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For the People A Newsletter of the Abraham Lincoln Association Volume 5, Number 1 Spring 2003 Springfield, Illinois Lincoln Never Said That Abraham Lincoln, Cockfighting, and Animal Rights By Thomas F. Schwartz liquors—he did not even in those days followed I cannot improve on the smoke or chew tobacco.” In sports description furnished me in February wo frequent questions that I requiring either muscle or skill he took 1865, by Ellis who was present. have encountered in the last no little interest. He indulged in all the “They formed a ring, and the time Ttwenty years have been: 1) Did games of the day, even to a horse race having arrived, Lincoln, with one hand Lincoln endorse cockfighting? and 2) or cockfight. At one eventful chicken on each hip and in a squatting position, Where did Lincoln say, “I am in favor fight, where a fee of twenty-five cents cried ‘Ready.’ Into the ring they toss of animal rights as well as human for the entrance of each fowl was their fowls. Bap’s red rooster along rights. That is the way of a whole assessed, one Bap. McNabb brought with the rest. But no sooner had the human being.” Both pose interesting a little red rooster, whose fighting little beauty discovered what was to challenges in dealing with evidence. qualities had been well advertised for be done than he dropped his tail and Cockfighting is a blood sport that days in advance by his owner. Much ran. The crowd cheered, while Bap. was widespread in ancient Greece, interest was naturally taken in contest. in disappointment picked him up Persia, and Rome. Specially bred As the outcome of these contests was and started away, losing his quarter roosters or gamecocks are placed in generally a quarrel, in which each man, and carrying home his dishonored a pit and fight one another, often to charging foul play, seized his victim, fowl. Once arrived at the latter place the death. Cockfighting was practiced they chose Lincoln umpire, relying not he threw his pet down with a feeling in Great Britain until 1849. It was only on his fairness but his ability to of indignation and chagrin. The a popular sport in frontier America. enforce his decisions. In relating what continued on page 6 Even today, cockfighting remains legal in Louisiana and a number of counties in New Mexico. Throughout the campaigns to end cockfighting, both Save the Date opponents and supporters have enlisted Abraham Lincoln to their cause. April 24 Membership Event in Quincy, Illinois Those who claim Lincoln was a supporter of cock fighting point to a free public lecture, “The and is part of the Abraham Lincoln passage in William Herndon and Jesse Busy Wilderness of Abraham Association’s mission to promote the Weik’s Life of Abraham Lincoln: A Lincoln: Lincoln’s Frontier study of Abraham Lincoln and make Illinois,” presented by Dr. James E. accessible new findings on Lincoln and At this time in its brief history Davis, will be held Thursday, April his era to a broad audience. New Salem was what in the parlance 24 at the Quincy (Illinois) Art Center, James E. Davis is the William and of large cities would be called a fast 1515 Jersey Street. Charlotte Gardner Professor of History place; and it was difficult for a young The lecture is the latest of the at Illinois College in Jacksonville. He man of ordinary moral courage to Abraham Lincoln Association’s out- is the leading authority on the history resist the temptations that beset him reach programs, and is cosponsored by of the Illinois frontier and author on every hand. It remains a matter the Historical Society of Quincy, the of several books, including his most of surprise that Lincoln was able to Historical Society of Adams County recent, Frontier Illinois, published by retain his popularity with the hosts of and the Quincy Society of Fine Arts. Indiana University Press. Known as young men of his own age, and still The evening will begin at 5 P.M. with an energetic and innovative teacher, not join them in their drinking bouts hors d’oeuvres and wine, followed by Davis is currently working on a book and carousals. “I am certain,” contends the lecture at 6 P.M. The evening will examining the Civil War through the one of his companions (A.Y. Ellis), conclude with coffee and dessert. The recollections and memories of Illinois “that he never drank any intoxicating event is free and open to the public, veterans. 