Corvallis gazette., March 15, 1907, Image 4

incoln s Love
Aff
By
Ward Hill Lamcn,
Lincoln's Friend Hid Bodyfu&xd
In Coke's a:fd Blackstoiie's'time the
law was supposed to be "a jealou3 mis
tress." but In Lincoln's time and nt
Springfield she was anything but ex
acting. Politicians courted her only
to make her favor the stepping stone
to success in other employments. Va
rious members of that bar have left
great reputations to posterity, but none
of them were earned solely by the le
gitimate practice of the law. Douglas
Is remetnbr Ad as a statesman. Baker
as a political orator. Hardin a3 a sol
dier, and some now living, like Logan
and Stuart, although eminent in the
law. will be no less known to the his
tory of the times as politicians than as
lawyers. Among those who went to
the law for a living and to the people
for fame and power was Mr. Lincoln.
He was still a member of the legisla
ture when he settled at Springfield and
would probably have continued to run
for a seat in that body as often as his
time expired but for the unfortunate
results of the "internal improvement
system," the hopeless condition of the
state finances and a certain gloominess
of mind which arose from private mis
fortunes that befell him about the time
of his retirement. We do not say posi
tively that these were the reasons why
Mr. Lincoln made no effort to be re
elected to the legislature of 1840. but a
careful study of all the circumstances
will lead any reasonable man to be
lieve that they were. He was intensely
ambitious, longed ardently for place
and distinction and never gave up a
prospect which seemed to him good
WILLIAM BUTLER.
when he was In a condition to pursue
It with honor to himself and fairness
to others. Moreover, state politics were
then rapidly ceasing to be the highroad
to fame and fortune. Although the
state of Illinois was Insolvent, unable
to pay the interest on her public debt,
and many were talking about repudi
ating the principal, the great campaign
of 1840 went oft upon national issues,
and little or nothing was said about
questions of state policy. Mr. Lincoln
felt and obeyed this tendency of the
public mind, and from 1S37 onward his
speeches those that were printed and
thoso that were not were devoted
thlct7r if not exclusively to federal af
fairs. In January, 1S37, he delivered a lec
ture before the SpringSeld lyoeum on'
the subjoct of tr.e- " IVrpetnation of
Oui" Free Institutions." As a mere
declamation it is unsurpassed In the
annals of the west. Although delivered
In midwinter, it is instinct with the
peculiar eloquence of the most fervid
Fourth of July.
An Early Lincoln Ovation.
"In the great journal of things," be
gan the orator, "happening under the
sun we, the American people, find our
account running under date of the nine
teenth century of the Christian era.
We find ourselves In the peaceful pos
session of the fairest portion of the
earth as regards extent of territory,
fertility of soil and salubrity of cli
mate. We find ourselves under the
government of a system of political ln-
U
airs
And His Early
Experiences as
a. Law maker
f
LINCOLN SPEAKING AT THE LYCEUM.
stitutions conducing more essentially
to the ends of civil and religious lib
erty than any of which the history of
former times tells us. We, when
mounting the stage of existence, found
ourselves the legal inheritors of these
fundamental blessings. We toiled not
lu the acquisition or establishment of
them. They are a legacy bequeathed
us by a once hardy, brave and patriotic
but now lamented and departed race of
ancestors. Theirs was the task, and
nobly they performed it, to possess
themselves and through themselves us
of this goodly land and to uprear upon
Its hills and valleys a political edifice
of liberty and equal rights. 'Tis ours
only to transmit these the former un
profaned by the foot of an invader, the
latter undecayed by the lapse of time
and untorn by usurpation to the latest
generation that fate shall permit the
world to know. This task gratitude
to our fathers. Justice to ourselves,
duty to posterity all imperatively re
quire us faithfully to perform.
"How, then, shall we perform It? At
what point shall we expect the approach-
of danger? Shall we expect
some transatlantic military giant to
step the ocean and crush us at a blow?
