words which authorized him to make staff appointments only on the request of the general commanding a brigade, division or corps. The Major admitted that he had not brought with him such an application, for he had not thought it necessary. "It cannot be done," said President Lincoln, "without such a request. I have no more power to appoint you, in the absence of such request, than I would have to marry a woman to any man she might desire for her husband without his consent. Bring me such an application and I will make it at once, for I see you deserve it."

He could easily avoid a direct answer when he thought it was impolitic to make known his opinions, and evade inquisitive visitors who asked questions simply to gratify their curiosity. His reply to one of the latter, who wanted to know his opinion of Sheridan at the time he had just come from the West to take command of the cavalry under Grant, is too good to be lost. Turning to his inquirer, he asked: "Have you seen Sheridan?" "No," was the answer. "Then," said Mr. Lincoln, "I will tell you just what kind of a chap he is. He is one of those long-armed fellows with short legs, that can scratch his shins without having to stoop over to do it." BANGOR, ME.

REMINISCENCES OF LINCOLN AS A LAWYER.

INCIDENTS OF HIS PRACTICE IN ILLINOIS - INTERESTING CASES-A NOTABLE ADDRESS TO A JURY.

BY JUDGE LAWRENCE WELDON,

OF THE UNITED STATES COURT OF CLAIMS.

(FROM AN INTERVIEW.)

[Judge Lawrence Weldon, of the United States Court of Claims, is one of the very few men in the legal profession, now living, who knew Abraham Lincoln well, as a lawyer. The acquaintance, which ripened into warm personal friendship, began in the early day of Illinois, when no sign foretold the future of the greatest American produced by America. Judge Weldon was a young man just turned twenty-four and admitted to the bar, who removed from Ohio to Illinois, hung out his shingle in Clinton, a village of less than one thousand population; and two months after, in September, 1854, met Mr. Lincoln for the first time. Mr. Weldon, as a young law student in Ohio, had heard more or less of Mr. Lincoln, when the latter was a member of Congress, a few years before. Now that he had cast his fortunes in the same State, but a dozen miles from Mr. Lincoln's home, and that his professional duties would bring him on the same circuit, naturally increased the young lawyer's interest in the man he already knew a good deal of by hearsay - an interest still further weighted when he found that by the retirement of Judge Logan, a then prominent lawyer, from active practice, Mr. Lincoln was regarded as the leader of the bar throughout the State. Mr. Lincoln was at that time scarcely fortyfive years of age, but was alluded to in popular parlance as "old Mr. Lincoln," and frequently would be pointed out by boys of the

town with the exclamation, "There - there goes old Mr. Lincoln!" a term meaning no disrespect, but, on the contrary, rather friendly curiosity and admiration. A man of forty-five is much too young to be sensitive about his age, and Mr. Lincoln seemed always amused. When asked how long they had been calling him old, he replied: "Oh, they commenced that trick before I was thirty." -JANET JENNINGS.]

It was at Bloomington, during the fall term of Court, that I first saw Mr. Lincoln, whose appearance made a strong impression on me.

I can see Mr. Lincoln now, through the fading memories of forty years, as clearly as if it were yesterday. He was always clean shaven, wearing no beard, neatly dressed, but extremely plain, and apparently more indifferent to fashion than others of our profession out there, even in that day. I was young, and probably noticed Mr. Lincoln's clothes more particularly, because I expected a man who had been in Congress to dress a little more fashionably. Mr. Lincoln came over from the courthouse to the hotel where the lawyers put up, as we used to say, while attending court. Stephen A. Douglas, who was then making a campaign in defence of the Kansas Nebraska bill, was at the hotel. Judge Douglas presented me to Mr. Lincoln, and said: "Mr. Weldon is a young lawyer from Ohio who has come to make his home in Illinois." Mr. Lincoln was very cordial, and, shaking hands with me, replied: "Well, I hope he will find he has made a good trade from Ohio to Illinois."

I remember when we were introduced that Mr. Lincoln at once impressed me by his unaffected, sincere manner and precise, accurate mode in which he stated his thoughts even when talking about commonplace things. We were in Judge Douglas's rooms, where they

talked about old times very pleasantly, and during the conversation Mr. Douglas broadened the hospitalities by asking Mr. Lincoln to drink something, following the custom which then generally prevailed of keeping liquors in his rooms. Mr. Lincoln declined, and Mr. Douglas, in a tone of surprise, said: "Why, do you belong to the temperance society?"

Mr. Lincoln replied: "I do not in theory, but I do in fact belong to the temperance society in this, to witthat I do not drink anything, and have not done so for very many years."

The conversation then drifted to other channels, and shortly after Mr. Lincoln went ont, J. W. Fell, then and now a leading citizen of Illinois, came in and said there was a strong desire among the citizens to have a discussion by Mr. Douglas and Mr. Lincoln, and that this would afford the crowds then in town, the luxury of hearing the acknowledged champions on both sides. It was plain to see that the proposition irritated Judge Douglas, and he asked, with considerable majesty of manner: "Whom does Mr. Lincoln represent in this campaign Abolitionist or Old Line Whig?" Mr. Fell said Mr. Lincoln was an Old Line Whig. Douglas retorted:

"Oh yes, I am now in the region of the Old Line Whig. When I am in Northern Illinois I am assailed by an Abolitionist, when I get to the centre I am attacked by an Old Line Whig, when I go to Southern Illinois I am beset by an Anti-Nebraska Democrat. It looks to me like dodging a man all over the State. If Mr. Lincoln wants to make a speech he had better get a crowd of his own, for I most respectfully decline to hold a discussion with him."

Of course, Mr. Lincoln had nothing to do with the proposed discussion except, perhaps, to say he was will

ing to speak. He was not aggressive in the defence of his doctrines or enunciation of his opinions, but he was brave and fearless in the protection of what he believed to be right. In 1854 and down to the commencement of the War, the circuit practice in Illinois was still in vogue, and the itinerant lawyer was as sure to come as the trees to bud or leaves to fall. Among these Mr. Lincoln was the star. He stood above and beyond them all. He travelled the circuit, attending the courts in the district of Judge David Davis, afterward a Justice of the Supreme Court, this district extending from the centre to the eastern boundary of the State, right on, spring and fall, until nominated for the Presidency. Mr. Lincoln liked the atmosphere of a courthouse, and seemed contented and happy when Judge Davis was on the bench, and there were before him the "twelve good and lawful men" constituting the jury. He was among friends and acquaintances in every county, and always knew the leading men on the jury. He could broadly be called an industrious lawyer, and when his adversary presented a reasonably good affidavit for continuance, Mr. Lincoln was willing that the case should go over until the next term. No condition could arise in a case beyond his capacity to furnish an illustration with an appropriate anecdote or story. Judge Davis was always willing that Mr. Lincoln should tell a story in court, even if it disturbed the gravity of the situation, and no one enjoyed these occasions of mirth more than his Honor on the bench, Judge Davis himself. At the same time Mr. Lincoln was always respectful and deferential toward the court, and never forgot the professional amenities of the bar. He was a lawyer who dealt with the deep philosophy of the law, always knew the cases which might be