle and sheep, the town +having entirely passed away; but it will always be noted in history as +the place where Abraham Lincoln, the great man lived and conducted a +store. Thus you see that men are so much more important than places, and +it is _their deeds_ that make history. In after years when Mr. Douglas +was debating with Mr. Lincoln he joked him about this store keeping, and +said that he sold liquor over the New Salem bar. When it came Mr. +Lincoln's turn to reply, he was just as witty in his reply and said that +if he did sell liquor over the New Salem bar as his friend had said, he +could assure his audience that the best patron he had was Stephen A. +Douglas. This was simply a joke between these two debaters; but it +illustrates how quick Mr. Lincoln's wit was. + +We all no doubt think ourselves honest; but I wonder if we are as +strictly honest as Mr. Lincoln was. After measuring out some tea for a +lady one evening in the store, he gave it to her. After attending to +other work in the store, he happened to pass by the scales and noticed +he had made a mistake and given her too little. He measured out the +difference, wrapped it up, and although the woman lived a long distance +away, he hastened off to bring her the difference. Perhaps the most of +us might have thought that we would wait until she came in again and +give it to her and perhaps then forget all about it; but that was not +Mr. Lincoln's way. One evening after discovering that he had taken six +and a fourth cents too much from a customer, he walked three miles and +returned the money at once. He also was postmaster, but the postoffice +was so small and did such a little business that the government closed +it up. They neglected, however, to get the balance due them of about +sixteen dollars. Many years afterwards when Mr. Lincoln was living in +Springfield, the agent for the government came to his office for the +money. In the meantime Mr. Lincoln had been through some very great +poverty, and often needed just a little money very much. I presume many +people would have borrowed that sixteen dollars for the time and +returned it when the agent came for it. A friend of Mr. Lincoln's called +him to one side when the agent came for the money, and said he knew he +was poor, and probably did not have that amount with him, and he would +loan it to him; but Mr. Lincoln said he did not need it, and asking the +agent to wait awhile, he went over to his room and got an old sock out +of his trunk and bringing this back to the office, untied it and dumped +on the table the exact money he had received as the postmaster many +years before. Here is a good lesson for us in strict and exact honesty. +This instance illustrates Mr. Lincoln's very strict honesty, and as he +became known about New Salem, and this characteristic was seen by the +people, he was nicknamed "Honest Abe," and this name for honesty went +with him ever afterward, and when he would speak to the jury in a law +suit, and tell them the facts, they would always believe him because he +was known as "Honest Abe," and would not tell a lie. So you see that it +was a very great advantage to him in after years to have been so +strictly honest. It proves the old saying true, that "Honesty is the +best policy." + +Mr. Offut, Abraham's employer was very proud of his strength and was +wont to boast of it very often. There was a settlement near New Salem +called Clary's Grove. A large number of young men who lived in that +vicinity ran together and were known as the Clary's Grove boys. They +were large and strong young men, and very much given to fun and sport. +They were rude and rough and would wrestle, fight and do a great many +tricks. Abraham, being a stranger bragged on by his employer they +thought it was necessary to "take the starch out of him," so they put up +their best man, Jack Armstrong to wrestle against Abraham. Jack +Armstrong was a square built fellow and strong as an ox. Abraham did not +like this sort of thing, but it was hard to avoid it. So they met on a +certain day for the wrestling match. The crowd came to witness the +contest. For a long time they struggled without either gaining a +victory, and both keeping on their feet. Finally Armstrong made a foul +and this made Abraham furious, so he caught Jack by the throat, held him +out at arm's length and shook him as though he was only a child. +Armstrong's friends rushed to his aid, but Abraham backed up to the +building and stood ready. His friends came to his support, and when all +knew about Armstrong's trick and also recognized Abraham's wonderful +strength, they became admirers of him, and ever after the Clary's Grove +boys were staunch friends of Mr. Lincoln. + +He used the influence thus acquired to teach them that the mind is the +measure of the man, and not physical strength and by his example taught +them that to cultivate the mind by reading and study was the more +important thing and he did them a great deal of good. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +While Abraham clerked in Mr. Offut's store he studied hard. Some one +told him he ought to study grammar. In all the neighborhood there was +but one grammar. He heard where it was, and started off at once, and got +Kirkham's grammar. He applied himself to learning it, and would recite +to his friend, Green, and then would consult the school teacher, Mr. +Graham about points. In a few weeks he had learned it, and then took up +other studies. The men thereabouts, seeing him study so much, got the +idea that he was going to be a great man. + +One morning in April, 1832, a messenger from the governor came into New +Salem, scattering circulars asking for volunteers for the Black Hawk +war. Black Hawk was one of the Indian chiefs who had caused the +government a great deal of trouble. + +He made an attack on the settlers. The governor called for help, and +volunteers. Mr. Lincoln with a number of the Clary's Grove boys and +others about New Salem volunteered and went down to Beardstown on the +22nd of April, 1832 to form a regiment. They did not have regular +uniform, but each was dressed in whatever clothing he had. Many of them +wore buckskin breeches and coonskin caps. Each man had his own blanket, +and carried flint lock rifles, with a powder horn slung over his +shoulder. Mr. Kirkpatrick wanted to be captain, and Lincoln thought he +would like to be. This same Mr. Kirkpatrick had owed Abraham some money +for a long time and would not pay it; so Lincoln said to a friend, he +would run for the place, and may be Kirkpatrick would pay him. Each one +stood out, and the men were told to stand beside the man they preferred +for captain, and about two-thirds of them stood beside Lincoln, and thus +he was made captain. He said afterwards when he was president, that he +was never so proud of any election as that. They were not very well +trained soldiers, and Mr. Lincoln did not know the commands very well. +One day he wanted to get his company through a gateway, and he said, "I +could not for the life of me remember the word of command for getting my +company endwise so that it would get through the gate. So as we came +near the gate, I shouted, this company will disband for two minutes, +then it will fall in again on the other side of the gate." + +A helpless Indian came to the camp one day and seven men wanted to kill +him, but Captain Lincoln stood in front of the seven men and told them +they should not hurt the helpless savage. The warfare was not very +successful and the company mustered out in May; but in the latter end of +the same month, Lincoln joined another company. A strange incident then +occurred, the meeting of four men, who afterwards became very +celebrated. It was on the Rock River near Dixon. There were together, +Colonel Zachary Taylor, afterwards commander in general and president of +the United States; Abraham Lincoln, afterwards president of the United +States; Lieut. Anderson, afterwards commander of Ft. Sumter when it was +fired upon and Lieut. Davis, afterwards president of the Southern +Confederacy. On July 10th, Lincoln's company mustered out. It was three +weeks before the last battle of the war which finally killed most of the +Indians and scattered the rest. + +He returned to New Salem, ran for a member of the legislature. There +were eight candidates. He issued a circular in favor of widening the +Sangamon River and made a canvass of the district, going largely to +public sales and shaking hands with the people, and making speeches. At +one place he helped settle a fight and then got upon the platform and +went on with his speech. Lincoln was beaten in the election, although he +was third man in the number of votes of the eight candidates. This was +the only time that Abraham was ever defeated in a direct vote of the +people. + +After the election, he bought an interest with a man named Berry in a +store. At the same time Lincoln began to study law. The law books were +not very numerous. One day a man going past drove up to the store, and +wanted him to buy a barrel of rubbish for which he had no room in his +wagon. Lincoln paid half a dollar for it. Sometime afterwards in looking +over the stuff, he found a complete edition of Blackstone's law +commentary. "The more I read," said he, "the more interested I became. +Never in my life was my mind so thoroughly possessed. I read until I +devoured it." These books are quite a large set of books and it must +have required a good deal of work to have learned them. + +Lincoln was postmaster. The rates of postage then, were much higher than +they are now. For instance, a single sheet letter carried thirty miles +or under eighty was ten cents, four hundred miles, eighteen and one-half +cents, and over that twenty-five cents. As Mr. Lincoln studied so hard, +and his partner Berry did not attend to the business very well, the +store was not prosperous. They gave it up and sold out. Lincoln then +studied surveying, and became a surveyor. He also began to practice a +little law, and when anybody had a law suit about New Salem, he was +frequently employed. It is said that when he first took up surveying, he +was too poor to buy him a chain, and had to use a grape vine. Between +the surveying and a little law practice, Lincoln made his living; but it +was not until fifteen years afterwards that he was able to settle all +the debts made by the store of Berry & Lincoln. + +The summer of 1834 he again ran for the legislature and was elected. The +capital at this time was located at Vandalia instead of Springfield. +They only had rough tables and benches for the legislators, and they did +not receive as much pay as they do now. They wore the same kind of +suits, buckskin trousers and coonskin caps as the soldiers of the Black +Hawk war. At the time Mr. Lincoln was a member of the legislature it was +very unpopular to be an abolitionist. The legislature passed a +resolution condemning the abolitionists because they stirred up the +people by agitating the freedom of slaves. Mr. Lincoln and one other man +signed a protest against the resolution, and were the only members of +the Illinois legislature at this time who were willing to stand up for +the freedom of the slaves. + +Mr. Lincoln continued to study law quite hard while he was a member of +the legislature. He had four terms, and met some men there as +fellow-members who afterwards became very prominent men. + +It was about one hundred miles from New Salem to Vandalia, the capital +of the state, where the legislature met. There were few railroads at +that time and in addition Abraham Lincoln was very poor, so he walked to +and from Vandalia. He was quite a big man and of course had big feet. +They tell a funny story of one time he and a companion were walking home +from Vandalia. It was cold weather and Mr. Lincoln complained of being +very cold. His companion said: "Well, Abe, I don't see how you can help +it when there is so much of you on the ground." + +Mr. Lincoln was eight years a member of the state legislature and was +one of the most active members in securing the change of the capital +from Vandalia to Springfield, where it now is. Stephen A. Douglas was +also a member of the legislature. There is another funny story I might +tell you of Mr. Lincoln's peculiarity of appearance. Mr. Lovejoy, who +was a congressman from Princeton, Illinois, and a great abolitionist was +talking with Mr. Douglas one day in Washington when Mr. Lincoln was +passing by. They called over Mr. Lincoln and Mr. Lovejoy said: "Abe, I +have been telling Judge Douglas that his legs are too short (Mr. Douglas +was a very short, heavy-set man), and yours are too long; what do you +think about it?" Mr. Lincoln replied, "Well, I never gave the matter +much thought but I have always been of the opinion that a man's legs +ought to be long enough to reach from his body to the ground." In March, +1837, he was licensed to practice law, and concluded to move from New +Salem to Springfield. A pathetic incident is related of his moving. He +had very little goods, so borrowed a horse and put most of them into a +pair of saddle-bags, rode up to Springfield and went into the store of +his friend Speed and asked him how much it would cost to buy a bedroom +set of furniture. Mr. Speed figured it up. About the cheapest would be +seventeen dollars. A sad look came over Abraham's face, and he said, +"Well Speed, I suppose that is cheap enough, but cheap as it is, I have +not the money to pay for it." "Well," said Speed, "I tell you, Abraham, +I have a big double bed up stairs, and if you want to occupy half of it +with me, you are welcome." Mr. Lincoln grabbed his saddle-bags and went +up stairs. In another minute he was down, with a smile on his face. +"Well Speed, I moved," and he never moved again but once, and that was +when he moved as president of the United States from Springfield to +Washington. A strange comparison. + +I must tell you a little story that happened to Mr. Lincoln at New +Salem, before he moved to Springfield. One of the prominent families +there was that of James Rutledge. They had a very pretty and sweet +daughter named Anne. She was gentle, kind and good, and everyone loved +her. She was also bright intellectually as a student, and a good many +young men about there tried to court her. Although Mr. Lincoln was a +very homely man, he had studied and developed his mind so much, and had +so much information that he really was handsome. + +It proves that what we know, not how we look is the important thing, and +so he was the one favored by Anne Rutledge. They became quite in love +with each other and were engaged. + +While Mr. Lincoln was away, Anne was taken sick and continued to get +worse. When he returned he found her past recovery. She died August +25th, 1835. Mr. Lincoln was wonderfully overcome with grief, and said to +a friend who tried to cheer him, and urge him to control his sorrow, "I +cannot. The thought of snow and rain on her grave fills me with +indescribable grief," and it was a long time before he could shake off +the melancholy and sadness of her death so as to apply himself to his +regular duties. He was wont to go off to her grave, and said, "My heart +is buried there." In years after, he said, "I really and truly loved the +girl, and think often of her now, and I have always loved the name of +Rutledge to this day." + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +After settling in Springfield, Mr. Lincoln formed a law partnership with +Mr. John T. Stewart, who was known as one of the leading lawyers in +Springfield. They were quite successful. At that time it was customary +for the lawyers to go around with the judge from one county-seat to +another where court was held in the district. Judge David Davis was +Circuit Judge at this time, and there were a number of men in the group +that went around Central Illinois together, who afterward became famous +men. Mr. Lincoln was one of the most popular in the crowd, for he was a +splendid story-teller, and would keep the crowd amused for hours with +funny stories after court was over for the day. One time the son of Jack +Armstrong, whom Abraham had thrown in the wrestling match at New Salem, +was accused of committing a murder. His mother was poor and Jack +Armstrong was dead. She came to Mr. Lincoln and told him she had no +money, but wished very much he could help her and defend her son. He did +so. A man at the trial swore he saw by the moonlight this young +Armstrong strike the man who was killed. Mr. Lincoln got the almanac and +proved by it that there was no moon shining at that time. Then when he +told the jury with tears in his eyes how the poor old mother was down in +the pasture waiting with a sad heart for the verdict and that he +believed the young man was innocent, they all believed him, for they +knew him as "Honest Abe Lincoln," so they cleared young Armstrong and +sent him to support his poor old mother. Mr. Lincoln used to win very +many cases, for the juries all believed him. You remember he was so +honest in the little New Salem store that he got the name of "Honest Abe +Lincoln." Thus it was proved in his case very clearly that "honesty is +the best policy." He never made much money, although he was so +successful, because he was low in his charges and he was never a rich +man. He tried many cases for poor people without charging them anything. +One day as the lawyers were riding their horses along the road, some one +said: "Where is Abe?" and another lawyer spoke up and said: "I left him +back there hunting the nest for some birds that had lost it." You see by +this how kind-hearted he was even towards birds and animals. + +They used to have debating societies in Springfield and Abraham was fond +of taking part. The practice he got in this way helped make him a fine +speaker. The Washingtonian society was a strong temperance organization +at that time. At one of its meetings, February 22, 1842, Mr. Lincoln +spoke and said what has often been quoted since: "When the victory shall +be complete, when there shall be neither a slave nor a drunkard on the +earth, how proud the title of that land which may claim to be the +birth-place and cradle of those resolutions that shall have ended in +victory." + +You see by this, that as far back as 1842 Mr. Lincoln was a strong +temperance man as well as opposer of slavery. When the committee came to +notify him of his nomination for president, instead of treating them to +wine, as was the custom, Mr. Lincoln gave them water and remarked that +he would continue his habit of using and giving his guests "Adam's Ale," +or pure water. Mr. Lincoln ran for congress against the famous Illinois +pioneer preacher, Peter Cartwright. Mr. Cartwright was a very noted and +popular man and it is therefore all the more to the credit of Mr. +Lincoln that he was elected. He was only two years in congress and was +not able in that length of time to make much of a record, as new men do +not get heard very easily. + +A beautiful young lady, Miss Mary Todd, came from Kentucky to live with +her sister, Mrs. Edwards, in Springfield. The Edwards family was very +prominent for the father had been governor of Illinois. Miss Todd was +one of the popular belles in Springfield and was courted by many of the +leading young men. Mr. Lincoln was the successful suitor, however, and +they were married November 4, 1842. They had three boys. Only one of +them is living now; the Honorable Robert Lincoln, a lawyer in Chicago +and former American minister to Great Britain. The other boys died while +little fellows. + +Two young men who became very famous in the history of our country +really started their careers at Springfield, Illinois. One was Stephen +A. Douglas and the other Abraham Lincoln. It would be hard to say which +of these young men was the smarter; they were both brilliant and hard +workers. That is, they studied hard and that made them successful. +Although they were both great men, they were not much alike in +appearance or in disposition or in the quality of their minds. + +Mr. Lincoln came from the South where they liked slavery and Mr. Douglas +from Vermont where they hated slavery. They both came to Illinois at +about the age of twenty-one, when they became citizens according to the +law. + +At this time Illinois was a sort of debating battle-ground. Emigrants +came to it from the north and east, who were opposed to slavery; others +came from the south, who were in favor of slavery, and these two +classes, in the absence of slavery and on rather mutual ground, debated +the rights and wrongs of slavery with constant and energetic debate. + +The Democratic party at this time was mostly in the South and the Whig +party mostly in the North. Slavery was in the South, but not in the +North. Naturally, therefore, the Democratic party favored slavery, and +the Whig party, while it did not oppose slavery, yet did not favor it. +You would think, under the circumstances, that Mr. Lincoln coming from +the South, would have been a Democrat, and Mr. Douglas coming from the +North would have been a Whig. But they each did the opposite. The +Democratic party was in the majority in Illinois at this time and I +presume Mr. Douglas, coming to the state, ambitious to succeed, thought +he could best succeed if he went in with the popular party, for it had +control of the offices and could give him a place and then advance him +higher and higher as he proved his worth. After events proved that he +was thus advanced and to very great honors. + +When Mr. Lincoln was making a speech at Charleston, Illinois, one time, +a man in the audience tried to ridicule him, and shouted out: "Say, +Lincoln, when you came to Illinois, didn't you come barefoot and driving +a yoke of oxen?" + +Showing how coming poor from a slave state, he was helped to be what he +was, by the free state of Illinois. Mr. Lincoln wound up the reply with +these magnificent words: + +"Yes, and we will speak for freedom and against slavery as long as the +constitution of our country guarantees free speech, until everywhere on +this wide land, the sun shall shine and the rain fall and the wind blow +upon no man who goes forth to unrequited toil." + +Thus you see Mr. Lincoln was opposed to slavery, and though he was as +ambitious as Mr. Douglas and would have been glad to be on the +successful and winning side so he could be advanced, he was nevertheless +so strictly honest that he would not join the popular party because it +endorsed slavery, and he was so determined to be strictly honest in his +politics as well as everything else that he was willing to apparently +throw away his chances of success and join the unpopular party because +it did not endorse slavery, which he thought a wicked institution. + +So these two young men started out. One went into the popular and +successful party and succeeded with it. The other went into the +unpopular and unsuccessful party and failed with it, yet did not fail, +because he kept his principles. Mr. Douglas went on higher and higher in +honors and fame and was United States senator a number of years. In the +senate he ranked as one of the greatest statesmen of the day. + +Mr. Lincoln was only a well-to-do lawyer, unknown out of Central +Illinois. Twenty years after their start he thus wrote of it: + +"Twenty years ago Douglas and I first became acquainted. We were both +young then. Even then we were both ambitious. I, perhaps quite as much +as he. With me the race of ambition has been a failure--a flat failure. +With him it has been one of splendid success. His name fills the nation +and is not unknown even in foreign lands. I affect no contempt for the +high eminence he has reached. So reached, that the oppressed of my +species might have shared with me in the elevation, I would rather stand +on that eminence than wear the richest crown that ever pressed a +monarch's brow." + +By this you see he appreciated Mr. Douglas' honors, but would not accept +them himself if to do so, he had to endorse slavery. + +In 1858 Mr. Douglas was generally recognized as the ablest man in the +Democratic party, and it was thought that two years later, he would be +the Democratic nominee for president, and as the Democrats were in the +majority he would certainly be the next president of the United States. +Mr. Lincoln was not known much outside of Central Illinois, where he +practiced law. + +One of the political doctrines of Mr. Douglas was called "Squatter +Sovereignty." It meant that in the new territories and states being +added to the Union, that if they wanted slavery there, the people could +vote to have it or they could vote not to have it. Mr. Lincoln was +opposed to this, and wanted no more slave states added to the Union. He +challenged Mr. Douglas, as the representative of Illinois in the United +States senate to a joint debate. Mr. Douglas finally agreed, and they +held seven wonderful debates in different parts of the state. Great +crowds came from far and near to hear them. They were drawn by the fame +of Mr. Douglas, who rode on special trains and had bands of music, and +cannons fired off when he entered the town. Mr. Lincoln often rode in +the caboose of a freight train or was hauled over-land in the wagon of +some farmer friend. The people, when they had heard these debates, went +home and talked them over, and it was seen that two wonderful men had +met in the political battlefield. Mr. Douglas seemed just as able as Mr. +Lincoln, and they said so; but they saw Mr. Lincoln was right, and +standing by a principle, while Douglas was wrong, and compromising with +a principle. Mr. Douglas did receive the Democratic nomination for +president although his party split. + +These debates and Mr. Lincoln's right stand made him suddenly famous. +His fame spread rapidly over the whole country east and west. He was +asked to go and speak in New York city in Cooper Institute, and +delivered a wonderful address there and at other places in the East. He +came to Bloomington, Illinois and delivered a speech in which he said: +"As long as Almighty God reigns and the school children read, this foul, +black lie of African slavery shall not continue; it shall not remain +half slave and half free." Mr. Seward, of New York, a great statesman, +who was the author of the famous "irrepressible conflict" expression was +thought to be the man who would be nominated for president by the +Republican party which had taken the place of the Whig party and was +standing stronger against slavery. There were several others, like Mr. +Chase, of Ohio, and Mr. Stanton, who it was thought might also receive +the nomination. Some were advocating Mr. Lincoln for vice president; but +he said he would not have that. The Illinois state convention met at +Decatur, and in the midst of it, some men came in carrying a banner +supported by two fence rails on which was this: "Abraham Lincoln, the +rail candidate for president in 1860. Two rails from a lot of three +thousand made in 1830 by Thomas Hanks and Abraham Lincoln, whose father +was the first pioneer of Macon county." This created a wonderful +excitement, and the vote of Illinois became in favor of Lincoln as the +nominee for president. + +A large, rough building was erected in Chicago, called the Wigwam, in +which the Republican convention was held. Large delegations with bands +of music came on special trains from all over the country. The +excitement was great. Illinois sent thousands to shout for Mr. Lincoln. +The hotels were packed with noisy people. Banners and mottes in +profusion floated from the business houses and public buildings. But a +small part of the crowd could get into the Wigwam, although it held +several thousand. Mr. Seward, of New York, the author of "the +irrepressible conflict" was the most popular and most noted of the +candidates and it was thought he would receive the nomination. The +Illinois men and Mr. Lincoln's friends started to work for Mr. Lincoln's +nomination. They worked day and night, scarcely eating or sleeping. The +first ballot showed Mr. Seward to be considerably ahead but not enough +to win. Then breaking began on the following ballots from the smaller +candidates to Mr. Lincoln, and he received a majority of the votes and +was nominated as the Republican candidate for president May 16, 1860. A +man was on top of the Wigwam; as soon as the result of the last ballot +was announced he shouted to a man on the edge of the building, "Fire the +salute, Lincoln is nominated." He passed it on to others. Soon the bells +began to ring, cannon were fired and the people on the streets were wild +with enthusiasm. + +Mr. Douglas received the Democratic nomination, but that party split and +Mr. Breckenridge was nominated by a few. There was now the direct +conflict between the extension and non-extension of slavery. Mr. Lincoln +became very much worked up on the slavery question, and talking to Dr. +Bateman, whose room, as State Superintendent of Public Instruction, was +next his in the capital at Springfield, he said: + +"I know there is a God, and he hates injustice and slavery. I see the +storm coming. I know that His hand is in it. If He has a place for me +and work for me and I think He has--I believe I am ready. I am nothing, +but truth is everything. I know I am right because I know that liberty +is right, for Christ teaches it and Christ is God. I have told them that +a house divided against itself cannot stand, and Christ and reason say +the same and they will find it so. Douglas don't care whether slavery is +voted up or down, but God cares and humanity cares and I care; and with +God's help I shall not fail. I may not see the end, but it will come and +I shall be vindicated and these men will find that they have not read +their Bible right." + +The election came off in November, and Mr. Lincoln found the people had +read their Bibles' right on slavery and elected him by a tremendous +majority. + +March 4, 1861, Mr. Lincoln stood at the Capitol building to deliver his +inaugural address as president of the United States. He did not see a +place to put his hat and Mr. Douglas reached forward, took it and held +it while Mr. Lincoln spoke. + +Now you see the outcome of these two men. One compromised with this +great principle, and, after thus holding the hat of his successful +rival, who would not compromise with the principle, went out and died a +few months afterward with a broken heart for his lost ambition. Before +he died, however, Mr. Douglas became an outspoken defender of the Union +and opposed to the war of the rebellion. On the other hand, Mr. Lincoln, +true to this principle suffered defeat for many years, but in the end +won the greatest honor and became the greatest president of our nation. +It pays to be true to principle, no matter how unpopular it may be and +though seeming defeat of our ambitions stare us in the face. "This above +all things, to thine own self be true," was the wise advice of Polonius +to his son in Shakespeare's play of Hamlet. + +The preceding president had been favorable to the South and slavery and +many of their men were in command of the military posts and other +important parts. The navy was scattered