Never! All the armies of Europe, Asia
and Africa combined, with all the
treasure of the earth (our own except
ed) in their military chest, with a Bo
naparte for a commander, could not by
force take a drink from the Ohio or
make a track on the Blue Ridge in a
trial of a thousand years I
"At what point, then, is the approach
of danger to be expected? I answer,
If it ever reach us it must spring up
amongst us. It cannot come from
abroad. If destruction be our lot, we
must ourselves be its author and fin
isher. As a nation of freemen we must
live through all time or die by suicide.
"I hope I am not overwary, but If I
am not there Is even now something
of ill omen amongst us. I mean the
increasing disregard - for law which
pervades the country, the growing dis
position to substitute the wild and fu
rious passions in lieu of the sober judg
ment of courts and the worse than sav
age mobs for the executive ministers
of justice.- This disposition is awfully
fearful in any community, and that it
now exists in ours, though grating to
our fadings to admit it, it would be
a violation of. truth and an insult to our
intelligence to deny. Accounts of out
rages committed by mobs form the
everyday news of the times. They
have pervaded the country from New
England to Louisiana. They are nei
ther peculiar to the eternal snows of
the former nor the burning sun of the
latter.. They are not the creature of
climate. Neither are they confined to
the slaveholding or nonslaveholdlng
states. Alike they spring up among
the pleasure hunting masters of south
ern slaves and the order loving citizens
of the land of steady habits. What
ever, then, their cause may be. It Is
common to the whole country."
The orator then adverts to the doings
of recent mobs in various parts of the
country and insists that if the spirit
that produced them continues to In
crease the laws and the government It
self must fall before it. Bad citizens
will be encouraged, and good ones, hav
ing no protection against the lawless.
will be glad to receive an individual
master who will be able to give them
the peace and order they desire. That
will be the time when the usurper will
put down his heel on the neck of the
people and batter down the "fair fab
ric" of free Institutions. "Many great
and good men," he says, "sufficiently
qualified for any task they should un
dertake, may ever be found whose am
bition would aspire to nothing beyond
a seat In congress, a gubernatorial or a
presidential chair, but such belong not
tJ the family of the Hon or the tribe of
the eagle. What! Think you these
places would satisfy an Alexander, a
Caesar or a Napoleon? Never! Tower
ing gwulns disdains a beaten path. It
seeks regions hitherto unexplored. If
sees no distinction In adding story to
story upon the monuments of fame
erected to the memory of others. It
denies that it is glory enough to serve
under any chief. It scorns to tread In
the footsteps of any predecessor, howi
ever Illustrious. It thirsts and burns
for distinction, and if possible It will
have it, whether at the expense of
emancipating slaves or enslaving free
men. Another reason which
once was, but which to the same ex
tent Is now no more, has done much In
maintaining our institutions thus far.
I mean the powerful Influence which
the Interesting scenes of the Revolu
tion had upon the passions of the peo
ple as distinguished from their judg
ment." This influence the lecturer
maintains was kept alive by the pres
ence of the surviving soldiers of the
Revolution, who were. In some sort
"living histories," and concludes with
this striking peroration:
"But those 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 done 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.loaelytunk, despoiled of .ItJYertfare,
I
i
shorn -of 'Its-foHm tSSfeSUWgf iRriaK
shaded, to murmur In a few more gen
tle breezes and to combat with Itsun'
tllated limbs a few more rude storms,
then to sink and be no more. , They
were the pillars of the temple of lib-
j erty. and now that they nave crumbled
away that "temple must fall unless we,
the- descendants, supply their places
with other pillars hewn from the same'
soHd quarry of sober reason. - . Passion
has helped us, but can do so no more.
It will in future be our enemy. Rea
soncold, calculating." unlmpassioned
reason must furnish all the materials
for our future support and defenses
Let those materials be molded into
general intelligence, sound morality
and in particular a reverence for the
constitution and the laws, and that we
Improved to the last, that we revered
his name to the last, that during ,hi3
long sleep we permitted no hostile foot
! to pass or desecrate his resting place.
shall be that which to learn the last
trump shall awaken our Washington.