2 For the People President’s Column By Robert S. Eckley Circuit. Both brothers dropped out had felt the point of it. Nevertheless, of college to join the Union forces Scott went on to remember Lincoln’s braham Lincoln’s 1860 elec- in 1861, and each was seriously greatness: “Courage . that dares tion ushered in five decades wounded, one at Pea Ridge and both to do right, whatever may be the A of Republican dominance in at Prairie Grove in northwest Arkansas. opinion of the world and fears only national politics, most pronounced According to Ward Hill Lamon, then to do wrong,” while still puzzling in the Senate (92 percent), almost as marshal of Washington, Lincoln was over Lincoln’s lack of any outstanding much in the presidency (85 percent), so concerned about them when he single characteristic! In mid-September and two-thirds of the time in the House learned of their wounds that he broke 1887 the seven-member Court issued of Representatives. Industrialization into tears and wired General Samuel a unanimous opinion rejecting the followed, accompanied by outbursts Curtis to assist their stepfather. Captain pleadings of Swett and Black and of strife by labor to gain recognition. Black, the younger, later sacrificed a setting the date of November 11 for One of the most riveting events of promising corporate legal career in the executions. this rivalry, which occurred exactly Chicago to defend the anarchists, so In the penultimate step of the in the middle of this period, was the unpopular was their cause. At the end judicial process—the United States Haymarket Square melee in Chicago of the twenty-one-day trial, the verdict Supreme Court—three eminent in 1886. Eight individuals, all Lincoln condemned seven to be hanged and attorneys, one of whom Lincoln knew friends and associates, played key roles one to a fifteen-year prison term. Aside only too well, joined Black and Swett. in the anarchists’ trial, appeals, and the from these tragic figures, if there was Benjamin F. Butler was an errant aftermath more than two decades after a hero in Haymarket, it was Captain political general from Massachusetts, Lincoln’s assassination. Black. often described as a “firebrand,” On May 4, the day following a Black and Leonard Swett, who had mixed wisdom with folly violent uprising at the McCormick Lincoln’s “intimate personal and from New Orleans to Virginia and Reaper Works, which ended with political friend” during the last fifteen North Carolina during the Civil War. police firing into a crowd of workers years of his life (in the words of David He was identified with the Radical killing and wounding several, a protest Davis), must have known one another Republicans. Later he was involved meeting was held near Haymarket reasonably well as founding members in the Andrew Johnson impeachment Square only eight blocks west of the of the Chicago Bar Association in trial as lead speaker in the Senate. In center of Chicago. As the rally was 1874. They had been opposing counsel the Haymarket case, he cautioned winding down in the evening with in two Chicago Board of Trade cases that there was little expectation for only a fraction of the crowd remaining, before the Illinois Supreme Court. In the Court to intervene in an Illinois the police ordered the meeting to close. the next step in the Haymarket case, matter, although there was reason to Someone threw a bomb into the ranks the appeal to that Court, Black was think otherwise. of the police causing serious injury. In joined by Swett whose audacity and Two of the five justices appointed the accompanying chaos, the police courage would match his own, and by Lincoln remained on the Court fired their weapons randomly, killing whose practice, in contrast to Black’s, when the Haymarket case was some and injuring others, including a included a familiarity with criminal considered. Samuel Miller, a doctor number from their own ranks. In the law. They outlined thirty-three turned attorney, migrated to Iowa end, seven police were killed and sixty procedural errors in their brief for the from Kentucky to avoid slavery. He injured. Court, then headed by Chief Justice and Stephen Field, also appointed Eight anarchists were tried in the John M. Scott, who granted a stay by Lincoln, wrote many dissents in case, several of whom were not present of execution pending hearing of the their long tenures on the Court (not at the scene of the crime. They were appeal. Scott was a friend of Swett and surpassed in number until after John charged as conspirators who convinced Lincoln from Bloomington, who had Marshall Harlan was added to the the unknown bomber to throw the replaced Davis as circuit judge when Court as a replacement for David bomb. A forty-three-year-old Civil Lincoln appointed the latter to the Davis in 1877). Miller was viewed as War hero, Captain William P. Black, United States Supreme Court. Scott a liberal and wrote the decision in the became the chief defense counsel.

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