|Edgar County for the Tall Sucker.|
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|Free Territories and Free Men, |
| Free Pulpits and Free Preachers,|
|Free Press and a Free Pen, |
| Free Schools and Free Teachers. |
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GIVING AWAY THE CASE.
Between the first election and inauguration of Mr. Lincoln the disunion
sentiment grew rapidly in the South, and President Buchanan's failure to
stop the open acts of secession grieved Mr. Lincoln sorely. Mr. Lincoln
had a long talk with his friend, Judge Gillespie, over the state of
affairs. One incident of the conversation is thus narrated by the Judge:
"When I retired, it was the master of the house and chosen ruler of the
country who saw me to my room. 'Joe,' he said, as he was about to leave
me, 'I am reminded and I suppose you will never forget that trial down
in Montgomery county, where the lawyer associated with you gave away the
whole case in his opening speech. I saw you signaling to him, but you
couldn't stop him.
"'Now, that's just the way with me and Buchanan. He is giving away the
case, and I have nothing to say, and can't stop him. Good-night.'"
POSING WITH A BROOMSTICK.
Mr. Leonard Volk, the artist, relates that, being in Springfield when
Lincoln's nomination for President was announced, he called upon Mr.
Lincoln, whom he found looking smiling and happy. "I exclaimed, 'I
am the first man from Chicago, I believe, who has had the honor of
congratulating you on your nomination for President.' Then those two
great hands took both of mine with a grasp never to be forgotten,
and while shaking, I said, 'Now that you will doubtless be the next
President of the United States, I want to make a statue of you, and
shall try my best to do you justice.'
"Said he, 'I don't doubt it, for I have come to the conclusion that you
are an honest man,' and with that greeting, I thought my hands in a fair
way of being crushed.
"On the Sunday following, by agreement, I called to make a cast of Mr.
Lincoln's hands. I asked him to hold something in his hands, and told
him a stick would do. Thereupon he went to the woodshed, and I heard the
saw go, and he soon returned to the dining-room, whittling off the end
of a piece of broom handle. I remarked to him that he need not whittle
off the edges. 'Oh, well,
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