The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1864-03-02
4" OLD ABE
SKETCH or THE President. By MRS. HARRrtr
BEEECHER STOWE

~
BEEECHER STOWE
Abraham Lincoln l., in the s.rictest sense. 4
man Of the r0rking ciasscs All bis advantage,
anc abilities are those OF man Of the working
classes; and his position nov At the head Of one
OF TIE most powerful nations Of The earth, is a
sign 10 all who live by labOr that their CAV IS
coming Lincoln vas born 70 the Inheritance OF
nard work, as truly as the poorest laborer's son
ths, digs in the fields AT seven wears Of ace
ne was set to work, axe in hand. to clear M =
larm IN Western forest. Until he was Il
DIS lie was that OF simple farm laborer. with
o''iy sEch intervals OF schooling a. farm laborers
get frobablY the school instruction Of his
whole HE ~ocld not exceed more than one wear
Al ls he made uip % New Orleans sc hired
man on hat boat, and on bis return be .ri;r
the rails Tor log cabir and built IT, and inelosed
ten acres OF land with a rail fence Of lis o~n
hAndl"orS. The next wear he hired himself for
slZ month 10 build a fat boat and 10 take her
10 Ne" Orleans; and any who knows what the
hie OF ississppi boaunan was IN those days
must know that il involved every kind Of l.-
Dor.
In 1882, in the Black Hawk Indian war the
hardy 0OAtman volunteered to ight for bis coun.
try, and was unanimously elected CAPTAIN. and
served with honor for a season In frontier militia
ry lie. After this, while serving As postfpas-
ter, he began his Law studies. borrowing the
books, he was too poor buy, and studvng b,
the light OF his evening fire. he acquired a
name IN the country about as a man Of resources /
and shre"dness; be vas one that people looked
to Tor counsel in eXigencies. ard to whom thew /
we're ready TO depute almost any enterprise
when needed skill and energy. The surveyor
OF Sangamon county, being driven with work
came TO him TO take the survey Of tract off his
hands ho Had
but What Of that! He accepted the "iob
procured chain and did the work. Dove not
see IN this q parable OF the wider wilderness
which 10 latter years he has undertakan TO survey
and ht for human hsbitation without chart or
surveyors chaing
Little did the convention that nominated Abra
ham Lincoln for President know what the, Were
doing Little did the honest, fatherlv. patrio,ic
man, who stood in his simplicity on the platform
al Springfield, asking the prayers of bis towns
men, and receiving their pledges TO remember
him ioresee how awfuliy he vas TO need those
pray syersmt9e prayers OF all this nation. and the
p'-JeFs OF al lne working, Suffering, common :
people throughout the world. Gods hand was
upon him with a visible protection saving FIST ,
rom the danger OF assassination al Baltimore /
and bringing him safely to our national capital i
ihen the world has seen and wondered az the ,
greatest sign aud marvel OF our day, to Wit: ,
'laln working man OF the people, with no more
,ulture, instruction or education than any such
Sorking man may obtain for himself, called on
o conduct the passage OF great people through
crisis involving the destlnies OF the whole
World. The eyes of princes MOBILES, aristocrats.
u dhhes ears, scholars statesmen, warriors all ,
urped OF the plain back woodsman. with his sim
lie sense, his imperturbable simplicity, hi. de-
eruined self reliance, his impraclicable and in
ha "a /
OH cting clements with uDpretending steadi-
ess striving 10 gside the national ship through
channel al whose perils the worlds oldest !,
tatesmen stood aghast The brilliant courts of -
Europe leyeled their opera glasses at the phe- =
Omenon- Fair ladies' saw that he had horny I ,
ands and disdslned white gloves Dapper d. J.,
lomats were shocked at his system of etiquette 20
Ut old statesmen, who knew the terrors Of that
assage, we're wiser than court ladies' and dandy
siiy, simply asking" viii that awkward old
really get the ship through? II y
does. It will be time for Us to look about US ~ a.
Il
Lincoln IS strong man, but his Strength is OF -
peculiar kind It Is not aggressive SO much A. .
assive, and among passive things it is like the :
Iength not so much of a stone buttress as Of y.
wire cable. IL IS strength swayng to evers =
huence, yielding on this side and on that 10 -
opui1 aetu-, YET leuaciOuely aud IIneXlblY
ound to carry its great ends aud probably bs -,
D other kiud OF strength could our national =,
ZIP have been drawn safely thus far during .
le tossings and tcnpests which beset her way. -
Surrounded BY all sorts of COT fictrg claims
: trsitors, half hearted timid men, by border
ate men and free State men, by radical Abo-
aonIsts and Conservatives, he has Listened 10
!, weighed the words of all waited, observed ''
elded now here and now there but in The main -
'pt one inHe1 ble, honest purpose, and drawn -
e national ship through. -
In the time Of our trouble, Abraham Lincoln r'
Is had his turn of being the best-abused man
the nation. Like Moses leading his Israe ~
rough the wilderness, he has seen the day -
hen every man seemed ready TO stone him. -
It, with simple, wiry, steady perseverance,. be -
Is held on, conscious of hones: intentions. and
Oking to God for help. All the nation have p
Il, III the increasing Eolemnty Of bis proela -.
atoms aud papers, how deep all education wa =.
ing wrought in his mind by this simple faith 80
God. the Ruler Of nations, and this humble y"
liingness TO learn the awful lessons Of HIS
Wdfchmdn aud Reflector.