The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1865-12-22

man 10 the end OF time. W wherever men love
good government and respect good character,
the friend Of freedom and the opponent Of the
tyrant will be remembered. In the mighty
affairs, through which as nation no conduct.
ed us successfully, tho highest regarded him rs
an equal, and the lowest claimed him Us their
equal. lie was In q large measure indebted to
himself. He took hold Of life in the rough ol
il, and grappled with It with all his might and
energy. lie was the architect Of his own for
tunes. In earlier life he was known a. the
captain Of fat boat, and the splitter Of rails.
He was self. made man. Ho bravely fought
the billows Of life where other men might have
gone down.
All know Of his character, OF his beautiful tenn
per, Of his uncouquerablo good nature, of his
homely anecdotes. yet so wise, and Of his visi-
lance, and frmness in the discharge OF the duties
ofhis Office. I am not here to tell you oil this,
or to speak the Eulogy Of Abraham Lincoln, but
but because would simply nnderscors this event
in our history aud endesvour to paint out It's
cause, and describe Its results, Great and good
rs Abraham Lincoln was, had age fulfilled his
mission, and had he lived out his years, and pas
scd away quietly, we should have followed him to
the grave, and laid him beside the nation's dead,
hut with no such feelings rs We felt dying rs he
did die But dying by assassination, not because
Of any malice, for no man that knew Abraham
Lincoln could hate him but dying for cause 0f
loyalty against treason, for his country and for
liberty, as against slavery, tor equal rights as
against the insolent demands of q slave oligarchy
hts name takes place among the honored dead.
In the name Of Abraham Lincoln wedcmand that
slsyery shall be abolished, nay more, that the axe
shall be laid the root Of the tree, and that the
whole tree, root and branch, fibre aud teDdril
shall be cut up, rooted out, given to the hre ana
utterly destroyed; aud that every usage shall De
utterly struck down aud blotted out. (Applause)
Any man who now gives his voice or vote for
any feature of the slave system insults Abraham
Lincoln. I knew Abraham Lincoln well, and
talked with him freely upon the suppression OF
the rebellion, and have 10 say that on the ques
ton of Equal rights, had Abraham Lincoln lived
he would have been with the radical friends OF the
Union. You ask me how came to visit Mr. Lin'
coin. will tell you. He inpiied me. (Applause)
IL was noble in him, and indicated new dspen-
satOn, of things which were to follow the suppress
sion OF the rebellion. He WAS the first American
President who dared to face the cannon OF pub
lie opinion, but he had the more courage To con-
tradict prejudice. lie hail the manliness to DO il
and he did do II. found Mr.. Lincoln plain
man. There was no paint, or yarnish or veneer
ing about him. His language was plain. lie
spoke as he wrote without ornament, earnestly
and forcby. Still he always felt himself Prcsi-
dent Of the United States, and at the same time
he was man amiable. aud the same every time.
Some men have short side and long side, but
Mr.. Lincoln was alwys tho same man. willing to
give aud willing to receive. lie always managed
to get little more from his visitor than his visi'
tor got from him. never met man more open
and free than he, solid and yet transparent.
met him usually alone. lie knew that did not
come with any axe IN grind or any Office to seek.
lie had the courage which few Americans have, OF
being able to converse with black man without
reminding him Of the unpopularity OF his com.
plexiOn or Of the popularity Of his own. While
was with him on one occasion GOvernOr Ducking'
ham of Connt. sent in his card and desired to see
him. "Tcll Governor Buckingham he must wait
want to have long talk with my friend Doug.
lass. lApplause.)
