The Burlington weekly hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1860-1876, 1865-05-20
Charles Francis Adams.

.;od Of our national existence. He lie sue
cAeaed bv Charles Francis Adams, whose
cool and careful management at the Court
Of St. James during these troublous times
has preserved rs from foreign comrlica-
Hons. He bids fair to rival his father in
those Qualities of mind and heart which
ave to this country its greatest aud wisest
atatesman.
AT the meeting in London on the 1st Of
NAV. of American citizens, to express
their feelings upon the assassination of the
President, Mr.. Adams, upon taking the
chair. made the following remarks:
ladies and Gentlemen: have been de-
sired to call you together for the sake of
giving some common form OF expression
p our emotions, stirred up IA they have
hen bv the late fearful calamity. In The
nreeence of such an awful event we are
hrcibly impressed not only with the COM
mopplace idea of mortal vicissitude, but
With the moro solemn duty OF keeping
ourselves wholly free from tho indulgence
OF any unworthy passion. Hear, heal.l-
The ordinary jars Of human life are hushed
before such . catastrophe. A great Vir-
cinia statesman once said that ''he trem-
6led for his country when he reflected that
(3od IL lust" The dreaded visitation Nd.
pears to have come upon us in the third
and fourth generation. Let Us endeavor 10
bear ourselves with patience and humility.
But while acknowledging our stA,rtcom-
inRs. let us draw closer and closer tOgeth.
or, while We unite In one earnest vail Of
sorrow for our lOes for may be permit
I'd 70 observe that In this loss the bereave-
ment In wholly our own. 6ear.l Weare
entirely to bear the responsibility Of it,
The man who has fallen was immolsted
for no act OF his own. Hear, h.ar.] II
nay we'll be doubted whether, during his
whole career, heever made single perso.
nal enemy. In this popularity he saone
prominent among statesmeD. No; ne who
penetrated the crime had no narrow pur.
pose. It was because Abraham Lincoln
was faithful exponent of the sentiments
Of Y whole people that he was stricken
down. loud cries Of "Hear, hear.'l The
blow that was aimed Ut him was meant Is
fall ON them. [Hear, hear.l The ball that
penetrated his brain was addressed to the
heart Of each and every one of us. l6ene-
raj expfession OF assent It Was fancied
abort way Of paraly zing the Government
which We have striven 40 hard to maintain.
Il was. then. for our cause that Abraham
Lincoln died, and not HE OVID. Hear,
hear.l II he was called tyrant who was
elevated to his high post by the spontane-
Gus voices of . greater number of men
than had ever been given in any republic
before, 1t was only because he WAS obey
ing the wishes of those who elected him.
deeds. 1t 10 he who has paid the penalty
for executing our will. HEAR, hear.]-
Surely, then, this In the strongest of res-
sons Why all of US should join, as with one
voice, in . chorus Of lanen;ation for his
fall. [Hear, hear.l
1t was one Of the peculia. merits of Mr..
Lincoln that he knew how to give shape in
IN ho v>nns11ap Enalinu0 0o$ hne
velOped themsAlvea under his observation.
He never sought to lead. but rather to fol.
low, and thus he succeeded in the difficult
task of successfully combining conserve
tism with progress. This surely was not
Like tyranny. (Hear, hear.) His labor
was always to improve. Hence it was that
b conducted war Of uEex Ampled magni-
tude, always bearing in mind the primary
purpose for which 1t had been commenced,
ct the same time that no associated with it
broader ones 40 the opportunity came.
Hear, hear.) He had pledged himself At
the outset to accomplish certain objects,
and he never forgot that pledge. The time
had arrived when he might honestly claim
that it would be fulfilled. It was In that
very moment he was taken away. On the
very same day Of the year when the Ma
uonal dag, which just four years before
had been lowered to triumphant enemies
ct Fort Sumter, was once more lifted to its
officer who had suffered the indignity tina:
commenced the war. Abraham Lincoln
fell. (Hear, hear.) HIS enthanasia is COM
plete. For him we ought not to mourn.
His work was dOue; he had fought the good
fight; he had flushed his course. The
grief is all for ourselves alone. (Hear,
hear.) And now We who stand around his
body may well cry, ''Go up, go up, with
your CORY temples twined with the ever
5 green sy mbols Of n patriots wreath, and
bearing the double glory OF martyrs
5 Crown. (usar, hear. 10 up, white for US
here remaining on earth your memory
y shall be garneresa in the hearts OF as aud
a our latest posterity, in common v;th the
priceless treasures heaped up BY the great
Fathers D: the Republic, and Close by that
ofthe 'ma.chless Washington applause
3 But although we profoundly lament this
loss, it must not be presumed that We DO SO
e = having mo hope (Hear. hear) We
have parted with u most faithful servant.
But the nation has not lost with him one
atom Of the will which, animated others OF
~ servants a. fully rs it did him. Hear,
heaf.) 1t 10 one OF the notable features OF
this great struggle that il IL not particular
mea who have attempted to lead On the
people, but rather that the people hare first
given the tone, to the level OF which their
smvants must come up, or else sink ont OF
ei4ht and be forgotten. (Hear, hear They
have uniformly designated to them their
Wishes. To one man they have said "Come
and to another ''3ive way" and in
either case they haye bssn ~ implicitly
II ooeyed. whoever Il be that Is employed,
tae spirit that must anilnate him comes
= nom higher source. Hear, hear) The
eause q The country, then, does not depend
o. sny man or any set Of men. Hear,
neer.l 1t has now called 70 the front the
.sdivtdual whom II had already elevated
% tho second pest tE tho Government.
sSneers) He had bsen pointed out for that
saee by 2 sense Of his approved tidsli.
yo the Union Ut the moment when all
s s.o0nd him were faltering or falling
Away. Hear, hear) In the National
.1s snse he stood. Abdiel like, firm and
..s mined In sncountering with truth
f nna; .orce the fatal sophistry of jefferson
a;s. y and his associates, and in denoun-
; S.ns n, me course Of action which was lead
,ng mem 70 their ruin. (Cheers,] Four
ye. ~. o. lntsnse and continued trials With
n.s .ns BORDEN; . Of his own State have been
~ ss 80 ~ Tho effort to reconstruct the edi.
Svs,t =, c.vi Government, which they had
eI.lIo~n. [Hear, hear.l No one has