hat the task
devolves upon me.' He then proceeded, in a very overbearing way, and
with an assumption of great superiority, to attack Lincoln and his
speech. He was fluent and ready with the rough sarcasm of the stump, and
he went on to ridicule the person, dress and arguments of Lincoln
with so much success that Lincoln's friends feared that he would be
embarrassed and overthrown."

"The Clary's Grove boys were present, and were restrained with difficulty
from 'getting up a fight' in behalf of their favorite (Lincoln), they
and all his friends feeling that the attack was ungenerous and unmanly.

"Lincoln, however, stood calm, but his flashing eye and pale cheek
indicated his indignation. As soon as Forquer had closed he took
the stand, and first answered his opponent's arguments fully and
triumphantly. So impressive were his words and manner that a hearer
(Joshua F. Speed) believes that he can remember to this day and repeat
some of the expressions.

"Among other things he said: 'The gentleman commenced his speech by
saying that "this young man," alluding to me, "must be taken down." I
am not so young in years as I am in the tricks and the trades of a
politician, but,' said he, pointing to Forquer, 'live long or die young,
I would rather die now than, like the gentleman, change my politics,
and with the change receive an office worth $3,000 a year, and then,'
continued he, 'feel obliged to erect a lightning-rod over my house, to
protect a guilty conscience from an offended God!'"

JEFF DAVIS AND CHARLES THE FIRST.

Jefferson Davis insisted on being recognized by his official title as
commander or President in the regular negotiation with the Government.
This Mr. Lincoln would not consent to.

Mr. Hunter thereupon referred to the correspondence between King Charles
the First and his Parliament as a precedent for a negotiation between
a constitutional ruler and rebels. Mr. Lincoln's face then wore that
indescribable expression which generally preceded his hardest hits, and
he remarked: "Upon questions of history, I must refer you to Mr. Seward,
for he is posted in such things, and I don't profess to be; but my only
distinct recollection of the matter is, that Charles lost his head."

LOVED SOLDIERS' HUMOR.

Lincoln loved anything that savored of wit or humor among the soldiers.
He used to relate two stories to show, he said, that neither death nor
danger could quench the grim humor of the American sol