MR. ARMSTRONG'S LECTURE.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 316, 19 March 1875, Page 2

MR. ARMSTRONG'S LECTURE.

On Tuesday evening last Mr. Armstrong, M.P.C,, kindly gave a chapter from his experiences, at the Town Hall, Naseby, in aid of the Mining Association. There was a very good attendance. All present appeared to be taken by surprise at the wit and sparkling humor, which, set off by a most original mannerism, was not generally anticipated. Mr. Armstrong previously lectured at Naseby, but his real forte as a humorist was then not so evident, owing to the disconnected uncouthness of his address. This, now, is all changed, and a rich fund of amusement was the. reward of those ; who were present on Tuesday evening. We give an extract, which is of peculiar interest at the present time, to show that humor is not alone depended upon by the lecturer to keep the attention of his audience Mr. Lincoln, afterwards President Lincoln, took kindly to him in conse r quence of his name being Armstrong, for the reason Lhafc he was befriended by a farmer Armstrong during the days he had a hard struggle to support himself while studying the law. Ever afterwards his gratitude extended to any one of the name. Great souls are ever grateful, and r like the rich and generous soil, will repay an hundredfold. Not so with little minds and small hearts; do them a good turn and they will become your enemy afterwards. They feel in debt, and hate the creditor. At the time I thought little of shaking hands with Abraham Lincoln or any other great man—the habit was so common in America. Afterwards, however, when I knew that that same rough hand—rough with honest labor—was the hand destined by God to sign the proclamation which liberated over four millions of his fellow creatures. I felt more proud, than had I grasped the soft hands of all the crwned heads and gilded drones in Chris endom .Mr. Lincon was a lawyer. That, to some minds, will aspear a dark spot. According to some of themselves lawyers are three-faced, or they present three sides to society. They appear as, lawyers, politicians, and private gentle-' men. As lawyers they will say any mortal thing for the benefit of their clients; as politicians they will say and promise anymortal thing, apparently for the pub- • good, but in reality for their own benefit; while, as; private gentlemen," they sometimes tell the truth, and say what they think. This, no doubt, is> a' true picture of some, but not all. On the contrary some of the noblest men have -belonged: to the legal profession. The Old Country and America have produced many such ; while, among ourselves, such kindhearted and noble-minded men as the venerable Wilson Grey, would reflect honor on any class or body of men. lam sorry New Zealand is likely to lose him soon. He is a man whose ambition always has been to do the most good. I heard of him in : Ireland and in America. I remember when he came to Victoria a fellow passenger with the now Sir Charles Gavan Duffy. I recollect M!r. Grey as President of the Land Convention that framed the land laws that are how in force in that Colony; and lam proud he has ever been my friend.» Iremember, during the American war, a conversation I had with Judge Grey in one of the up-country towns in this Province, when the Southern army wcr> most successful. I asked him which side, he thought, would be victorious. He said-—"John, have you-~a-doubt ? The North has right and justice on her side. The blot of slavery must bo wiped out." . \ : - ,