to distant ports and large +quantities of arms and ammunition were stored in the Southern forts. The +election of Mr. Lincoln seemed to anger the Southern men beyond +endurance and there were loud threats of secession. When he delivered +his inaugural address he saw many scowling, angry faces in front of him. +In great kindness he appealed to them and his last thought was very +beautiful when he said: + +"In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow countrymen, and not in mine, are +the momentous issues of civil war. + +"You have no oath registered in Heaven to destroy the government. While +I have the most solemn one to preserve, protect and defend it. + +"We are not enemies, but friends. Though passion may have strained, it +must not break our bonds of affection. + +"The mystic chords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and +patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad +land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as +surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature." + +It was all in vain and South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, +Georgia, Louisiana and Texas in turn led off in secession. They met at +Montgomery, Alabama and formed the "Confederate States of America," with +Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi as president and Alexander H. Stephens +of Georgia as vice-president. Arsenals, custom-houses, forts and ships +of the United States were seized. Fort Sumter was fired upon by Gen. +Beauregard April 14, 1861, and the great Civil war, the greatest in +history, began. + +This was the hardest place a president of the United States was ever in. +There was but a small army, and as I said the navy was scattered. +President Lincoln at once called for volunteer troops. The attack on +Fort Sumter so aroused the North that men rapidly left their families +and homes, that which one most loves, and rushed to enlist as volunteer +soldiers. They had a song in which were these words: + +"We are coming Father Abraham, Three hundred thousand strong." + +Thus they called the great president "Father Abraham" and showed how +much they loved him. + +Gen. George B. McClellan was put in command of the army. The first +battle of any note was that of Bull Run, near Washington. In this the +Northern soldiers were driven back and beaten. It seemed very +discouraging then for the cause of the Union. + +More soldiers enlisted and the army was trained and drilled until Mr. +Lincoln thought they ought to attack Gen. Lee, who commanded the +Confederate army. He felt sure as they had more men they could defeat +him and capture Richmond, which was now the capital of the Confederate +States. General McClellan seemed to be afraid to move forward and wanted +more time to drill the men he had and make other preparations and also +wanted more men. In the meantime, of course Gen. Lee was making stronger +his army and preparing more defences around Richmond so that it was +harder to defeat him. + +The army in the West was not doing very well either. But at last +Illinois furnished another son in the person of General Grant, who won +great and decisive victories. Vicksburg, which was the great stronghold +of the Southern army in the West surrendered to him July 4, 1863. +President Lincoln had been trying in every way to get General McClellan +to move on the enemy but could not, and at last the general was moved +from command. General Meade had command of the Eastern army which fought +the battle of Gettysburg and won that great victory on the same Fourth +of July that General Grant captured Vicksburg. + +The battle of Gettysburg is said to have been about the greatest in +history; 23,000 soldiers were killed. Now there was great rejoicing in +the North. In these early years of the war, President Lincoln was placed +in a very hard position. The abolitionists abused him because he did not +issue the emancipation proclamation, freeing the slaves; the Middle +states, that had not seceded, threatened to do so if he did. Some of his +own Cabinet were not true to him. The people cried out because General +McClellan would not move forward, and Mr. Lincoln tried in vain to get +him to do so. Therefore these great victories of Vicksburg and +Gettysburg came to him as a wonderful blessing and relief from the awful +strain he had been enduring. General Grant had won some other grand +victories preceding the capture of Vicksburg, and the Union, as the old +ship of state, seemed to be sailing into more peaceful waters. + + "Sail on, O ship of state, + Sail on, O Union, strong and great; + Humanity with all its fears, + With all its hopes of future years, + Is hanging breathless on thy fate. + In spite of rock and tempest roar, + In spite of false lights on the shore; + Sail on, nor fear to breast the sea, + Our hearts, our hopes, our prayers are all with thee." + +General Grant was given command of the Eastern army, and pushing the +enemy hard, victory after victory came to the North. Gen. Sherman +marched his army right through the middle of the enemy, dividing it into +two parts. He captured Atlanta and then went on to the sea. The song, +"Marching through Georgia," was written over this wonderful march. There +were more victories in the South and West. General Grant was made +commander-in-chief of the armies, and it soon became clear that the +cause of secession was lost. + +Mr. Lincoln had written an emancipation proclamation and was working it +over, thinking and consulting about it. He did not know just when was +the best time to issue so momentous a document, that would set free four +million of colored men in the degradation and bondage of human slavery. +Mr. Seward was Secretary of State and a very wise man; he gave him some +good advice about it. Mr. Carpenter quotes Mr. Lincoln's words as +follows: + +"I put the draft of the proclamation aside, waiting for a victory. Well, +the next news we had was of Pope's disaster at Bull Run. Things looked +darker than ever. Finally came the week of the battle of Antietam. I +determined to wait no longer. The news came, I think on Wednesday, that +the advantage was on our side. I was then staying at the Soldiers' Home. +Here I finished writing the second draft of the proclamation; came up on +Saturday; called the Cabinet together to hear it, and it was published +the following Monday. I made a solemn vow before God, that if General +Lee was driven back from Maryland I would crown the result by the +declaration of freedom to the slaves." + +The Emancipation Proclamation is certainly the greatest thing in the +nineteenth century. + +The Confederate army continued to grow weaker. They were short of food +and rest. General Grant's army gave them no rest but pushed after them +day and night. They made one more gallant and brave attack on the Union +forces, but in vain, and April 9, 1865, Gen. Lee surrendered +unconditionally to Gen. Grant at Appomatox Court House, Va. At the +instance of President Lincoln, Gen. Lee's soldiers were allowed to ride +home their horses, and, no longer rebel soldiers, but American citizens, +begin to plow the ground with their horses, to till the soil and make a +living for themselves and families. To-day there are none that rejoice +more than the men of the South that African slavery is forever +abolished. + +In 1864 Mr. Lincoln was again elected president by a very large majority +over Gen. McClellan, the Democratic nominee. At his second inaugural he +uttered some very fine things. Some of them are as follows: + +"Neither party expected for the war the magnitude or the duration it has +already obtained. Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God, and +each invokes His aid against the other. It may seem strange that any men +should dare to ask a just God's assistance in wringing their bread from +the sweat of other men's faces. But let us judge not that we be not +judged. The prayers of both could not be answered. * * * The Almighty +had his own purposes. 'Woe unto the world because of offenses, for it +must needs be that offenses come; but woe to that man by whom the +offense cometh.' If we shall suppose that American slavery is one of +these offenses, which in the providence of God must needs come * * * and +he gives to both North and South this terrible war as the woe due to +those by whom the offense came, shall we discern there any departure +from those divine attributes, which the believers in a living God always +ascribe to him? Fondly do we hope, fervently do we pray, that this +mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet if God wills that it +continue until all the wealth piled by the bondsman's two hundred and +fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of +blood drawn by the lash shall be paid by another drawn by the sword, as +was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said that 'the +judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether.'" + +Saturday, April 8, 1865, was a glad day throughout the North. Men met +each other early on that day and shook hands with smiling faces. Many +shouted and threw their hats in the air. Great bonfires were kindled and +bands came out and played happy airs. Flags floated everywhere. That +morning word came on the telegraph wires that Richmond had been +captured. Lee had surrendered and the war was over. + +Just one week later men met each other on the street with tears in their +eyes; signs of mourning were seen everywhere, and the bands played sad +tunes. Word came on the telegraph wire that morning that the beloved +president was dead; killed by an assassin's bullet. + +Mr. Lincoln and his wife were out riding around Washington, and he said, +"Mary, we have had a stormy life in Washington, and after this term of +office is over, we will go back to Springfield and live a quiet life." +But God had willed otherwise. That evening while he was resting from his +hard labors and duties as president by attending Ford's theater, John +Wilkes Booth, a wild fanatic, who had been a southern rebel, stole upon +him from the rear and shot him in the back of the head, then jumped to +the stage, and shouted, "Sic semper tyrannis." Booth then leaped out of +the window. Although his leg had been broken by the first jump, he got +on a horse and rode day and night until he got into Virginia, and there +hid in a barn. When they tried to capture him, he would not