Page images
PDF
EPUB

olution in which he characterized them as living histories :

"But these histories are gone. They can be read no more forever. They were a fortress of strength; but what invading foemen could never do, the silent artillery of time has-the leveling of its walls. They are gone. They were a forest of giant oaks; but the all-resistless hurricane has swept over them, and left only here and there a lonely trunk, despoiled of its verdure, shorn of its foliage, unshading and unshaded, to murmur in a few more gentle breezes, and to combat with its mutilated limbs a few more rude storms, then to sink and be no more. They were pillars of the Temple of Liberty, and now, that they have crumbled away, that temple must fall, unless we, their descendants, supply their places with other pillars hewn from the same solid quarry of sober reason. Passion has helped us but can do so no more. It will, in the future, be our enemy. Reason-cold, calculating, unimpassioned reason-must furnish all the materials for our future support and defense. Let these materials be moulded into general intelligence, sound morality, and, in particular, a reverence for the Constitution and the laws. Upon these let the proud fabric of freedom rest as the rock of its basis and as truly as has been said of the only greater institution, 'The gates of hell shall not prevail against it.'"

One evening, not long after, the discussion of politics in Speed's store became unusually animated. Douglas, as usual, was the Democratic champion and not only warmly advocated his own political views, but bitterly attacked the doctrines of the Whigs and accused them indiscriminately of fraud, peculation

and political insincerity. In the midst of the babel of voices he suddenly sprang to his feet, exclaiming, "A store is no place to discuss politics," and challenged his opponents to a public debate. The challenge was accepted and a series of meetings arranged, to be held in the Presbyterian Church to last eight days, giving to each one an evening to present his views. The Democrats were to be represented by Douglas, Calhoun, Lamborn and Thomas, while the Whigs selected Logan, Baker, Browning and Lincoln to defend their cause. The speeches were long and intensely partisan, and when Lincoln's turn came on the last night, the people had become weary of the monotony, and but a small audience assembled to listen to him. He spoke without notes and his speech was pronounced the best of the series. He denounced in strongest terms the short-comings and corruption of the Administration. At times he seemed to have almost a prophetic inspiration and the sentiments he uttered were indicative of the most exalted patriotism. He said :

66

'Many countries have lost their liberties and ours may lose hers; but if she shall, be it my proudest plume, not that I was the last to desert, but that I never deserted her." Could he for a moment have caught a glimpse of the supreme sacrifice he would be called upon to make when he said :

"The probabilities that we may fall in the struggle ought not to deter us from the support of a cause which we deem just. It shall not deter me. If ever I feel the soul within me elevate and expand to those dimensions not wholly unworthy of its Almighty Architect, it is when I contemplate the cause of my

country, deserted by all the world beside, and I, standing up boldly and alone, hurling defiance at her victorious oppressors. And here, without contemplating the consequences, before high Heaven and in the face of the whole world, I swear eternal fidelity to the just cause, as I deem it, of the land of my life, my liberty and my love."

When the fulfilment of this oath was called for, and the suffering country he loved so well stretched. out her hands to him in her dire extremity, he hesitated not, but redeemed to the uttermost the solemn pledge he had given this night as if in anticipation of the event.

CHAPTER VI.

ALTHOUGH he was deeply interested in politics and gave up much of his time to side issues, Lincoln did not forget that it was by the practice of law that he was to make his living and, in his plodding and patient way, was slowly making a reputation. He never excelled in his knowledge of the law, unlike his partner, Judge Logan, who was ranked as the bestequipped nisi prius lawyer in the West. Nor did he apply himself to a single branch of the law, so as to become a recognized authority.

He had, by persistent study, gained a sufficient knowledge of common and statute law to enable him to practice successfully in the circuit courts, and his quickness to take advantage of any flaw in the evidence or to turn a point upon his adversary fully compensated for any lack of legal culture which he might have manifested.

As an example of this an interesting story is related of his defense of the son of an old friend, who was accused of murder. The incident was so striking and dramatic that it has been made the basis of a popular novel.1 The murder was committed one Sunday evening at a camp-meeting. The victim was a young man against whom the accused had been heard to make violent threats. The principal witness was a disreputable man, who swore that he had heard the

"The Graysons," by Edward Eggleston.

accused threaten to take the life of the victim, and that, on the night of the murder, he saw the deed performed from a thicket in which he had concealed himself. The chain of evidence seemed to be completely forged and public sentiment was strongly against the accused. To the surprise of all, Lincoln sat calmly in his seat during the trial, asked but few questions and produced no witnesses, except one or two to prove the previous good character of the young man. When it came his turn to address the jury he reviewed briefly the case and called to mind the fact that the leading witness had sworn that he had seen the foul deed performed by the light of the full moon. Producing an almanac he showed the jury that there had been no moon that night; and then pointing his long finger at him, he accused the witness of the murder. He completed his speech with a most eloquent appeal to the jury to restore the young man to his widowed mother, and pictured so fervently the desolation of the home, deprived of the only son, that there was not a dry eye in the audience. It is needless to say that the jury returned a verdict of "not guilty," without leaving their seats.

In those days lawyers were compelled to go from place to place to attend court, making the rounds of the circuit with the Judge. The cases were generally free from legal technicalities and required but little preparation. The fees were not large and were often in kind, so that it was not a difficult matter for even a poor lawyer to secure a horse. The lawyers generally traveled in congenial groups, and enlivened the monotonous journey with stories and anecdotes, or heated political discussions.

« PreviousContinue »