Muscatine weekly journal. [volume] (Muscatine, Iowa) 185?-1890, 1860-09-28
one that we can trust-an honest man, the
child of the people, Old Abe Lincoln, Of ILL
nois. (Great and prolonged cheering

child of the people, Old Abe Lincoln, of Hi.
nois. Great and prolonged cheering
ELOQUENT TRIBUTE TO LINCOLN.
Oh! it is glorious spectacle that is now
presented! At last we are going to illustrate
our capacity for s:lf government--to prove
that the laborer does not Of necessity belong
to the capitalist--,hat the king man must
not, in the natural order of things, be always
the mud sill, the bottom log, lying in the
slush; but the stone that the Democratic
oligarchy have rejected from the building is
about to become the chief stone Of the corner
loud applause)-the beautiful Corinthian
column to adorn the Temple of Liberty, pro-
claiming by it's bright presence to all the
nations, Look! see what Liberty promises
and achieves for the down rodden and the
children of the poorr' Behold this man, the
heir of poverty, tried by the fire of adversely,
coming cut as pure as gold, strengthened in
sentiment, strengthened in his intellect, and
developed in his person into the hardy man
hood OF giant-a Saul amor the pcople-a
true giant among his peers. (Applause.)
When the battle was to be fought, two years
ago, in Illinois, between free and slave labor,
between freemen and the oligarchy Of slavery,
where, among all the active and intelligent
millions of this beautiful land, was found a
standard bearer to lead the van in fighting
your battle against the Little Giant who led
the forces of the Shareholders? None other
more fit was found than honest, earnest,
eloquent Abraham Liacoln. Ummense ap.
plause.) How WELL how CALAMITY, he bore
himself, you know, for you were near by and
saw him struggling through the thickest of
the fight, bearing aloft our standard, while
the eyes of the nation were upon him. You
of the North and we Of the South stood by
and watched, with drawn breath, each fuctu-
alton in that memorable strife. And how
nobly did he move forward, conquering and
to conquer Here in Illinois, the home of
Douglas, state that for natural lifetime has
been the Gibraltar Of Democracy, where
Democratic majorities lie piled in thousands
along the track Of your political history,
marking with invariable certainty each recur-
ring election for over thirty years, he led you
to the conflict with the Democracy under the
lead of their Giant and the people, after a
fair hearing, decided for Lincoln and Liberty
by majority of 4,0s5 over Douglas. (Great
enthusiasm And will you do it again :?
('Yes," '.yes.O Yes, know you will you
will give him the electoral vote of Illinois.
Although, by Democratic gerrymandering, he
was then cheated out of place in the Senate,
we, the people, will amply repay him princi-
pal and interest, when, on the 4th day of
March, 1861, we place him in the White House.
Tremendous cheering.) All honor to Honest
Old Abe! "Thou hast been faithful over a
few things; we will make thee ruler over
many things" prolonged cheers.)
But listen to this threat of the King: "If
we elect our man, we'll and good ; but if you
dare to elect your man, woe betide you -
Well break up the Government. daughter. }
Well dissolve the Union; We'll rule or ru,
in.' What does that mean 1t means that
we are not to have equality in these States
that you, the free people of the Northwest,
shall not be equal to the proud oligarchy of
three hundred thousand Shareholders Is
any man here inundated by these threats7
| ("No." No!) Does Gar of Russia, wield-
ing the concentrated strength ofsixty millions
Of people, hold you in trembling submission?
Are you slaves whose abject spirits dar, not
rise to shake of despotlsm under which
you COVER? Are you in Illinois afraid
C"No,' "No.') DO you give way :? C'No,'
No. y you are afraid, abolish these de-
monstrations of the popular will, lay down
the insignia of Republicanism, have no
more of these great meetings Of the masses,
destroy the ballot box, and say to Douglas
''Thou art King" C'Never never ~ If
you are not, then elect your own man by the
Constitution and the laws. COVE will !O
Place the star spangled banner in Old Abe's
left hand, and the sword of Justice in his
right, and respond to these men who are
threatening dissolution, in the language of
Jackson, '''By the Eternal, the Union shall
be preserved!' tremendous applause.)
In the providence of God, and by tho lib
critics of the people, we say you shall neither
rule nor ruin (Applause.) And upon
that banner shall be inscribed no such mis-
cradle motto as s'Slavery and Union,' nor
yet Slavery with or without the Union"
but, in the words Of him who grew immo rtal
in their utteranca, everywhere, spread all
over, in characters of living light, blazing
on all its ample folds, as they float over the
sea and over the land, and in every wind
under the whole heavens, that other senti-
ment, dear to every true American heart,
LIBERTY AND UNION, now and forever, one
and inseparable!" (Great and long-contin-
ued cheering.)