按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
A few days after returning home from Yale I entered the office of Edward Wells； a lawyer of the village； as a student。 Mr。 Wells had attained high rank in his profession； was a profound student of the law； and had a number of young men； fitting them for the bar under his direction。
I was admitted to the bar in 1858； and immediately opened an office in the village。 My first client was a prosperous farmer who wanted an opinion on a rather complicated question。 I prepared the case with great care。 He asked me what my fee was； and I told him five dollars。 He said： 〃A dollar and seventy…five is enough for a young lawyer like you。〃 Subsequently he submitted the case to one of the most eminent lawyers in New York； who came to the same conclusion and charged him five hundred dollars。 On account of this gentleman's national reputation the farmer thought that fee was very reasonable。 In subsequent years I have received several very large retainers； but none of them gave so much satisfaction as that dollar and seventy…five cents； which I had actually earned after having been so long dependent on my father。
After some years of private practice Commodore Vanderbilt sent for me and offered the attorneyship for the New York and Harlem Railroad。 I had just been nominated and confirmed United States minister to Japan。 The appointment was a complete surprise to me； as I was not an applicant for any federal position。 The salary was seven thousand five hundred dollars and an outfit of nine thousand。 The commodore's offer of the attorneyship for the Harlem Railroad； which was his first venture in railroading； was far less than the salary as minister。 When I said this to the commodore； he remarked： 〃Railroads are the career for a young man； there is nothing in politics。 Don't be a damned fool。〃 That decided me； and on the 1st of January； 1921； I rounded out fifty…five years in the railway service of this corporation and its allied lines。
Nothing has impressed me more than little things； and apparently immaterial ones； which have influenced the careers of many people。 My father and his brothers； all active business men； were also deeply interested in politics； not on the practical side but in policies and governmental measures。 They were uncompromising Democrats of the most conservative type； they believed that interference with slavery of any kind imperilled the union of the States； and that the union of the States was the sole salvation of the perpetuity of the republic and its liberties。 I went to Yale saturated with these ideas。 Yale was a favorite college for Southern people。 There was a large element from the slaveholding States among the students。 It was so considerable that these Southerners withdrew from the great debating societies of the college and formed a society of their own； which they called the Calliopean。 Outside of these Southerners there were very few Democrats among the students； and I came very near being drawn into the CaIliopean； but happily escaped。
The slavery question in all its phases of fugitive slave law and its enforcement； the extension of slavery into the new territories； or its prohibition； and of the abolition of the institution by purchase or confiscation were subjects of discussion on the campus； in the literary societies； and in frequent lectures in the halls in New Haven by the most prominent and gifted speakers and advocates。
That was a period when even in the most liberal churches the pulpit was not permitted to preach politics； and slavery was pre…eminently politics。 But according to an old New England custom； the pastor was given a free hand on Thanksgiving Day to unburden his mind of everything which had been bubbling and seething there for a year。 One of the most eminent and eloquent of New England preachers was the Reverend Doctor Bacon； of Center Church； New Haven。 His Thanksgiving sermon was an event eagerly anticipated by the whole college community。 He was violently anti…slavery。 His sermons were not only intently listened to but widely read； and their effect in promoting anti…slavery sentiment was very great。
The result of several years of these associations and discussions converted me； and I became a Republican on the principles enunciated in the first platform of the party in 1856。 When I came home from Yale the situation in the family became very painful； because my father was an intense partisan。 He had for his party both faith and love； and was shocked and grieved at his son's change of principles。 He could not avoid constantly discussing the question； and was equally hurt either by opposition or silence。
II。 IN PUBLIC LIFE
The campaign of 1856 created an excitement in our village which had never been known since the Revolutionary War。 The old families who had been settled there since colonial days were mainly pro…slavery and Democratic； while the Republican party was recruited very largely from New England men and in a minority。
Several times in our national political campaigns there has been one orator who drew audiences and received public attention and reports in the newspapers beyond all other speakers。 On the Democratic side during that period Horatio Seymour was pre…eminent。 On the Republican side in the State of New York the attractive figure was George William Curtis。 His books were very popular； his charming personality； the culture and the elevation of his speeches put him in a class by himself。
The Republicans of the village were highly elated when they had secured the promise of Mr。 Curtis to speak at their most important mass meeting。 The occasion drew together the largest audience the village had known； composed not only of residents but many from a distance。 The committee of arrangements finally reported to the waiting audience that the last train had arrived； but Mr。 Curtis had not come。
It suddenly occurred to the committee that it would be a good thing to call a young recruit from a well…known Democratic family and publicly commit him。 First came the invitation； then the shouting； and when I arose they cried 〃platform；〃 and I was escorted to the platform； but had no idea of making a speech。 My experience for years at college and at home had saturated me with the questions at issue in all their aspects。 From a full heart； and a sore one； I poured out a confession of faith。 I thought I had spoken only a few minutes； but found afterwards that it was over an hour。 The local committee wrote to the State committee about the meeting； and in a few days I received a letter from the chairman of the State committee inviting me to fill a series of engagements covering the whole State of New York。
The campaign of 1856 differed from all others in memory of men then living。 The issues between the parties appealed on the Republican side to the young。 There had grown up among the young voters an intense hostility to slavery。 The moral force of the arguments against the institution captured them。 They had no hostility to the South； nor to the Southern sIaveholders； they regarded their position as an inheritance； and were willing to help on the lines of Mr。 Lincoln's original idea of purchasing the slaves and free