come out of +the barn, so they set the barn on fire, and when he came out they shot +him. Several others who were in this plot were hung. They carried +President Lincoln to the house across the street, where, as the dawn of +day came, his soul departed to its everlasting rest in Heaven. + +There probably has never been a death more sudden and unexpected and +terrible in the history of the nations. Not only in this country did men +everywhere cease their work as people do when a relative dies; but even +in the countries of Europe they did so. All organizations passed +resolutions of sympathy and the governments universally expressed +theirs. It was a world-wide calamity. + +He had gone through the four years of a terrible civil war unharmed, and +now, when he had saved his country, conquered the enemy, and made him a +friend again, and beautiful peace had come everywhere, to think his life +should be taken by a cruel murderer, seemed more than men could bear. +Every family mourned as though one of its own number had died suddenly. + +The Washington funeral took place at the White House, Wednesday, April +19. The body was then taken to the rotunda of the capitol and covered +with flowers. It lay in state until Friday, April 21. Thousands of +people came to look at the calm, sad face that so many had looked at for +hope through the long years of the awful war. It was now cold in death, +but had a peaceful, natural look. + +A great funeral train was formed that moved slowly across the country, +going back along the route he came as the new president in 1861. It was +over a week on the journey, as at many of the cities and towns it had to +be stopped, so memorial exercises might be held and the people get a +chance to see for the last time, the face of the martyr president. More +than a million people, no doubt, thus looked on the dead face of +President Lincoln. + +They reached Springfield May 3 and there the greatest funeral ceremony +took place and he was buried in Oakwood cemetery. Bishop Simpson +preached the funeral sermon. In the beautiful tomb and under the +magnificent monument since erected, Abraham Lincoln, his wife and two +sons now sleep, awaiting the great resurrection day. + +The nations of the world passed so many tributes in his honor that they +were bound into a book of nearly a thousand pages. + +As Mr. Lincoln was returning from Richmond on the steamer, the last +Sunday of his life, he read aloud to some friends this seeming tribute +for himself, from Shakespeare: + + "Duncan is in his grave; + After life's fitful fever he sleeps well; + Treason has done his worst; nor steel nor poison, + Malice domestic, foreign levy, nothing + Can touch him further." + +The other passage might have been well added: + + "This Duncan + Hath borne his faculties so meek, hath been + So clear in his great office, that his virtues + Will plead like angels, trumpet-tongued, against + The deep damnation of his taking off." + +May we be able to imitate the virtues of Abraham Lincoln. + + "Lives of great men all remind us + We can make our lives sublime + And departing leave behind us + Footprints on the sands of time." + + + + +Little Stories of Lincoln. + + +There always cluster around a great man like Mr. Lincoln, many +interesting incidents and stories. They are not always entirely true, +and it is not always possible to prove or disprove them. Nevertheless, +they often show true traits of the character, and as side lights help us +form the proper estimate. I have therefore added some of these incidents +and stories. + + + + +HOW HE LOOKED. + + + +Mr. Lincoln was tall and rugged. His face had even more strength than +his person. He had very simple manners and as natural as though among +neighbors. He wrote a plain hand. He was very kind-hearted and inclined +to pardon those who did wrong, particularly those who from fatigue fell +asleep when on guard. He was kind to the poor and thoughtful of their +needs. He was an example of that saying--"There is nothing so kingly as +kindness." He was a very modest man and without pretense or jealousy. He +often appointed to places of honor, those who had been his rivals and +even those who had said ugly things about him. + + + + +FREEDOM IN THE CABINET. + + +Secretary Usher relates some interesting facts. + +"I was in the Cabinet somewhat more than two years. It was very +ill-assorted. There was hardly ever such a thing as a regular cabinet +meeting in the sense of form. Under Johnson and Grant the chairs were +placed in regular order around the table. Nothing of the kind ever +occurred in Mr. Lincoln's Cabinet. Seward would come in and lie down on +a settee. Stanton hardly ever stayed more than five or ten minutes. +Sometimes Seward would tell the president the outline of some paper he +was writing on a State matter. Lincoln generally stood up and walked +about. In fact every member of the Cabinet ran his own department in his +own way. I don't suppose that such a historic period was ever so simply +operated. Lincoln trusted all his subordinates and they worked out their +own performances." + + + + +A GREAT MAN. + + +He was one of the greatest men who ever lived. It has now been many +years since I was in his Cabinet and some of the things which happened +there have been forgotten, and the whole of it is rather dreamy. But +Lincoln's extraordinary personality is still one of the most distinct +things in my memory. He was as wise as a serpent. He had the skill of +the greatest statesman in the world. Everything he handled came to +success. Nobody took up his work and brought it to the same perfection. + + + + +A FORGIVING MAN. + + +That Mr. Lincoln was not only kind-hearted, but forgiving, is shown by +his treatment of the secession leaders. He never spoke unkindly of them, +including even Jefferson Davis, who caused so much of the trouble. Some +at the close of the war said: "Do not let Davis escape. He must be +hanged." To which Mr. Lincoln replied: "Judge not, that ye be not +judged." When he was assassinated he was planning pardon and kind +treatment for those who were defeated in the rebellion. + + + + +KIND OF LAWYER. + + +Fairness was the predominating quality of Mr. Lincoln as a trial lawyer. +He did not claim his side was all right and the other side all wrong. +Sometimes he would say: "I do not think my client is entitled to the +whole of what he claims. In this or that point he may be in error." He +was not abusive, as so many lawyers are, of the opposing side, but if he +said a stern thing under necessity he would qualify it by saying he was +sorry to have to make a severe statement. + + + + +AN UGLY MAN. + + +Mr. Lincoln was not vain of his personal appearance. Indeed if you look +at his picture in the front of this book you will see he was a homely +man. He only wore a beard while president. Previous to that time he +shaved all his beard. He would laugh at a joke on himself as heartily as +anyone else. He used to tell and laugh over the following: + +"When I was traveling the circuit in Illinois, practicing law, I was +accosted one day on the cars by a stranger who said: + +"'Excuse me, sir, but I have an article which belongs to you.' + +"'How is that?' I asked, astonished. + +"The stranger took a pocket knife out and said: 'This knife was put in +my hands some time ago with the instruction that I was to keep it until +I found an uglier man than myself. I have carried it ever since. Allow +me to say I think it now rightly belongs to you, sir, and I respectfully +hand you your property.'" + + + + +THE BULL STORY. + + +One day when he was crossing a field a fierce bull saw him and made a +charge. Mr. Lincoln ran for the fence but even his long legs could not +go fast enough to reach it before the bull would catch him, so he ran to +a hay-stack and began running around it. The bull could not make the +sharp curves around the hay-stack as well as Mr. Lincoln, so he began to +gain on the bull, until instead of the bull overtaking him, he began to +overtake the bull and at last catching up, he seized the tail of the +bull with a tight grip. Then as often as he could, he began to kick the +bull until he bellowed in pain and dashed across the field with Mr. +Lincoln still hanging to his tail, kicking him whenever he could and +shouting "Who began this fight, anyhow?" + + + + +THE LITTLE WOMAN. + + +Mr. Lincoln was seated in the Journal office at Springfield with some +friends, when a telegraph boy came running across the street from the +telegraph office, waving a telegram, and shouting, "Mr. Lincoln, you are +nominated." His friends gathered around to shake his hand in +congratulation as he stood reading the momentous little yellow sheet. In +a sort of absent-minded way he shook hands with them and then said: +"Gentlemen, excuse me, there is a little woman down the street that is +more interested in this than I am, and I will take it to her." He then +started down the street with long strides toward his home. This nicely +shows how thoughtful he was of his wife and how much he loved her. She +was the first to him in his hour of great success and honor. + + + + +NOT AFRAID. + + +In the time of the Civil war there was a danger that Mr. Lincoln might +be killed because he was president and conducting the war. It was +thought that some traitor might watch until he got a good chance, when +the president was unprotected, and then shoot him. Mr. Lincoln never +seemed to fear this, however. He would walk over from the White House to +the War department at night and alone. It would be midnight and two +o'clock in the morning sometimes. At the War department Secretary +Stanton would receive dispatches from the officers in the army on the +situation at the front and Mr. Lincoln, after the day's work desired to +get the latest word from the battles. When he was cautioned about danger +he said: "If anyone desires to kill me, I do not suppose any amount of +care could prevent it." How sadly true this was even when the war was +over. + + + + +KIND OF RELIGION. + + +A while before his assassination, two Tennessee ladies called on the +president, asking for the release of their husbands, who were prisoners +of war at Johnson's Island. One of the ladies urged upon the president +as a cause for her husband's release, that he was a religious man. He +finally released them, but said: + +"You say your husband is a religious man: tell him when you meet him +that I say I am not much of a judge of religion, but that in my opinion, +the religion that sets men to rebel and fight against their government, +because, as they think, that government does not sufficiently help some +men to eat their bread by the sweat of other men's faces, is not the +sort of religion upon which people can get to Heaven." + + + + +MR. LINCOLN'S FIRST DOLLAR. + + +In the president's chamber some men were conversing one evening, and the +conversation running on that line Mr. Lincoln said: "Seward, you never +heard, did you, how I earned my first dollar? I was about eighteen years +old and we were quite poor. We had raised some produce and I got +mother's consent to take it down the river on a flat boat and sell it. +There were then no wharves on the river. I was down at the bank looking +over my flat boat to see that it was all right before I started out. Two +men came along and wanted to get out to a steamer in the river and asked +me if I would take them and their trunks out. I said, 'Certainly.' So +they got on the flat boat and I pulled them out to the steamer and they +got aboard and I lifted on the trunks. The steamer was about to go and +the men had forgotten to pay me, so I shouted to them and each of them +threw a silver half dollar on the floor of my boat. I could scarcely +believe my eyes when I saw the amount of the money. It may seem a small +sum to you gentlemen, but it seemed an immense sum to me. To think that +I, a poor boy, had earned a dollar in less than a day and by honest +work, was almost too good to be true. But there it was and the world did +not not seem such an awful big and terrible place after all, and I +thought perhaps I could do great things yet, even if I was such a poor +and helpless chap." + + + + +MR. LINCOLN AT SUNDAY SCHOOL. + + +Five Points in New York for many years was considered about the most +wicked place in the city. They started missions there and made it +better. One Sunday morning when Sunday School commenced, a tall, strange +looking man entered and sat down. He listened with close attention to +the exercises and when the lesson was over, the superintendent asked him +if he would say something to the children. He said he would gladly; and +going forward he talked in a plain, simple, earnest way and fascinated +the children so that they all became very quiet and listened to all he +had to say very eagerly. The faces of the children would brighten as he +told some beautiful lesson or break into laughter as he quaintly told a +humorous incident and then they would look serious as he warned them of +sin and wrong and what would follow. Once or twice he tried to stop, but +the little folks shouted, "Go on, Oh, do go on!" The superintendent +wondered who this unusually interesting man was and when he was leaving, +asked his name. The reply was, "I am Abraham Lincoln." + + + + +TRIBUTE TO THE WOMEN. + + +During the war many fairs were held to raise money to send extra food, +clothing and medicine to the soldiers in the fields and hospitals. The +ladies generally managed these fairs in the different towns. They asked +Mr. Lincoln to speak at one of them and he gladly consented. He said: + +"This extraordinary war in which we are engaged falls heavily on all +classes of people, but the most heavily on the soldier. For it has been +said, 'All that a man hath will he give for his life.' And while all +contribute of their substance, the soldier puts his life at stake and +often yields it up in his country's cause. The highest merit, then, is +due the soldier. In this war extraordinary developments have manifested +themselves, such as have not been seen in former wars, and among these +manifestations, nothing has been more remarkable than these fairs for +the relief of suffering soldiers and their families. The chief agents of +these fairs are the women of America. I am not accustomed to the +language of eulogy; I have never studied the art of paying compliments +to women; but I must say that, if all that has been said by orators and +poets were applied to the women of America, it would not do them justice +for their conduct during this war. I will close by saying, God bless the +women of America." + + + + +MORE LIGHT WANTED. + + +Another of Mr. Lincoln's stories was this: + +A traveler on the frontier lost his way one stormy night. It was a +terrible thunder storm. He floundered along until his horse played out. +He could see only when the flashes of lightning came. The peals of +thunder, however, were proportionately strong and frightening. One roar +and all around him seemed crashing; he fell on his knees. He was not +much given to praying so his prayer was short: + +"O, Lord, if it's all the same to you, give us a little more light and a +little less noise." + + + + +THE SHOOTING STORY. + + +Mr. Lincoln used to tell the story of a shaggy old man, who was a great +hunter and lived in the edge of the timber. One morning he stood out in +front of his door firing away at a squirrel in a tree. He kept shooting, +but the squirrel did not come down. His son came up and asked what he +was firing at. The father said: "Don't you see that squirrel up there in +the tree?" The son looked and looked in every possible way but could see +no squirrel. Still the father kept firing away. At last the son looking +at him said: "Father I see what's the matter. There is an ant hanging on +the end of your eyebrow and you have been looking at it." + + + + +FIRST RIGHTFUL DECISION. + + +Attorney-General Bates objected to the appointment of a certain Judge to +a government position. Mr. Lincoln said: "He did me a favor once, let me +tell you about it." + +"I was walking to court one morning with ten miles of bad road before +me. The Judge overtook me and said: + +"'Hello, Lincoln, going to the court house? Get in and I will give you a +ride.' + +"I got in and the Judge went on reading some court papers. Soon the +carriage struck a stump on one side of the road and then something else +on the other side. I looked out and saw the driver jerking from one side +to the other on his seat, so I said, 'Judge I think your driver has +taken a drop too much of liquor this morning.' + +"'Well I declare Lincoln,' said he, 'I should not much wonder if you are +right, for he has nearly upset me half a dozen times since starting.' +Putting his head out of the window he shouted, 'You scoundrel, you are +drunk.' + +"Upon which pulling up his horses and turning around with gravity, the +driver said, 'Golly, but that's the first rightful decision your honor +has given for the last twelve months.'" + + + + +GOD NEEDED CHURCH FOR SOLDIERS. + + +"Among the numerous applicants who visited the White House one day was a +well-dressed lady. She came forward without apparent embarassment in her +air or manner, and addressed the president. Giving her a very close and +scrutinizing look, he said: + +"'Well, madam, what can I do for you?' + +"She told him that she lived in Alexandria; that the church where she +worshiped had been taken for a hospital. + +"'What church, madam?' Mr. Lincoln asked in a quick, nervous manner. + +"'The ---- Church,' she replied; 'and as there are only two or three +wounded soldiers in it, I came to see if you would not let us have it, +as we want it very much to worship God in.' + +"'Madam, have you been to see the Post Surgeon at Alexandria about this +matter?' + +"'Yes sir; but we could do nothing with him.' + +"'Well, we put him there to attend to just such business, and it is +reasonable to suppose that he knows better what should be done under the +circumstances than I do. See here; you say you live in Alexandria; +probably you own property there. How much will you give to assist in +building a hospital?" + +"'You know, Mr. Lincoln, our property is very much embarassed by the +war;--so, really, I could hardly afford to give much for such a +purpose.' + +"'Well, madam, I expect we shall have another fight soon; and my opinion +is, God wants that church for poor wounded Union soldiers as much as he +does for secesh people to worship in.' Turning to his table he said, +quite abruptly: 'You will excuse me; I can do nothing for you. Good day, +madam.'" + + + + +A DOUBTFUL ABUTMENT. + + +In Abbott's "History of the Civil War," the following story is told as +one of Lincoln's "hardest hits:" + +"I once knew," said Lincoln, "a sound churchman by the name of Brown, +who was a member of a very sober and pious committee having in charge +the erection of a bridge over a dangerous and rapid river. Several +architects failed, and at last Brown said he had a friend named Jones, +who had built several bridges and undoubtedly could build that one. So +Mr. Jones was called in. + +"'Can you build this bridge?' inquired the committee. + +"'Yes,' replied Jones, 'or any other. I could build a bridge to the +infernal regions if necessary!' + +"The committee was shocked, and Brown felt called upon to defend his +friend. 