File:Abraham Lincoln; a history (1890) (14782571703).jpg

Identifier: abrahamlincolnhi01nico (find matches)
Title: Abraham Lincoln; a history
Year: 1890 (1890s)
Authors: Nicolay, John G. (John George), 1832-1901 Hay, John, 1838-1905
Subjects: Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865 United States -- History Civil War, 1861-1865
Publisher: New York : The Century Co.
Contributing Library: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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ength. His efforts were quite unequal,and it might happen that he would not, on some occa-sions, strike one as at all remarkable. But let him bethoroughly roused, let him feel that he was right, andsome principle was involved in his cause, and he wouldcome out with an earnestness of conviction, a power ofargument, a wealth of illustration, that I have never seensurpassed. This is nothing less than the portrait of a greatlawyer, drawn by competent hands, with the life-long habit of conscientious accuracy. If we choseto continue we could fill this volume with thetributes of his professional associates, ranging allthe way from the commonplaces of condolence tothe most extravagant eulogy. But enough hasbeen quoted to justify the tradition which Lincolnleft behind him at the bar of Illinois. His weak aswell as his strong qualities have been indicated.He never learned the technicalities, what somewould call the tricks, of the profession. Thesleight of plea and demurrer, the legerdemain by V
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^fe DAVID DAVIS- THE CIRCUIT LAWYER 305 which justice is balked and a weak case is made to ch.xvii.gain an unfair advantage, was too subtle and shiftyfor his strong and straightforward intelhgence.He met these manoeuvres sufficiently well, whenpracticed by others, but he never could get in theway of handling them for himself. On the wrongside he was always weak. He knew this himself,and avoided such cases when he could consistentlywith the rules of his profession. He would oftenpersuade a fair-minded litigant of the injustice ofhis case and induce him to give it up. His partner,Mr. Herndon, relates a speech in point which Lin- p!^i?.coin once made to a man who offered him anobjectionable case: Yes, there is no reasonabledoubt but that I can gain your case for you. I canset a whole neighborhood at loggerheads; I can dis-tress a widowed mother and her six fatherless chil-dren, and thereby get for you six hundred dollars,which rightfully belongs, it appears to me, as muchto them as it do

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