In this conduct of Mr.. Lincoln lie said plainly
a,u President Of all the people Of the United
States, Of the mean, the despsed. and the outcast
black race, aud mean to respect them with the
race of my own countrymen. lie did not call the
black man before him just from the war to insult
him. think IL Is an insult to call them into his
presence, covered with scars, mamed and mutila-
tel in defence Of our flag; think i Is an insult
to tell these men, who have perred their lives for
their country, to go home aud 60 to work Yes
II isan insult TO them, The negroes have shown
great magninimity In this war by laying down
their lives. not for their own race but Tor the
white race.-for o country that had scourgei
them and cast them out. And when they had to
return from battle and come up to receive the ap-
proval of the great head of the Government that
head has nothing better to say to them than tell'
ing them to 60 to work, respect TIP marriage tie
and chow that they are capable OF enjoying free.
dom. Let industry be commended by all. IL
work Is virtue and idleness Is q sin, hold that
the negroes Of this country arc the saints anu
their white masters are the sinners, (Laughter.l
advise the President to preach 10 this class OF
men who have built their timbers by fraud, and
who have lived by the sweat OF other mems trows.
They are the sinners To be preached TO IN that
manner. I have said II Abraham Lincoln had liv.
ed he would have been with the radical wing OF
OF the Republican party. take that back. for 1t
Is united party now. II has no wing. IL mar
ches right square up to its work. (applause.) :,
Abraham Lincoln was progressive man. Tie
did not begin by playing the rule Of Moses, and
ending by playing that of Pharaoh. Hislnaugu
raj address four years ago was no criterion OF nus
Inaugural four years after. That iaddress WAS
whole century IN advance OF the hrst. Once using
the thin edge, he Was bound at last to- use the
thick edge. lie had the principle OF Fat who
bought but one spur for his horse instead OF two,
giving rs his reason, "if he could make one side
Of his horse trot the other would get along some.
how :, (Laughter.) I tell you the negro lost a
friend such as they never had before In that high
place. ID seemed As II We needed some such shock
to call into action the higher qualities OF the ma
tlOuhl w Unt tuc uSSaSsho'"" o''"s"s
sorrow to the heart, II brought repose to the
mind. Il teaches us to "know thyselL"
1t Is sometimes necessary to teach q nation its
own strength as well as its own weakness. a man
who under estimates his strength is weak man.
aud will shrink from all these manly enterprises
which bring strength toa nation Strong men
like Jefferson felt the ribs Of this republic would
not be strong enough to stand during ihe severe
shocks of war and treason and rebellion. But
there II stands IN the tempest.tosscd ocean, never
higher, never stronger, never feeling greater con.
6dcuce than Mt the present moment. lApplause
We no longer tremble for the safety OF the ship OF
State. IL has been the hope OF the 0ppressei
through the war Even Mexico tonight lifts up
It's head in hope. for il has seen us the successful
oppenen. oftyranny; we nave % oeen sM,nE 'he Iu
times of peril Perhaps the war required some
such termination as the death Of our chief ruler:
hut vet Il was an astonishment to the world aud
to ourselves taat We could transfer our confidence
in President dead to President living: In this
single crime was the bloody flower In which was
consolidated the moral poison OF two centuries OF
bondarc. Hereafter when we think OF slavery,
we must think Of the assassination OF one of the
purest men the world ever saw. II has revealed
ihe strength Of free institutions. II has impart-
Ell a new confidence as to the indestructability OF
our free government. 1t has fixed the doom OF
slavery forever. ..,... ......U --...
But the assassination has Its lessons OF warning
and woe woe, woe, betide the American people,
if they heed not these warnings. IL came To teach
us the apostolic lesson, that "God 10 not Knocked.
whauo ver man soweth that shall he Also reap.
II ia true also of nations, Whatsoever anuton SOW
eth that shall Il also reap. When men learn
This great lesson they will have taken long step
towards establishing freedom throughout the
world. There were men who said that the war
might have been avoided; that u u had not been
for Garrison aud Philips at the North, aud CAL
houn nj the South, wc should have had no war.
But the question goes farther back to the cause
niss thew utterei-the principles made them.
Slavery and class privilege made Calhoun, free
dom and plymouth Rock made Garrison. The
ssn.. mu,t be looked for In the fundamental
ns;niss M the government. Our fatheis bo.