Chapter I: Foreword

To write in the spirit of candor of men he has known, and of great events in which he has himself borne no inconspicuous part, has been thought not an unworthy task for the closing years of more than one of the most eminent of our public men. It may be that the labor thus imposed has oftentimes enabled the once active participant in great affairs submissively "to entertain the lag end of his life with quiet hours."

Following the example of such at a great distance and along a humbler path, I have attempted to write something of events of which I have been a witness, and of some of the principal actors therein during the last third of a century.

My book in the main is something of men I have personally known; the occasional mention of statesmen of the past seems justified by matters at the time under discussion.

With the hope that it may not be wholly without interest to some into whose hands it may fall, I now submit this slight contribution to the political literature of these passing days.

A. E. S. BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS, _August 1, 1909._

CONTENTS

CHAPTER
I. ON THE CIRCUIT
II. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
III. AGAIN IN CONGRESS
IV. THE VICE-PRESIDENT
V. THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
VI. A TRIBUTE TO LINCOLN
VII. STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS
VIII. THE FIRST POLITICAL TELEGRAM
IX. ALONG THE BYPATHS OF HISTORY
X. THE CODE OF HONOR
XI. A PRINCELY GIFT
XII. THE OLD RANGER
XIII. THE MORMON EXODUS FROM ILLINOIS
XIV. A KENTUCKY COLONEL
XV. FORGOTTEN EVENTS OF THE LONG AGO
XVI. ROBERT G. INGERSOLL
XVII. A CAMP-MEETING ORATOR
XVIII. CLEVELAND AS I KNEW HIM
XIX. THE UNANIMOUS CHOICE FOR SPEAKER
XX. A LAWYER OF THE OLD SCHOOL
XXI. HIGH DEBATE IN THE MOUNTAINS
XXII. THE SAGE OF THE BAR
XXIII. "THE GENTLEMAN FROM MISSISSIPPI"
XXIV. AN OLD-TIME COUNTRY DOCTOR
XXV. A QUESTION OF AVAILABILITY
XXVI. A STATESMAN OF A PAST ERA
XXVII. NOT GUILTY OF PREACHING THE GOSPEL
XXVIII. AMONG THE ACTORS
XXIX. THE LOST ART OF ORATORY
XXX. THE COLONELS
XXXI. REMINISCENCES
XXXII. A TRIBUTE TO IRELAND
XXXIII. THE BLIND CHAPLAIN
XXXIV. A MEMORABLE CENTENNIAL
XXXV. COLUMBUS MONUMENT IN CENTRAL PARK
XXXVI. A PLATFORM NOT DANGEROUS TO STAND UPON
XXXVII. ANECDOTES OF GOVERNOR OGLESBY
XXXVIII. THE ONE ENEMY
XXXIX. CONTRASTS OF TIMES
XL. ENDORSING THE ADMINISTRATION
XLI. ANECDOTES ABOUT LINCOLN
XLII. FIRST LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY IN AMERICA
XLIII. A NEW DAY ADDED TO THE CALENDAR
XLIV. A MOUNTAIN COLLEGE
XLV. DEDICATION OF A NATIONAL PARK
XLVI. A BAR MEETING STILL IN SESSION
XLVII. THE HAYNE-WEBSTER DEBATE RECALLED
XLVIII. IN THE HIGHLANDS
XLIX. ANECDOTES OF LAWYERS
L. OUR NOBLE CALLING
LI. THE "HOME-COMING" AT BLOOMINGTON

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

[facing] PAGE
ADLAI E. STEVENSON _Frontispiece_
ADLAI E. STEVENSON AT 30 8
JAMES S. EWING 9
GEORGE F. HOAR 12
SAMUEL J. TILDEN 13
JAMES G. BLAINE 18
ROBERT E. WILLIAMS 19
JAMES A. GARFIELD 22
NATH. P. BANKS 23
WILLIAM R. MORRISON 26
WILLIAM M. SPRINGER 27
SAMUEL J. RANDALL 30
ALEXANDER H. STEPHENS 30
LUCIUS Q. C. LAMAR 30
JAMES B. BECK 30
DAVID DUDLEY FIELD 31
HENRY WATTERSON 33
SAMUEL S. COX 34
LEVI P. MORTON 48
JAMES A. McKENZIE 49
WILLIAM McKINLEY 56
SENATE TESTIMONIAL TO MR. STEVENSON AS PRESIDENT
OF SENATE 57
ABRAHAM LINCOLN 82
ANDREW JOHNSON 83
ULYSSES S. GRANT 100
HORATIO SEYMOUR 101
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS 126
SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 127
WILLIAM M. GWIN 170
JAMES SHIELDS 171
JAMES SMITHSON 174
JOSEPH HENRY 175
JOHN REYNOLDS 196
JOSEPH SMITH 197
R. G. INGERSOLL 226
PETER CARTWRIGHT 227
CLEVELAND AND STEVENSON 240
WILLIAM FREEMAN VILAS 241
WILLIAM M. EVARTS 262
JOE WHEELER 263
DAVID DAVIS 286
S. S. PRENTISS 287
EDWIN BOOTH 304
JOSEPH JEFFERSON 305
RUFUS CHOATE 312
ISAAC N. PHILLIPS 313
WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN 316
W. H. MILBURN 317
R. J. OGLESBY 346
JOSEPH W. FIFER 347
LAWRENCE WELDON 352
THOMAS F. MARSHALL 353
MATTHEW T. SCOTT 372
ADLAI E. STEVENSON 373
LYMAN TRUMBULL 382
HOME OF ADLAI E. STEVENSON, BLOOMINGTON, ILL.
383

SOMETHING OF MEN I HAVE KNOWN