'I know Jones so well,' said he, 'and he is so honest a man and +so good an architect, that if he states soberly and positively that he +can build a bridge to--to--why, I believe it; but I feel bound to say +that I have my doubts about the abutment on the infernal side.' + +"So," said Mr. Lincoln, "when politicians told me that the northern and +southern wings of the Democracy could be harmonized, why, I believed +them, of course; but I always had my doubts about the 'abutment' on the +other side." + + + + +SIGNING EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION. + + +"The Emancipation Proclamation was taken to Mr. Lincoln at noon on the +first day of January, 1863, by Secretary Seward and Frederick, his son. +As it lay unrolled before him, Mr. Lincoln took a pen, dipped it in ink, +moved his hand to the place for the signature, held it for a moment, and +then removed his hand and dropped the pen. After a little hesitation he +again took up the pen and went through the same movement as before. Mr. +Lincoln then turned to Mr. Seward, and said: + +"'I have been shaking hands since nine o'clock this morning, and my +right arm is almost paralyzed. If my name ever goes into history it will +be for this act, and my whole soul is in it. If my hand trembles when I +sign the Proclamation, all who examine the document hereafter will say, +'He hesitated.' + +"He then turned to the table, took up the pen again, slowly and firmly +wrote 'Abraham Lincoln,' with which the whole world is now familiar. He +then looked up, smiled and said: 'That will do.'" + + + + +MR. LINCOLN'S ENDURANCE. + + +"On the Monday before the assassination, when the President was on his +return from Richmond, he stopped at City Point. Calling upon the head +surgeon at that place, Mr. Lincoln told him he wished to visit all the +hospitals under his charge, and shake hands with every soldier. The +surgeon asked him if he knew what he was undertaking, there being five +or six thousand soldiers at that place, and it would be quite a tax upon +his strength to visit all the wards and shake hands with every soldier. +Mr. Lincoln answered, with a smile, he 'guessed he was equal to the +task; at any rate he would try, and go as far as he could; he should +never, probably, see the boys again, and he wanted them to know that he +appreciated what they had done for their country.' + +"Finding it useless to try to dissuade him, the surgeon began his rounds +with the President, who walked from bed to bed, extending his hand to +all, saying a few words of sympathy to some, making kind inquiries of +others, and welcomed by all with the heartiest cordiality. + +"As they passed along they came to a ward in which lay a rebel who had +been wounded and was then a prisoner. As the tall figure of the kindly +visitor appeared in sight, he was recognized by the rebel soldier who, +raising himself on his elbow in bed, watched Mr. Lincoln as he +approached and, extending his hand, exclaimed while tears ran down his +cheeks: + +"'Mr. Lincoln, I have long wanted to see you, to ask your forgiveness +for ever raising my hand against the old flag.' + +"Mr. Lincoln was moved to tears. He heartily shook the hand of the +repentant rebel, and assured him of his good-will, and with a few words +of kind advice passed on. After some hours the tour of the various +hospitals was made, and Mr. Lincoln returned with the surgeon to his +office. They had scarcely entered, however, when a messenger boy came, +saying that one ward had been omitted, and 'the boys' wanted to see the +President. The surgeon who was thoroughly tired and knew Mr. Lincoln +must be, tried to dissuade him from going; but the good man said he must +go back; he would not knowingly omit any one; 'the boys' would be so +disappointed. So he went with the messenger, accompanied by the surgeon, +and shook hands with the gratified soldiers, and then returned again to +his office. + +"The surgeon expressed the fear that the President's arm would be lamed +with so much hand-shaking, saying that it certainly must ache. Mr. +Lincoln smiled, and saying something about his 'strong muscles,' stepped +out at the open door, took up a very large, heavy axe which lay there by +a log of wood, and chopped vigorously for a few moments, sending the +chips flying in all directions; and then pausing, he extended his right +arm to its full length, holding the axe out horizontally, without its +even quivering as he held it. Strong men who looked on--men accustomed +to manual labor--could not hold that same axe in that position for a +moment. Returning to the office, he took a glass of lemonade, for he +would take no stronger beverage; and while he was within, the chips he +had chopped were gathered up and safely cared for by the hospital +steward, because they were 'the chips that Abraham Lincoln chopped.'" + + + + +GENERAL FISK'S SWEARING STORY. + + +"General Fisk, attending the reception at the White House, on one +occasion saw, waiting in the ante-room, a poor old man from Tennessee. +Sitting down beside him, he inquired his errand, and learned that he had +been waiting three or four days to get an audience, he said that on +seeing Mr. Lincoln probably depended the life of his son, who was under +sentence of death for some military offense. + +"General Fisk wrote his case in outline on a card, and sent it in, with +a special request that the President would see the man. In a moment the +order came; and past senators, governors and generals, waiting +impatiently, the old man went into the President's presence. + +"He showed Mr. Lincoln his papers, and he, on taking them, said he would +look into the case and give him the result on the following day. + +"'To-morrow may be too late! My son is under sentence of death! The +decision ought to be made now!' and the streaming tears told how much he +was moved. + +"'Come,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'wait a bit, and I'll tell you a story;' and +then he told the old man General Fisk's story about the swearing driver, +as follows: + +"'The General had begun his military life as a Colonel, and, as he was a +religious man, he proposed to his men that he should do all the swearing +of the regiment. They assented; and for months no instance was known of +the violation of this promise. The Colonel had a teamster named John +Todd, who, as roads were not always the best, had some difficulty in +commanding his temper and his tongue. John happened to be driving a +mule-team through a series of mud holes a little worse than usual, when, +unable to restrain himself any longer, he burst forth into a volley of +energetic oaths. The Colonel took notice of the offense, and brought +John to an account." + +"'John,' said he, 'didn't you promise to let me do all the swearing of +the regiment?' + +"'Yes I did, Colonel,' he replied, 'but the fact was the swearing had to +be done then or not at all, and you were not there to do it.' + +"As he told the story, the old man forgot his boy, and both the +President and his listener had a hearty laugh together at its +conclusion. Then he wrote a few words which the old man read, and in +which he found new occasion for tears; but these tears were tears of +joy, for the words saved the life of his son." + + + + +GETTING RID OF A BORE. + + +President Lincoln was quite ill one winter at Washington, and was not +inclined to listen to all the bores who called at the White House. One +day just as one of these pests had seated himself for a long interview, +the President's physician happened to enter the room, and Mr. Lincoln +said, holding out his hands: "Doctor, what are those blotches?" "That's +variloid, or mild small-pox," said the doctor. "They're all over me. It +is contagious, I believe?" said Mr. Lincoln. "I just called to see how +you were," said the visitor. "Oh, don't be in a hurry sir," placidly +remarked the executive. "Thank you sir; I'll call again," replied the +visitor, making towards the door. "Do sir," said the President. "Some +people said they could not take very well to my proclamation, but now I +have something everybody can take." By this time the visitor was quite +out of sight. + + + + +LITTLE INFLUENCE WITH ADMINISTRATION. + + +"Judge Baldwin, of California, being in Washington, called one day on +General Halleck, and, presuming upon a familiar acquaintance in +California a few years before, solicited a pass outside of our lines to +see a brother in Virginia, not thinking that he would meet with a +refusal, as both his brother and himself were good Union men. + +"'We have been deceived too often,' said General Halleck, 'and I regret +I can't grant it.' + +"Judge Baldwin then went to Stanton, and was very briefly disposed of, +with the same result. Finally, he obtained an interview with Mr. +Lincoln, and stated his case. + +"'Have you applied to General Halleck?' inquired the President. + +"'Yes, and met with a flat refusal,' said Judge Baldwin. + +"'Then you must see Stanton,' continued the President. + +"'I have, and with the same result,' was the reply. + +"'Well, then,' said Mr. Lincoln, with a smile, 'I can do nothing; for +you must know that I have very little influence with this +Administration." + + + + +MR. LINCOLN'S HORSE TRADE. + + +"When Abraham Lincoln was a lawyer in Illinois, he and a certain Judge +once got to bantering one another about trading horses; and it was +agreed that the next morning at 9 o'clock they should make a trade, the +horse to be unseen up to that hour, and no backing out, under a +forfeiture of $25.00. + +"At the hour appointed the Judge came up, leading the sorriest looking +specimen of a horse ever seen in those parts. In a few minutes Mr. +Lincoln was seen approaching with a wooden saw-horse upon his shoulders. +Great were the shouts and the laughter of the crowd, and both were +greatly increased when Mr. Lincoln, on surveying the Judge's animal, set +down his saw-horse, and exclaimed: 'Well, Judge, this is the first time +I ever got the worst of it in a horse trade.'" + + + + +HIS FIRST SPEECH. + + +"The following first speech of Abraham Lincoln was delivered at +Poppsville, Ill., just after the close of a public sale, at which time +and in those early days speaking was in order. Mr. Lincoln was then but +twenty-three years of age, but being called for, mounted a stump and +gave a concise statement of his policy: + +"'Gentlemen, fellow-citizens: I presume you know who I am. I am humble +Abraham Lincoln. I have been solicited by many friends to become a +candidate for the legislature. My politics can be briefly stated. I am +in favor of the internal improvement system, and a high protective +tariff. These are my sentiments and political principles. If elected, I +shall be thankful. If not it will be all the same.'" + + + + +HOW HE DIVIDED MONEY. + + +"A little fact in Mr. Lincoln's work will illustrate his ever present +desire to deal honestly and justly with men. He had always a partner in +his professional life, and, when he went out upon the circuit, this +partner was usually at home. While out, he frequently took up and +disposed of cases that were never entered at the office. In these cases, +after receiving his fees, he divided the money in his pocket-book, +labeling each sum (wrapped in a piece of paper), that belonged to his +partner, stating his name, and the case on which it was received. He +could not be content to keep an account. He divided the money, so that +if he, by any casualty, should fail of an opportunity to pay it over, +there could be no dispute as to the exact amount that was his partner's +due. This may seem trivial, nay, boyish, but it was like Mr. Lincoln." + + + + +HELPED HIS STEP-MOTHER. + + +"Soon after Mr. Lincoln entered upon his profession at Springfield, he +was engaged in a criminal case, in which it was thought there was little +chance of success. Throwing all his powers into