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Show - - - - - . The Three Men Who Made Lincoln President e By ByELMO ByELMO ELMO SCOTT WATSONT WATSONHIS WATSON WATSONBHIS HIS is the story of three threemen threemen threemen BHIS THIS T men named Jesse JesseV W \V V \ . FellDavid Fell , David Davis and Leonard LeonardSwett LeonardSwett LeonardSwctt Swett . Perhaps you ne\ ne lice nc\er nc er neer \ er heard of ofthose ofthose ofthose those men before . But JfJt ifit if Jf Jt it Jthadn't ithadn't ithadn't ithadnt hadn't hadnt ' been for { or them thcm you mightnever might mightnever I Inevcr nevcr never have heard of Abraham AbrahamLincoln AbrahamLincoln AbrahamLincoln Lincoln , either . That is why whyyou whyyou whyyou you arc are hearing of them , hereand hereand here hereand and now . . ' Several years ago Dr . WIllIam Wilham "WilliamE WilliamE " WilhamE E . Barton , famous as an authorJESSE author.L author- author authorW - . .L L . W rp rpka ka . . . ka f fv fbn v bn r 4 4r r . . a t , ' ; QM QMA QMt QMw A ? * w > [ t r ; t tw ts te s w ? e t ' as Y rawi S SG G Y 3 3g g d F G GF 4 a4av a4avl l r rL rJESSE L JESSE W . FELLity FELL FELLity ity on Lmcoln Lincoln , in an address be before be- be before before - - fore the Illinois IllmOls State hIstorIcal hIstorIcalSocIety historicalsociety historicalsociety SocIety declared : ' "Oregon Oregon .Oregon " . could have made Lin L1O- L1O Lm- Lm L1OcoIn Lmcoln Lincoln - coln coIn a senator , but it is not cer cer- certam cer- cer certam certain - - tain tam that any other state than thanIllmOIS thanIllinois thanIllinois IllmOIS Illinois could have made himPresident 1um him 1umPresIdent himPresident PresIdent . He needed essential essentIal- essentIally essentially essentially - ly the conditions which he found foundin foundin foundin in Illinois Ill100Is to develop the quali quah- quah quahbes quali- quali qualities qualities - - ties bes which v . were ere inherent 10herent m him ; and he neededa needed a political pohtical situa sItua- sItuabon situa- situa situation situation - - tion bon such as exisied eXlsLed existed m 10 Illinois I11100ls tomake to tomake tomake make him lum at the opportune tune time tunethe timethe tunethe the President of the Umted United UmtedStates UnitedStates UnitedStates States . . . " Now comes another authorIty authorityon on Lincoln L1Ocoln who takes what Bar Bar- Barton Barton Barton - ton said of Illinois Illm OIS , and narrowsit narrows narrowsIt It down to an Illinois IllmoIS city . He Heis HeIs Heis is Sherman Day Wakefield , au- au author author au author - - thor of a new book . , "HOW HOW IIHOW " LIN LIN- LINCOLN LIN- LIN LINCOLN LINCOLN - - COLN BECAME PRESIDENT PRESIDENT- PRESIDENTThe PRESIDENTThe PRESIDENTThe - The Part Played by Bloom1Og- Bloom1Og Blooming- Blooming Bloom1Ogton Bloomington Blooming-ton Blooming ton - ton , Illinois IllmoIs , and Certain Certam of ItsCitizens Its ItsCltZenS ItsCitizens CltZenS Citizens ! m in Preparing Preparmg Hun Him for forthe forthe forthe the Presidency and Securing Securmg HIS HISNom1OatIOn HisNomination HisNomination Nom1OatIOn Nomination and Election , " pub pub- publIshed published published - lished recently by WIlson-ErIck- WIlson ErIck Wilson-Enck-son Wilson Enck son WIlsonErIckson - - - - son , Inc , of New York . In the thefirst thefirst thefirst first chapter of his book Mr.Wakefield MrWakefield Mr . Wakefield quotes the foregomg foregoing foregomgpassage foregoingpassage foregoingpassage passage from Barton's Bartons ' speech speechand speechand speechand and adds : "Lincoln Lincoln uLmcoln " did not become Presi PresI- PresIdent Presi- Presi President President - - dent merely through his own ownabIlity ownability ownability abIlity . To be sure this tills was theultimate the theultImate theultimate ultImate cause of his success successbut , but there were other factors m in mthe inthe inthe the situation One of these was wasthat wasthat wasthat that he became fitted for