the throngs assembled at the railway stations in the various cities through which he passed.  At Indianapolis, where the first important halt was made, cannon announced the arrival of the party, and a royal welcome was accorded the distinguished traveler.  In this, as in the other cities at which he stopped, Lincoln made a brief address to the people.  His remarks were well considered and temperate; his manner was serious, his expressions thoughtful and full of feeling.  He entreated the people to be calm and patient; to stand by the principles of liberty inwrought into the fabric of the Constitution; to have faith in the strength and reality of the Government, and faith in his purpose to discharge his duties honestly and impartially.  He referred continually to his trust in the Almighty Ruler of the Universe to guide the nation safely out of its present peril and perplexity.  “I judge,” he said at Columbus, “that all we want is time and patience, and a reliance in that God who has never forsaken His people.”  Again, he said:  “Let the people on both sides keep their self-possession, and just as other clouds have cleared away in due time, so will this; and this great nation shall continue to prosper as heretofore.”  Alluding more definitely to his purposes for the future, he declared:  “I shall do all that may be in my power to promote a peaceful settlement of all our difficulties.  The man does not live who is more devoted to peace than I am—­none who would do more to preserve it. But it may be necessary to put the foot down firmly.”

At the conclusion of Lincoln’s speech at Columbus, a tremendous crowd surged forward to shake his hand.  Says Dr. Holland:  “Every man in the crowd was anxious to wrench the hand of Abraham Lincoln.  He finally gave both hands to the work, with great good nature.  To quote one of the reports of the occasion:  ’People plunged at his arms with frantic enthusiasm, and all the infinite variety of shakes, from the wild and irrepressible pump-handle movement to the dead grip, was executed upon the devoted dexter and sinister of the President.  Some glanced at his face as they grasped his hand; others invoked the blessings of heaven upon him; others affectionately gave him their last gasping assurance of devotion; others, bewildered and furious, with hats crushed over their eyes, seized his hands in a convulsive grasp, and passed on as if they had not the remotest idea who, what, or where they were.’  The President at last escaped, and took refuge in the Governor’s residence, although he held a levee at the State House in the evening, where in a more quiet way he met many prominent citizens.”