' Cpcn these let the proud fabric of
'freedom rest"' its' the rock of its basis
i and. as truly has been said of tie oniy
'greater institution. 'The gates of hell
I shall not prevail against it.' "
! These extracts from a lecture care-
fully composed by Mr. Lincola at the
mature age of twenty-eight and after
considerable experience In the public
service are worthy of attentive peru
sal. To those familiar with his sober
(and pure style at a later aga the3e
isophomoric passages will seem Incrod-
ible. But they were thought "able and
; eloquent" by the Young Men's lyceum
of Springfield. He was "solicited to
furnish a copy for publication." and
jthey were duly printed In the Sanga-
mon Journal. In the mere matter of
'rhetoric they compare favorably with
: some of his other productions of nearly
'. the same date. This was what he
would have called his "growing time,"
and It is Intensely Interesting to wit
ness the processes of such mental
growth as his. In time gradually, but
still rapidly his style changes com
j pletely. The constrained and unnatu
! ral attempts at striking and lofty met
! aphor disappear, and the qualities
which produced the Gettysburg ad
I dress,, that model of unadorned elo
I quence, begin to be felt. He finds the
; people understand him better when he
comes down from his stilts and talks
to them from their own level.
CHAPTER XI.
Incidents of Lincoln's Active Life as a
Lawyer.
OLITICAL discussions at Spring
field were apt to run into heat
ed and sometimes unseemly
personal controversies. When
Douglas and Stuart were candidates
for congress in 183S, they fought like
tigers in Herndon's grocery, over a
floor that was drenched with slops, and
gave up the struggle only when both
were exhausted. Then, as a further
entertainment to the populace, Mr.
Stuart ordered out a "barrel of whisky
and wine."
On the election day In 1840 it was re
ported to Mr. Lincoln that one Rad
ford, a contractor on the railroad, had
brought up his men and taken full
possession of one of the polling places.
Lincoln started off to the precinct on a
slow trot Radford knew him well,
and a little stern advice reversed pro
ceedings without any fighting. Among
other remarks, Mr. Lincoln said, "Rad
ford, you'll spoil and blow if you live
much longer." He wanted to hit Rad
ford, but could get no chance to do so,
and contented himself with confiding
his intentions to Speed. "I intended
just to knock him down and leave him
kicking."
The same year Colonel Baker was
making a speech to a promiscuous au
dience in the courtroom, "a rented
room in Hoffman's row." It will be
remembered that Lincoln's office was
Just above, and he was listening to
Baker through a large hole or trapdoor
in the ceiling. Baker warmed with his
theme and, growing violent and per
sonally offensive, declared at length
"that wherever there was a land office
there was a Democratic newspaper to
defend its corruptions." "This," says
John B. Webber, "was a personal at
tack on my brother, George Webber. I
wa3 In the courthouse and in my anger
cried, 'Pull him down!" " A scene of
great confusion ensued, threatening to
end in a general riot. In which Baker
was likely to suffer. But just at the
critical moment Lincoln's legs were
seen coming through the hole, and di
rectly his tall figure was standing be
tween Baker and the audience, gesticu
lating for silence. "Gentlemen," said
he, "let us not disgrace the age and
country in which we live. This Is a
land where freedom of speech Is guar
anteed. Mr. Baker has a right to speak
and ought to be permitted to do so. I
am here to protect 'him, and no man
shall take bim from this stand If I can
prevent it" Webber only recollects
that "some one made some soothing;
kind remarks" and that he was prop
erly "held until the excitement ceased,"
and the affair "soon ended in quiet and
peace."
In 1838 or 1840 Jesse B. Thomas
made an intemperate attack upon the
"Long Nine," and especially upon Mr.
