the story related by my father, an effort was made to
unite the friends of capital removal with the friends of some measure
which Mr. Lincoln, for some reason, did not approve. What that measure
was to which he objected, I am not now able to recall. But those who
desired the removal of the capital to Springfield were very anxious to
effect the proposed combination, and a meeting was held to see if it
could be accomplished. The meeting continued in session nearly all
night, when it adjourned without accomplishing anything, Mr. Lincoln
refusing to yield his objections and to support the obnoxious measure."

[Illustration: OFFICE CHAIR FROM STUART AND LINCOLN'S LAW OFFICE.

The chair is now in the Oldroyd Collection in Washington, D.C.]

"Another meeting was called, and at this second meeting a number
of citizens, not members of the legislature, from the central and
northern parts of the State, among them my father, were present
by invitation. The meeting was long protracted, and earnest in its
deliberations. Every argument that could be thought of was used to
induce Mr. Lincoln to yield his objections and unite with his friends,
and thus secure the removal of the capital to his own city; but
without effect. Finally, after midnight, when everybody seemed
exhausted with the discussion, and when the candles were burning low
in the room, Mr. Lincoln rose amid the silence and solemnity which
prevailed, and, my father said, made one of the most eloquent and
powerful speeches to which he had ever listened. And he concluded his
remarks by saying, 'You may burn my body to ashes, and scatter them
to the winds of heaven; you may drag my soul down to the regions of
darkness and despair to be tormented forever; but you will never get
me to support a measure which I believe to be wrong, although by doing
so I may accomplish that which I believe to be right.' And the meeting
adjourned."

[Illustration: STUART AND LINCOLN'S LAW OFFICE.

From a photograph loaned by Jesse W. Weik. The law office of Stuart
and Lincoln was in the second story of the building occupied at the
time the photograph was made by "Tom Dupleaux's Furniture Store."
Hoffman's Row, as this group of buildings was called, was used as a
court-house at that date, 1837. The court-room was in the lower story
of the two central buildings.]

If Lincoln did not support measures which he considered doubtful, he
did, now and then, "tack a provision" on a bill to please a fri