Linder, Usher F.; Gillespie, Joseph. Reminiscences of the Early Bench and Bar of Illinois . Chicago: The Chicago Legal News company, 1879. [format: book], [genre: memoir]. Permission: Northern Illinois University
Persistent link to this document: http://lincoln.lib.niu.edu/file.php?file=linder.html

DEAR reader, if you think it a pleasant task to awake the memories of the past, and call back the features of beloved ones that are gone, and recount the pleasant intercourse that occurred between you and them, you are very much mistaken. Our recollections of our living friends can be recounted without any sadness; but of those who have long been dead, such recollections are like visitants from the grave. I will now introduce the name of a cherished friend who died some time ago — I mean Richard Yates, of Morgan county, Illinois. He was several times a member of the House of Representatives in Congress from his district. He was repeatedly a member of the Legislature of Illinois; once Governor of the State of Illinois, which was during the civil war; and in my humble opinion President Grant is in a considerable degree indebted to him for the position and fame he now enjoys; for he gave him, when he was a private citizen, the first military appointment he received. It was about the time of the commencement of the civil war. It is true, somebody, whose name I do not now remember, recommended him to Governor Yates when mi we were sadly in need of some qualified person to discipline our troops. Governor Yates was looking

around for such a person, and asking every intelligent person where he could find such a one, when he who recommended Grant said to him:.

" Governor Yates, there is Captain Grant, late of the United States Army, and a graduate of the West Point Academy; why not give him the commission of a State Colonel to drill and train our Illinois volunteers?".

Yates did so, and I am inclined to think it was a fortunate thing he did so, for Grant had the peculiar talents that were needed at that time, and he went on from one promotion to another; and with the exception of one or two unfortunate reverses, he ascended from victory to victory, until the surrender of Lee crowned him as the great captain of the war, and covered him with unfading glory, and made him the most prominent man as candidate for the future presidency. .

At the time of his appointment by Governor Yates, Grant was unknown to fame; but a few knew him as an ex-captain of the Mexican War, and but for this fortunate selection, perhaps the war might have resulted in misfortune to the Union. To what little causes are we indebted for great results! Bonaparte, who conquered nearly the whole of Europe, and of whom England stood in awe, was perhaps indebted for his ultimate success to the fact of his having returned the sword of General Beauharnais to his orphan son, Eugene Beauharnais, which introduced Napoleon to the boy's mother, to whom he became attached, and afterwards married; and through whose influence, counsel and advice, and the inflnence of her friends, Napoleon rose from one position to another, until he

cast his mighty shadow across the civilized world, and the eagles of France were hoisted upon the capitals of nearly all continental Europe, and her lilies were fanned by the breezes that swept over the pyramids of Egypt. How great a fire is sometimes kindled from a mere spark! But if ever Grant should kindle such a fire as Napoleon did (my readers must not understand me as predicting such a result), yet I do not want to be understood as underating the talents of General Grant, especially as a military man. I am free to confess that he is no ordinary man; and I have been informed by some of our Democratic Generals that he possessed the rarest powers of military combination. I was told by one of them that when he came into the army of the Tennessee, the army was thoroughly demoralized, their communications were cut off, but that in less than ten days the morale of the army was restored; their communications re-opened; the half-starved army re-victualed, and order, plenty and discipline prevailed throughout the army. This is really no small praise to be bestowed upon any man, especially coming from a political opponent.

Now, worthy reader, if I have not led you away too far from my friend Dick Yates, be good enough to consider him as the starting point of all these grand results.

Governor Yates, as my readers all know, was elevated to the Senate of the United States. He was a man of very rare elocution, and as a Fourth-of-July orator had but few equals, if any; he had the rare facility of stringing beautiful words and sentences together.

Yates was a handsome man, and I never saw a frown

upon his countenance in my life. He was eminently social and a little too convivial, as most of us were in early times. He was my warmest friend and most devoted admirer. I learned from a mutual friend of ours that Yates, who was listening to an effort I made in the House of Representatives, said to him after it was over: "There is no use talking, Linder is the greatest orator of this State.".

Reader, pardon this vanity for repeating what my old friend Yates said, and may I not be pardoned also for saying that I was not displeased with the compliment paid by him to me? If he had any faults it is not my business either to remember or record them.

" Teach me to feel another's woe,
To hide the fault I see;
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me."

I will say this, in regard to my old friend Yates: that whatever is good in his character I will transmit to posterity; but whatever is otherwise, I shall be inclined to be governed by the sentiment expressed in Sterne's "Life of Tristram Shandy," where Corporal Trim, the servant of "my Uncle Toby," had visited a wounded officer by the direction of his master, reported to his master that the officer must surely die. "No, Trim," said he, "he must not die. We will take him and nurse him, and he shall not die.".

"I tell you, master, he will surely die; no human efforts can save him.".

" I tell you," said my Uncle Toby," by G-d, he shall not die.".

And Sterne says that the accusing spirit that flew up

to heaven's chancery with the oath, blushed when he gave it in, and the recording angel, when he wrote it down, dropped a tear upon the word, and blotted it out forever." And with a charity like this am I disposed to deal with the faults of my old friend Yates. I believe that I shall meet him in a better world, for he was a devout Christian, and died in full fellowship with the Methodist Church.

He, Lincoln, Hardin and myself were warm personal friends. I don't believe, so far as his honor and integrity were concerned, that he has left a single blot on his name.

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