Lincoln as the longest and worst of
them. Lincoln was not present at the
meeting; but, being sent for and in
formed of what had passed, he ascend
ed the platform and made a reply
which nobody seems to remember, but
which everybody describes as a- "terri
ble skinning" of his victim. . Ellis says
that at the close of a furious personal
denunciation he wound up by "mimick
ing" Thomas until Thomas actually
cried with vexation and anger. Ed
wards, Speed, Ellis, Davis and many
others refer to this scene and. being
asked whether Mr. Lincoln could not
be vindictive -upon occasion, generally
respond, "Remember th Thomas skin
ning.1 '
Joahu Sased Ha Best FnaocL. . j
iiio.t. 4nu. trieti Mr. U.-.i-nlii'
ever bad at-this or any other time wag
probably Joshua F. Speed. In 1836 he
settled' himself la' Springfield ' and' did
a thriving business as a merchant.' El
lis was one of bis clerks, and so also
was William H. Herndon, Mr. Lin
corn's future partner. This store was
for years Lincoln's familiar haunt.
There he came to while away the te
dious evenings with Speed and the con
genial company that naturally assem
bled around these choice spirits. He
even slept in the storeroom as often as
lie slept at home and here made to
Speed the most confidential commumV
cations he ever made to mortal man.
If he had on earth "a bosom crony" It
was Speed, and that deep and abiding
attachment subsisted unimpaired to
the day of Mr. Lincoln's death. In
truth, there were good reasons why he
should think of' Speed with affection
and gratitude, for through life no man.
rendered him more important services.
One night In December. 1S39. Lin
coln. Douglas, Baker and some other
gentlemen of note were seated at
Lincoln's legs were seen coming
through the hole.
Speed's hospitable fire in the store.
They got to talking politics, got
warm, hot, angry. Douglas sprang up
and said, "Gentlemen, this is no place
to talk politics: we will discuss the
questions publicly with you." and much
more in a high tone of bauter and de
fiance. A few days afterward the
Whig3 had a meeting, at which Mr.
Lincoln reported a resorption challeng
ing the Democrats to a joint debate.
The challenge was accepted, and Doug
las, Calhoun, Lamborn and Jesse B.
Thomas,: were deputed by the Demo
crats to meet Logan, Baker, Browning
and , Lincoln on the part of the Whigs.
The Intellectual encounter between
these noted champions is still described
by those who witnessed it as "the
great debate." It took place in the
Second Presbyterian church, in the
hearing of as many people as could
get into the building, and was adjourn
ed from night to night When Mr. Lin
coln's turn came, the audience was
very thin, but for all that his speech
was by many persons considered the
best one of the series. To this day
there are some who believe he had as
sistance in the preparation of it. Even
Mr. Herndon accused Speed of having
"had a hand in it" and got a flat denial
for his answer. At all events, the
speech was a popular success and was
written out and published in the San
gamon Journal of March 6, 1840. The
exordium was a sort of complaint that
must have had a very depressing ef
fect upon both the speaker and his
hearers:
(To be Continued)
For Advertising Oregon.
During the pist six months an
average ot one family per month
has located in Corvallis as a
direct result of advertising done
by the Benton Countv Citizens'
League a year' ago. ' This means
that the effects of that advertising
are still being felt after so long a
period ot time, and the "waves
of thought" thus set in motion
anu directed toward Oregon are
likely to bear fruit for many a
month yet to come.'
"There should be more such
advertising done and more money
raised for the purpose," declared
an energetic member of the Citi
zen's League Tuesday. "Other
organizations and clubs devote
several times as much money to
advertising purposes as does Cor
vallis, and until there is more
cash for the work here the re
sults cannot be anything like
those accomplished by other
clubs elsewhere."
It is a venture that pays big
interest on the amount invested,
and last year as a result of a pal
try $150 spent in advertising in
Eastern papers and in sending
out pamphlets and literature
from Benton, thousands upon
thousands of dollars of eastern
capital was attracted to this sec
tion, where it was put into real
estate. Not only this, many
desirable residents have located
in Corvallis and vicinity, adding
to the population, increasing the
vatue of real estate by creating a
greater demand ' for it, and in
various other ways adding to the
commonwealth 61 Oregon.