office officethrough officethrough officethrough through hard experience expenence m in asso- asso assocIatIon association asso-elation asso elation - - , cIatIon with men of unusual ca capacity ca- ca capacIty Capacity - pacity ; and another , that he won wonthe wonthe wonthe the support of three InfluentIal InfluentIalmen influentialmen influentialmen men in m Bloomington who devoted devotedthemselves devotedthemselves devotedthemselves themselves with untiring untInng energy energyto energyto energyto to his cause " Those three men were JesseW Jesse JesseW JesseW W . Fell , David Davis Daus and Leon Leon- Leonard Leonard Leonard - ard Swett . One of them was a aQuaker aQuaker aQuaker Quaker from Pennsylvania Pennsylvama , one onewas onewas onewas was born on the eastern shore of ofMaryland ofMaryland ofMaryland Maryland and the third was a aYankee aYankee aYankee Yankee from Maine Mame . So thosethree those thosethree thosethree three states can claim claun some someshare someshare someshare share with v1th . ' Illmois IllInOIs , through theIr theIrthree theirthree theirthree three native sons , m in giving gIv10g Abra Abra- Abraham Abra- Abra Abraham Abraham - - ham Lmcoln Lincoln to the nation nahan and andto andto andto to the v a . world orId orld . . Jesse Fell FeU was the Quaker Quaher . . Hewas He Hewas Hewas was bom born m in New Garden town town- townsillp township township - ship sillp , Chester county , Pennsylva Pennsylva- Pennsylvania Pennsylvama - . nia ma justthree , November 10 , 1808 , Just three months before a son ar- ar arrIved ar- ar arrived ar arrived - - rived in the log cabin cabm home of ofTom ofTom ofTom Tom and Nancy Hanks Lincoln Lmcoln * I J : : : : - . 1 .t t . 'rA rA ' . - 'V V 'Vi ' i { Y Vt rdf ' 4rr , y yi i n 1 1k Y Yn n ' ' k The WIgwam In ChIcago Where Lincoln Was NomInated MigratingWest MIgratmgWest down m in Kentucky . MIgratmg Migrating West at the of twenty-threeFell twenty threeFell age twenty-three twenty three - - , Fell studied law in an attorney's attorneys attorney'soffice attorney'soffice attorney'soffice attorneysoffice ' office in m Steubenville Steubcnville , Ohio , for fortwo fortwo fortwo two years , then continued contmued his hiswestwardfarmg hiswestwardfaring hiawestward-faring hiawestward faring westward-farmg westward farmg westward-faring faring - to the raw littlepioneer lIttle lIttlepIoneer littlepioneer pIoneer Bloomington,111 Bloomington111 village of Bloommgton Bloomington , , Ill RI , where he opened its first firstlaw firstlaw firstlaw law office in m the spring sprmg of 1833 . The next year legal busmess business busmesstook businesstook businesstook took Fell to Vandaha VandalIa , then the thestate thestate thstate ( state capital , and there he lie met a alanky alanky slanky lanky young legislator from San- San Sangamon Sangamon Sangamon - gamon county named Abraham AbrahamLmcoln AbrahamLincoln AbrahairLmcoln Lmcoln Lincoln . This marked the be- be be - - - I ginning g10nmg of a friendship which whichendured whichendured whichendured endured for 30 years and WhICh WhIChwas whichwas whichwas was destined to be more Im- Im Important important im important - - portant to that young > oung legISlator legISlatorthan legislatorthan legislatorthan than either man then realized . In 1836 Fell became interestedin mterestedIn mterested interested In real estate and turned his law lawoffice lawoffice lawoffice office over to a young lawyer lawyernamed lawyernamed lawyernamed named David Davis . Davis was wasborn wasborn wasborn born atuThe at "The The uThe " Rounds , " Sassa Sassa- Sassafras Sassafras Sassafras - - fras Neck , m in Cecil county , Mary Mary- Maryland Maryland Maryland - land , on March 9 , 1815 . Gradu Gradu- Graduated Graduated Graduated - - ated from Kenyon college in Oillo Ohio Oilloat Ohioat Ohioat at the age of seventeen , he stud stud- studled studied studied - ied led law for two years m an office officein officein , In Lenox , Mass . . , and then at- at attended attended at attended - tended law school in New Ha- Ha Haven Haven Ha Haven - ven , Conn , for a year . In 1835 1835he 1835he 1835he he moved to Pekm Pehm Pekin , HI III Ill , and was wasadmItted wasadmitted wasadmitted admItted to the Illinois IllmOls bar ar the the10IIowmg thefollowing thefollowing 10IIowmg following year . Evidently the thej theyoung thepoling j young oung Marylander wasn't wasnt ' any anytoo anytoo anytoo too successful in Pekin Pelon for he hewas hewas hewas was about to return to his lus natIve natIvestate nativestate nativestate state when Jesse Fell suggested suggestedthat suggestedthat suggestedthat that he move to Bloommgton Bloomington and andtake andtake andtake take over Fell's Fells FeU's FeUs ' law practIce practIceWhICh practicewhich practicewhich WhICh he was giving gIvmg up for the thereal thereal thereal real estate business busmess . Davis ac- ac accepted accepted ac accepted - - cepted the offer , which also In- In Included included in included - cluded financial f1OancJ31 aid . About thistime thIS thIStIme thistime tIme he first became acquaint acquamt- acquamt acquaint- acquamted acquainted acquainted - ed with Lmcoln Lincoln . But their closest clos clos- closest closest - est association came some sometwelve sometwelve sometwelve twelve years later when DaVIs Davisas , as a judge , and Lmcoln Lincoln , as a alawyer alawyer alawyer lawyer , were making the roundsof rounds roundsof roundsof of the Eighth Judicial Circuit Clrcwt of ofIllmOls ofIllinois ofIllinois IllmOls Illinois . It was during durmg this period m in mLmcoln's inLincoln's mLincoln's mLincolns Lmcoln's Lmcolns Lincoln's Lincolns ' l life e that the youngest youngestof of the trio came on the scene scene.He sceneHe . He was Leonard Swett , bornnear born bornnear bornnear near the village of Turner m in Ox- Ox Oxford Oxford Ox Oxford - ford county , Maine Mame , on August August11 11 , 1825 After three years at atWatervIlle atWaterville atWaterville WatervIlle ( now Colby ) college collegehe , he began studying studymg in the office officeof officeof officeof of a law firm in 10 Portland He HeDAVID + r o ro ' 'yG yG 'yGr ' 'w w ' t ty r y , ' isac sac sacf a i t 94 f 'i i 'iar ' ar 4 . 4s s rre rrew w Y r \ . ! sr srY srr Y s < . , a 6 6ra ra nf4 nf4kY kY- kY kYV kYb kYti . ? - V b ti pv pvti ti n . . a ayra 4 yraw yra iO iODAVID hiO w w h DAVID DAVISstayed DAVIS DAVISstayed stayed there two y iears ears , traveled traveledfor traveledfor traveledfor for a year m 10 in the South and final final- finally finally finally - ly volunteered to serve in theMexican the theMexIcan theMexican MexIcan war , durmg during WhICh WhIChtIme whichtime whichtime tIme he contracted a dlsease disease dlseaseWhICh diseasewhich diseasewhich WhICh nearly proved fatal DIS- DIS DIScharged Discharged Dis Discharged - - charged from the service at Jef Jef- Jefferson Jef- Jef Jefferson Jefferson - - ferson Barracks , Mo , before he hehad hehad hehad had fully fuUy recovered , Swett start start- started started started - ed for home . En route east he hearrived hearrived hearrived arrived m in Bloommgton Bloomington \ where there \ here he hesettled hesettled hesettled settled down to teaching teachmg school schooland schooland schooland and reading readmg law while regain regam- regam regain- regammg regaining regaining - ing mg his health . . He was ad- ad admItted admitted ad admitted - mitted to the bar in June , 1849and 1849 , and began the active practice of oflaw oflaw oflaw law m in Bloommgton Bloomington Through ThroughhIS Throughhis Throughhis hIS acquaintance acquamtance with Judge Da- Da DaVIS Davis Da Davis - - : vis he met Lincoln , who had Just Justreturned justreturned justreturned returned from his one term m in mcongress incongress mcongress congress to take up his work asa as asa asa a circuit-riding circuit riding cIrcwt-ndmg cIrcwt ndmg - lawyer again agam . . "Lmcoln Lmcoln IIL1Ocoln "Lincoln Lincoln " spent over half of ev- ev every every ev every - ery year riding rIdmg the circUlt circuit circuit"writes circuitwrites , " Writes Wakefield . . "And And elAnd " the m- m in- in mfiuence influence in influence - fluence fiuence of the Eighth ClI'CUIt ClICUIt Circuit ClI'CUItupon Circuitupon Circuitupon ' upon the career of Lmcoln Lincoln can canscarcely canscarcely canscarcely scarcely be overestimated . It Itwas Itwas Itwas was : on this circuit CIrCUlt that LIncoln LIncolnmade Lincolnmade Lincolnmade made the friendship frIendsillp of all allsorts allsorts allsorts sorts of people , and here he hefirst hefast hefirst first fast became famous . But it was waspr10cipally wasprincipally wasprincipally pr10cipally principally his friends m in Bloom Bloom- - mgton ington , headed by Jesse W . Fell FellJudge , , ; Judge David Davis and Leonard LeonardSwett LeonardSwett LeonardSwett Swett , who created his country country- countrywide countrywide countrywide - wide fame , conceived of him hun as asPresIdent asPresident asPresident \ PresIdent , and secured his nom nom- nomI nommatIon nom- nom nomination nomination - " - I ination matIon . " ' The first step toward this goal goalwas goalwas goawas was taken by Jesse W . Fell m in ir1854 1854 . . On May 30 of that year yeaithe the yearthe Kansas-Nebraska Kansas Nebraska - bill , WhICh WhIChhad whichhad whicihad had been mtroduced introduced into mto con- con congress congress congrcss - gress by Senator Stephen ADouglas A " . Douglas , became a law Almost AlmostImmedIately AlmostI Almostimmediately Almosimmediately I ImmedIately the anti slavery ele- ele elements elements elements ' - - ments in the North began to ti , fri : 0 0a a r rt " ' 1 " r ; t + furl ? yb ybx ybM x M iY 4 flif ' y yr ya * - . t . W Wt r " a r Y + ) . , " = r rrr " . .A A . ' < : . } rr " .Afb Afb .Afby . -t- t - tf ; . y . Y ) ' f , < : - ; 4-4 4 . if - ' " 4 3 - 4 a : L- L - L11 ? ' > -11 11 - " ; ' if " : ifL d , Txb / ' # 4 " R 9 , p 8a4 8a4Ra " $ - : a " . , a , Ra RaAn An a 9 b y yn n . ; i'J iJ z zy zt ; / ' y t Y YY ' x xN y . " , ( " f : N y { a at , itY4r itY4rl (7 7 ( t l + + e a h ah a aNS NS ; Z Z'r 1/ 1 / 1S 1t -t t - S 'r r ? > 'rk ' 4 $ 4FP k " .IJ IJ P . ' PI4 FP v $ . I4 0 0V rna ; a V a aa N Na " , * xlf xlfw w a a a aLincoln Lincoln in 1860 : I ' make an issue of the bill and In InAugust inAugust inAugust August Douglas returned to hIS hIShome hishome hishome home state to Just justify y his efforts effortsin effortsm m in its behalf . On September 1 1Douglas 1Douglas 1Douglas Douglas made a speech in Chi ChI- ChIcago Chi- Chi Chicago Chicago - - cago , defending defendmg the Kansas-Ne Kansas Ne Kansas-N N Kansas-Ne- KansasNebraska KansasNebraska - e- e ebraska - braska bill and he was scheduled scheduledto to address a Democratic meetingm meetingin meetIng m in Bloommgton BloomIngton on the same sub sub- subJect subject subject - ject later m in the month . In the meantime meantune a German GermanAntINebraska GermanAntiNebraska GermanAnti-Nebraska GermanAnti Nebraska AntI-Nebraska AntI Nebraska - state conventIonwas conventionwas convention | was held m in Bloommgton Bloomington and on onthe onthe onthe the evening evenmg of September 12 , Lincoln Lin LIn- LIncoln Lincoln - coln who was then m in town toattend to toattend toattend attend court , was mvited invited to ad- ad address address ad address - dress the delegates On that oc- oc occaSIOn occasion oc occasion - - casion heIIfor he "for for IIfor " the first time m in mhIS inhis mhis hIS l life e , publicly and in forth forth- forthrIght forthright forthright - right words denounced slavery slaveryand slaveryand slaveryand and asserted that it was in incompatible in- in incompatIble incompatible - compatible with American insti mstI- mstI insti- institutions mstItutIons institutions - tutions . " As a result of thIS thISspeech thisspeech thisspeech speech Jesse Fell conceived the theIdea theidea theidea |