Evansville daily journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1863-1866, 1865-04-21


My FelloU- Citizens:
Never were we assembled under more
solemn circumstances than those sur
rounding US this day. Never was the
American nation SO clad in mourning as
at this hour In all our wonderful and
eventful history no event has ever oc-
Cured affecting so profoundly the heart
of the American people as has the sad
announcement that Abraham Lincoln is
dead We come together to-day in the
habiliments of mourning and lamenta-
ton. We are all attending the funeral
Of our loved, our honored, our lamented
President. America is in mourning and
tears to-day. In the days of old, when
good and great man was gathered to
his fathers, all Israel, as by spontaneous
impulse, turned out to the funeral. So
to-day all America is attending the
funeral of great and good man who
has fallen. From the Lakes to the Gulf
there is lamentation and weeping. From
Boston and New York to Portland and
San Francisco, the great bosom of
Society is heaved with emotions Of sor-
row. The stated, solemn boom of the
cannon; the tolling Of bells; flags
draped and at half-mast upon vessel,
upon tower, upon fort, upon. the stately
edifce in the city full, and upon the
cabin in the lonely wilderness; churches
and their affairs draped in sable, all tell
that Abraham Lincoln has leftAhe world
He has gone up to Abraham and Isaac
and jacob, to WaShingto1 and jefferson
and Adams and all theSilustrious good
Of earth, to take his place in the King
dom of God Il heKaveS hat angels car
ried him from youder White House
to our Fathers House far in yonder
heavens. fH rro0
Abraham Lincoln was q good man.
Never have we had President who
evinced greater purity of character.
Since Washington left the Presidential
Chair, it has not been occupied BY q
successor mere devout or more deeply
penetrated with convictions of depend
ence upon God than he whom we lament
to-day. Gods providence with him was
not q speculative theory, but practical
and abiding conviction. In his view,
his oath of Office was recorded in hea-
ven, and the conviction nerved him for
the greatest responsibilities ever borne
by man. And / believe we are more in
debted for the safe and steady success of
his Administration to his own deep con-
vietions of his responsibility TO the
Throne of God for the manner in which,
in this crisis, he conducted our affairs,
than to any other principle that govern
ed him
But he is gone, and the acts of his
wonderful life are now history Take
him all in all, / believe he is the most
wonderful man that has ever appeared
in orr history. My own quiet conviction
has all the while been, that be was
man of Proyidence, and as Moses was
trained for great work before he was
brought to il, SO was Lincoln. Part of
that training was Incur own forests,
and upon the bosom of our own rivers;
and at last God called him to the helm
of the Ship Of -Ssates and=after haEing
guided her for four years and more over
the stormiest waters seamen ever knew
or vessels ever Reathered, be anchored
her in the haven Of peace, and before
her sails were furled, that Providence,
at which we wonder and cannot now m
derstand, caught him away suddenly, as
Elijah of old, and the whole nation is
startled that he is no more.
If God sent him on his great mis-
sion, as we belisYe he did, so when that
mission was ended, hiswhole mission in
TINS world was terminateda And per
maps lt~Was fitting that it should be so.
Inc work that was yet to be done was
LOT another, and Abraham LincolH's
completed character, in it's roundest
appendix.