The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1865-04-16

how the character Of the important military and p"is
OF the past I've years have been impressed ny MS
power and individual chsrsctsr there
fore interesting examine into the character OF this man.
Who is thus suddenly taken from the country m the midst
of his usefulness and at the very moment when his po
siton character and conservative views make his 70
q moval thrice q national calamity.
III Abraham Lincoln born Hodgnville, KY,
February H. 1909 or HIS ancestry little Ia known.
Their history in this connection is little Importance
Their luxurious lived to build not boast generous
II 10 enough 70 know that his parents possessed
suoh med means that their carly In life forced
20 hard bodily labor IN the field to the neglect Of his
education and that is we'll established that he self
aught the whole Of hts schooling embracing not
more than year of time From seven until seventeen
wears Of age he abored farm in Indiana 70 which
;ghis father removed in 1915, and subsequently
lin Illinois At nineteen he left homo and
sought labor the Mississippi river necessity COM
3 pellng him to labor az hired hand natboat
splying between St. Louis and New Orleans He subse
quenty built similar vessel and made trip or two on
his own account Until 1882 his life continued
struggle against adverse fortune but prosecuted with
strong heart and firm hand In 1882 the Indian war
with Black Hawk broke out NJ. Lincoln raised com
pany Of volunteers in Menard county, H., and served
I. through the war under General Samuel whteside.
4 The carly Of Mr.. Lincoln pioneer and In
camp had gradually trained and formed his character
still active life. His prominence in his county
the former captain Of company naturally gave him
additional influence at home HE return from the war
u and after beginning life a lawyer he merged
into the politician In 1894 at the age Of twenty Ave.
he was elected the whig ticket the regular
democratic candidate to the Illinois Legislature
"a In 1885 no elected for second term, during
which he wrote In connection with Daniel Stone, his
colleague from sangamon county his now well known
protest against tho passage Of resolutions protecting
slavery Illinois, In which he declared his belief that
the institution Is founded both injustice and bad
y policy and that Congress had power under the
81 constitution TO interfere with the institution of
+ slavery" During the term Of serSss he!
81 added much TO his popularity by his efforts.
Hin changing the location Of the capital OIL
Il the State TO Springfield He also additional credit
9 from his action Chairman Of the Finance Committee
in the Legislature In 1s40, after several years retire
ment from political fe during which he had established
Shimself n highly successful lawyer Mr. Lincoln was
for Congress- and was elected by the largest
y vote ever given whia candidate in his district He
served until 1S49 and acve-in connection with
Seward Chase and Gddngsin the agitation of the vii
mot prOviso opposition to the Mexican war From
10 1854 no secluded at Springfield taking
an active though not prominent part In the
organization Of the republican party and In 1855 adent
supported It's first candidates, Fremont and Dayton He
had Just defeated In the Illinois Legislature for
"A United States Senator and except during the Presden
a canvass Of 1885, when no brought frequently IN
q contact the stump with Stephen A. Douglas he re
+ NAMED quiet in his Office at Springfield until 1858, when
= he became candidate for Senator During this canvass
" made Of the most remarkable speeches OF his
e In one of them he gave ucrance TO what has since
been conceded TO have been the basis Of Mr. Stewards
8 irreprcssible conflict PLATFORM and which lie almost
prophetic Of the nearly accomplished. The
passage is az follows
We are now far on into the NTH year since policy was
q initiated with the avowcd object and confident promise Of
putting end to slavery agitation Under the operation
that policy that agitation has not only not ceas but
has constantly augmented In opinion twill not cease
A. until crisis shall have been reached and passed "A
house divided against Itself cannot stand Ibeeve ~.
sRTee do MT erpea the Union be dslUedI do not cx
pect the house TO fabu d. erpect viii cease y De
divided It will become all thing, all the other
Either the opponents OF slavery will tho further
~ spread of It, and place II where the public mind shall rest
or It's advocates Will push Il forward ill shall become
alike lawful In all the satesold as well as new-Norh
r as well as South
81 The nomination Of Mr. Lincoln In May $780, is inter
esting only important fact in his career His eec
and Inauguration accompanied by events stu
- fresh in the public mind AT the time OF his raugura
tion-March4 Is6I-he comparatively unknown to
- the people, and his arst address looked for with
much anxiety His that the administration
republican party had purpose to endanger tho
propery and peace Of the South and that he had right
= under the constitution any inclination to inter
Here with the domestic institutions Of the States we're
received everywhere assurances that there would
"A be no war the North warmly commencing the free
and straightforward language the heartily gave
their support bis administration His hands were still
further strengthened after the inauguration, when,
on the fall of Sumter the country man in the
sublime enthusiasm Of the bour TO his support and at
once furnished him the and which, before his
tragic death-exactly years subsequently
Y him virtually conquer the giant rebellion whch had
= been begun. From that moment until the hour In
which II called upon 10 mourn his assassination the
nation has nobly and bounuRy supported Mr. lncolns
q measures that time forth he has continually in
creased popularity, until at the time OF his death, he
was held high in the popular esteem which has been
fully displayed by the national mourning ut the news OF
u his death This esteem by his hrmness, con
sslency and honesty OF purpose and conservative spirit
4! These traits have been fullest displayed in his several
"a political measures The military Of the country
their character from the political policy and the
war changed character the changed hands as the
nation under the skful Leadership Of Mr. Lincoln grndu
ally advanced to the support Of those more radical mea
sures which he found II necessary 10 inaugurae az the
= country became deeper and deeper involved In the
struggle for existence Circumstances beyond Mr. Lin
colns control made impossible 10 decide upon sys
u tenn which should be pnrsu In oil its details with
n out modification He could only act cautiously, he ready
all times to do the thing for greatest good Of
the greatest number, keeping firmly to the great
I end Of crushing the rebellion and preserving the
a Union The first really radical change in the policy Of
the Administration announced by the PRONUNCIATION
on September o. 1892 Of what is known the "Emanci
patton Proclamation" In which, In the event that the
rebels did not lay down their by January 1853
the slaves certain nsurrectonary states were, a.
military measure declared forever free The country was
not prepared for the step at the time 1t taken, and
strong opposition TO the inaueurated and
short lived vitality given TO the nearly dsfunct opposi-
ton party but before the day had arrived whom the
kt proclamation was 10 60 into effect tho nation had
gwen In Ks adherence to the policy and since has
warmly supported II It's wisdom since that has been
fully proved by lie results and the action Of the rebel
~ leaders In adopting the very policy Of warfare
which was inauguraed BY the proclamation Of Mr. LIN