It is regrettable that a still
more vigorous campaign is not
even now being inaugurated
ilong the lines established by the
Citizens' Lea;ne lasl spring.
The League, however, cannot do
it all alone. There must be
king, of a substantial kind,
and when it i provided the work
wil' be attended to by the same
-next? 'c, progressive men who
have already given so liberally of
heir time for the beuefit of Coi
valiis and Bentou, viz,, the CitU
zens' League officers.
. Qregon's Representative.
The member? of the Rhjdes
scholarship board named E. J.
Winans of Willamettee Univer
sity, Salem, as the one who will
represent Oregon as a Ctcil
Rhodes scholar at Oxford. The
election was held in the office ot
Piesident H. M. Crooks in Al
bany college. The contest for
the honor was close between Mr.
Winans and Wister Johnson of
the University of Oregon, Eu
gene, that a decision was only
reached after a vote had been
taken upon the respective merits
of the two men, which resulted
in the election of the Willamette
University representative There
are five colleges represented on
the scolarship board. They
were: McMinnville College, Pres
ident L. W. Riley; University of
Oregon, President P. L,. Camp
bell ; Pacific University, Presi
dent Ferrin; Willamette Univer
sity, W. E. Kirk; Albany Col
lege, President H. M. Crooks.
Sunday's Albany Herald.
New Idea for Schools.
A suggestion made by State
Sup'tJ. H. Aekerman that agri
culture be taught in the rural
schools, seems likely to mature
into action and bear fruit. This
idea was advanced a few days
ago at a public meeting of school
directors and met with immed
iate tavor from the directors
and others:
Professor Aekerman outlined a
plan of several districts joining
together and securing the ser
vices of an expert agriculturist,
to devote part of a day each week
to instruction in soil culture and
grain and fruit growing.
Thus it is seen what a prac
tical turn the American mind is
taking. In everything nowa
days the purely practical is gain
ing ground, and it is well. Few
but the practical men and wo
men ever make a lasting mark
on the affairs of the world, and
more young pecple are needed in
every avenue of business to do
the practical f every day work
that keeps the old universe on
the move.
The idea of Sup't Aekerman
should and doubtless will bear
truit that will be of benefit in
many ways.
Additional Local.
Sheep are eood property to own, these
days. Stockmen are buying ewes
wherever they are to be found, offering as
bieh as $7 per head. Even at such fig
ures only a few are to be had.
Horse buyers are rapidly collecting all
available horses in Benton county, and
in the vicinity of Bellfountain gome good
sales are reported. Five years ago, W.
F. Starr paid $175 for a soan, and a few
days ago sold the same animals to Peter
Whiteaker for $275.
If you happen to meet an individual on
the street 'these days with face, hands
and clothing bedaubed with bright green
paint, don't "rubber." It is only one of
the boys engaged in painting the Bell tel
ephone poles about town. Two men
paint on a pole at the same time, and the
desire to scuffle and tease overcomes all
sense of fear as to consequences, which
ends in a friendly war with paint brushes
nearly every day . The "artistic" results
thus obtained are decidedly amusing to
the observers.
Rev. F. It. Moore, formerly pastor of
the M. E. church in this city, but now of
Kelso, Wash., was a business visitor in
Corvallis, yesterday. He expected to
leave last evenine. Rev. Moore and
family are prospering in their present
field and report everything as being well
with them.
We are glad to learn that Senator M.
A. Miller, who has disposed of bis drug
business to Black born & Underwood,
will continue to reside in Lebanon. Dar
ing his twenty years residence in this
place he bus been one of otfr most enter
prising and influential citizens and bas !
ilways taken the lead in working for the '
npbnildingof the community. Lsbanan j
Adraace.
; Senator and Mr; AV J. Johnson gave
"500' party Wednesday evening. The
gneetswere Mt. anrt Mrs. OfT Wilson,
Mr. and Mrn. E. B, Bry&on, . Prof, and
Mre.G. A. Covell, Prof, and Mrs. M. 0.
