The Backwoods Boy; or, The Boyhood and Manhood of Abraham LincolnAlger, Horatio, Jr.
General
The Backwoods Boy; or, The Boyhood and Manhood of Abraham Lincoln
Alger, Horatio, Jr.
Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
Mr. Lincoln and some of his friends were waiting in the office of the
_Journal_ when the local editor rushed in, in a fever of excitement.
“What’s the news?” was the breathless inquiry.
“The Convention has made a nomination,” he said, “and Mr. Seward----”
A look of intense disappointment was beginning to show itself on the
faces of the listeners. They supposed that Seward was nominated.
“And Seward is--the second man on the list,” continued the editor.
He could no longer restrain himself. Jumping on the editorial table, he
shouted, “Gentlemen, I propose three cheers for Abraham Lincoln, the
next President of the United States.”
The cheers were given with a will.
The dispatch was handed to Mr. Lincoln, who read it quietly.
Then he put it in his pocket, saying, “There is a little woman on Eighth
Street who will be interested to hear this,” and he walked home.
In Springfield the news excited the greatest enthusiasm. All knew and
loved Abraham Lincoln. He set himself above no one, but greeted all with
cordial kindness. The nomination was felt to be a personal compliment to
Springfield. The country had come to them for a President, and to the
man above all others whom they would personally have selected.
That day Mr. Lincoln had to keep open house. His modest residence proved
quite too small to contain the crowds who wanted to enter and shake
hands with the man who had become so suddenly of national importance.
They received a cordial welcome; and no one could detect in the nominee
any unusual elation nor any deviation from his usual plain and modest
deportment.
The next day Mr. Lincoln was formally notified of his election by a
Committee of the Convention, with Mr. Ashmun at the head. This was his
response:
“Mr. Chairman and Gentlemen of the Committee:--I tender to you, and
through you to the Republican National Convention, and all the people
represented in it, my profoundest thanks for the high honor done me,
which you now formally announce. Deeply and even painfully sensible of
the great responsibility which is inseparable from this high honor--a
responsibility which I could almost wish had fallen upon some one of the
far more eminent men and experienced statesmen whose distinguished names
were before the Convention, I shall, by your leave, consider more fully
the resolutions of the Convention, denominated the platform, and,
without unnecessary and unreasonable delay, respond to you, Mr.
Chairman, in writing, not doubting that the platform will be found
satisfactory, and the nomination gratefully accepted. And now I will not
longer defer the pleasure of taking you, and each of you, by the hand.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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