it, he came off +victorious, and promptly received for his services five hundred dollars. +A legal friend, calling upon him the next morning, found him sitting +before a table, upon which his money was spread out, counting it over +and over. + +"'Look here, Judge,' said Lincoln; 'see what a heap of money I've got +from the ---- case. Did you ever see anything like it? Why, I never had +so much money in my life before, put it all together.' Then crossing his +arms upon the table, his manner sobering down, he added, 'I have got +just five hundred dollars; if it were only seven hundred and fifty, I +would go directly and purchase a quarter section of land and settle it +upon my old step-mother.' + +"His friend said that if the deficiency was all he needed he would loan +him the amount, taking his note, to which Mr. Lincoln instantly acceded. + +"His friend then said: 'Lincoln, I would not do just what you have +indicated. Your step-mother is getting old, and will not probably live +many years. I would settle the property upon her for her use during her +lifetime, to revert to you upon her death.' + +"With much feeling, Mr. Lincoln replied: 'I shall do no such thing. It +is a poor return at the best, for all the good woman's devotion and +fidelity to me, and there is not going to be any half-way business about +it" and so saying he gathered up his money and proceeded forthwith to +carry out his long-cherished purpose into execution. + + + + +A SMALL AUDIENCE. + + +Mr. Herndon got out a huge poster announcing a speech by Mr. Lincoln, +employed a band to drum up the crowd, and bells were rung, but only +three persons were present. Mr. Lincoln was to have spoken on the +slavery question. + + GENTLEMEN: This meeting is larger than I knew it would be, as + I knew Herndon (Lincoln's partner) and myself would be here, + but I did not know any one else would be here: and yet another + has come--you John Pain, (the janitor.) + + These are bad times, and seem out of joint. All seems dead, + dead, dead: but the age is not yet dead; it liveth as our Maker + liveth. Under all this seeming want of life and motion, the + world does move nevertheless. + + Be hopeful. And now let us adjourn and appeal to the people. + + + + +NOISE DON'T HURT. + + +"When General Phelps took possession of Ship Island, near New Orleans, +early in the war it will be remembered that he issued a proclamation, +somewhat bombastic in tone, freeing the slaves. To the surprise of many +people, on both sides, the President took no official notice of this +movement. Some time had elapsed, when one day a friend took him to task +for his seeming indifference on so important a matter. + +"'Well,' said Mr. Lincoln, 'I feel about that a good deal as a man whom +I will call 'Jones,' whom I once knew, did about his wife. He was one of +your meek men, and had the reputation of being badly henpecked. At last, +one day his wife was seen switching him out of the house. A day or two +afterward a friend met him on the street, and said: 'Jones, I have +always stood up for you, as you know; but I am not going to do it any +longer. Any man who will stand quietly and take a switching from his +wife, deserves to be horsewhipped.' Jones looked up with a wink, patting +his friend on the back. 'Now don't,' said he: 'why, it didn't hurt me +any, and you've no idea what a power of good it did Sarah Ann.'" + + + + +LINCOLN ON TEMPERANCE. + + +In response to an address from the Sons of Temperance in Washington, on +the 29th of September, 1863, Mr. Lincoln made the following remarks: + +"As a matter of course, it will not be possible for me to make a +response co-extensive with the address which you have presented to me. +If I were better known than I am, you would not need to be told that, in +the advocacy of the cause of temperance, you have a friend and +sympathiser in me. When a young man--long ago--before the Sons of +Temperance, as an organization had an existence, I, in an humble way, +made temperance speeches, and I think I may say that to this day I have +never, by my example belied what I then said. + +"I think the reasonable men of the world have long since agreed that +intemperance is one of the greatest, if not the very greatest of all +evils among mankind. That is not a matter of dispute, I believe. That +the disease exists, and that it is a very great one, is agreed upon by +all. The mode of cure is one about which there may be differences of +opinions. You have suggested that in an army--our army, drunkenness is a +great evil, and one which while it exists to a very great extent, we +cannot expect to overcome so entirely as to leave such success in our +arms as we might have without it. This, undoubtedly, is true, and while +it is, perhaps rather a bad source to derive comfort from, nevertheless, +in a hard struggle, I do not know but what it is some consolation to be +aware that there is some intemperance on the other side, too; and that +they have no right to beat us in physical combat on that ground." + + + + +MR. LINCOLN'S POEM. + + +Mr. Lincoln, in 1844 upon a visit to the old neighborhood in which he +was raised was moved to write the following little poem. It is the only +one he is known to have written. + + "My childhood's home I see again, + And sadden with the view; + And still, as memory crowds my brain, + There's pleasure in it too. + + "O Memory! thou midway world + 'Twixt earth and paradise, + Where things decayed and loved ones lost + In dreamy shadows rise. + + "And, freed from all that's earthly vile, + Seem hallowed, pure and bright, + Like scenes in some enchanted isle + All bathed in liquid light." + + + + +To Be Memorized. + + +Mr. Lincoln wrote many passages worthy of being committed to memory. His +phrase "Government of the people, for the people and by the people," is +more quoted than any other on the question of government. I add a few +that are well worthy of memorizing and remark, that every boy and girl +in America ought to be able to recite the Gettysburg speech. + + * * * * * + +"Let us have faith that right makes might and in that faith let us to +the end dare to do our duty as we understand it." + + * * * * * + +"With malice toward none and charity to all, with firmness in the right +as God gives us to see the right, let us finish the work we are in." + + * * * * * + +"A house divided against itself cannot stand. I believe this government +cannot permanently endure half slave and half free. I do not expect the +Union to be dissolved; I do not expect the house to fall; but I do +expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all the one thing or +the other. Either the opponents of slavery will arrest the further +spread of it, and place it where the public mind shall rest in the +belief that it is in the course of ultimate extinction, or its advocates +will push it further until it becomes alike lawful in all the states, +old as well as new, North as well as South." + + * * * * * + +"We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion +may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic +chords of memory stretching from every battlefield and patriot's grave +to every loving heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will +swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will +be, by the better angels of our nature." + + * * * * * + +"We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth." + + * * * * * + +"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free." + + * * * * * + +"'The Father of Waters' again goes unvexed to the sea." + + * * * * * + +"Among free men there can be no successful appeal from the ballot to the +bullet." + + * * * * * + +"And then there will be some black men who can remember that with silent +tongue, and clinched teeth and steady eye and well-poised bayonet they +have helped mankind on to this great consummation; while I fear there +will be some white ones unable to forget that with malignant heart and +deceitful speech they strove to hinder it." + + + + +LINCOLN'S GETTYSBURG SPEECH. + + +Four score and ten years ago our fathers brought forth upon this +continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the +proposition that all men are created equal. + +Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or +any nation so conceived or so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on +a great battlefield of that war. We are met to dedicate a portion of it +as the final resting place of those who here gave their lives that that +nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do +this. But, in a larger sense we cannot dedicate--we cannot +consecrate--we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and +dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it far above our power to add +or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say +here; but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the +living, rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work that they +have thus far so nobly carried on. It is for us to be here dedicated to +the great task remaining before us, that from these honored dead we take +increased devotion, that we here highly resolve that the dead shall not +have died in vain; that the nation shall under God, have a new birth of +freedom; and that government of the people, by the people and for the +people shall not perish from the earth. + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Boys' and Girls' Biography of Abraham +Lincoln, by James H. Shaw + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BIOGRAPHY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN *** + +***** This file should be named 35009.txt or 35009.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/3/5/0/0/35009/ + +Produced by Heather Clark, Mary Meehan and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This +file was produced from images generously made available +by The Internet Archive) + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH 1.F.3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need are critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/35009.zip b/35009.zip Binary files differnew file mode 100644 index 0000000..affb870 --- /dev/null +++ b/35009.zip diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..91adf6b --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #35009 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/35009) |