MeKellips, Prof, and Mrs. R. L. Knisa
ly, Mrs. C. A. Warner and Miss Grace
Gil! of Scio, Miss Ed a Jacobs, E. E.
Wilson and Robert Johnson.
In the vicinity of Monroe ail oats that
are stored are selling for 34 rents rer
bushel, and at Junction City feed oats
delivered are selling at 37)4 cents, with
sacks furnished the seller. Tl:ese a.-e
good prices and indicate the scarcity of
oats.
At a meeting, Wednesday evening, the
K. O. T. M. elected Korton Adams as a
delegate to attend the state cenventio
in Portland on April 5th. A, B. Horn
ing was named as alternate.
There will be quarterly nieetirg at the
First Methodist church, Sunday morn
ing. The prtsidiug elder, Rev. B. F.
Rowlaud, will preach. In the evening,
the pastor will give the next of the serw- .
oi Lenten sermons, subject, "My Sv
ioui's Anguish."
f MAINE POULTRY HOUSE. '
A Structure Which la Deservedly
fojpular Among: the Farmers.
In determining the type of fowl
house which is apt to best serve its
purpose it is always well to bear in
mind that, without reference to the
climate in which the structure is to be
used, it is desirable that it be Insulated,
thereby enabling the owner' to control
the ventilation. For that reason the
Maine type of henhouse Is apt to be
pretty close to the right thing. The
building shown in the illustration is
popular throughout the coldest por
tions of New England and would be
equally valuable in any portion of
North America.
It is true that the shingling of the
sides entails an expense to which
many poultrymen do not feel at first
warranted in going, but in the end the
plan is a great money saver, as these
houses, if the shingles are properly
treated before being applied, are prac
tically indestructible. The side of the
AN ECONOMICAL HENHOUSE.
house containing the windows of course
faces the south. There is a ventilator
In the very peak of the building. This
comes down to near the second floor.
In the middle of which there is an open
ing to the first floor. Thus there is al
ways abundance of ventilation with
out the possibility of drafts. The sec
ond floor makes an admirable place in '
which to store litter, or it may be used
as a pigeon loft The floor of the
house proper is of concrete if the build
ing rests on the ground, but if it is
elevated, which is the better plan. It is
of double boards, with tarred felt be
tween them, thus making it absolutely
rat proof. The uses to which such a
structure may be put and the varia
tions upon the general plan herewith
Illustrated are almost without number.
" '-'Try "Nature."
According to F. H. S. in Farm Jour
nal (Philadelphia),, we should be more
inclined to "try nature." He also
throws out the following pertinent sug
gestions: We should feed fowls so as to pre
serve them in the best state of health.
As fowls become domesticated they
are brought within our control and
consequently are largely deprived of
their natural rights.
As they depend upon us to care for
them, it is a self Imposed duty to care
for them in the best manner possible.
Fowls in a natural state subsist upon
food of meager character, and yet they
are in a perfect state of health. Food
of such nature is what they require.
In winter we cannot of course get
green grass for our poultry, but we
can do as we do with our cows when
grass is out of season feed them hay.
Late cut rowen is just as good as any
green food we can get in winter, and a
supply should be kept on hand for this
purpose. Cut it fine and steam by
pouring hot water over it. Let it
stand for a few hours, after which mix
with the morning mash.
Poultry on a Large Scale.
So far every attempt made in this
country to establish a large poultry
farm has been met by failure, says
Farm Journal (Philadelphia). The .ex
tensive and successful plants of today
are the outcome of a small beginning
and a gradual growth. True, the main
cause for failure has been the lack of
experience. Men have undertaken
work for which they were not quali
fied. Another effort is to be made, this
time by Charles A. Cyphers, a well
known expert; B. Holmes, formerly
editor of the Poultry Monthly, and
others, forming a stock company. The
farm is located about twelve miles
from Buffalo, N. Y., and comprises 260
acres of land. It is planned to quarter
20,000 layers for market eggs and
hatch more than 100,000 head of broil
ers and" roasters a year from 2,000
breeders to be kept for that purpose.