Bedford inquirer. [volume] (Bedford, Pa.) 1857-1884, 1865-06-16


Dear Sir-We respectfully solicit a copy Of your
remarks on Thursday last for publication
Yours truly.
j. II. WRIGHT,
N. w. WRIGHT,
JAS. SILL,
SAM'L FY0CK,
GIDEON D. TROUT.
Pleasantville, June /, 1865.
"And the victory that day was turned into
mourning unto all the people" 2 Samuel, XIX, 2.
How sad and solemn are the scenes and
circumstances, by which we are, this morn
ing surrounded. Our shops and stores are
/ closed; the loom is silent, and the plough
stands in the furrow. All over this broad
I land, The hum cf business and the rattle Of
machinery are hushed. Vessels lie-to at
halfmast, while house and church and cap
ital are draped in mourning What is
wrong2 A nation, to-day, mourns its muir
dered President. These circumstances give
deep and solemn meaning TO the worship
of this hour, as we turn from the avocations
of secular life to our altars of prayer The
appointment is Que of mourning, aud it be-
comes us to turn away from earth to heaven
for consolation IN this deepest and darkest
calamity.
1t is too soon to form a correct estimate
of the life and character Of Abraham Lin
coin As the roughly-carved statue Is not
seen to advantage, by the beholder, before
IL is elevated; so the character OF this Elan
does not now appear to many IN the favor
able light that it will when time shall inter
vene. The rough statue must be placed on
the top of the monument before It's beauty
stands forth, then all Its rough lines diSap-
pear So, when few years shall have roll
~, =, ,f +h,,
prejudice shall have have subsded and men
have had time to carefully review the char
acter of Abraham Lincoln, it viii rise to
sublimity and continue to brighten beneath
the eye Of history as time rolls on.
Though it Is too soon to place a proper
estimate on the great and good man, we
shall look at his character and deeds in the
light we have, leaving the future to deyelope
them fully.
In early life he removed 10 Illinois. Here
God prepared him for the great struggle Of
his later years. The bracing winds and ac-
tive duties of that frontier life secured to
him an iron frame, which he so much need
ed during his presidential career. A less
vigorous physical constitution might have
gone down under the weight resting upon
him. A few months in the school room, it
is said gave him the rudiments Of an Eng
lish education, which, however, he diligent-
ly followed up. True genius always viii
discover itself; it was so here. He soon be-
came known, and continued to grow into the
confidence Of the people of the great West,
until he stood out as one Of their leading
men, But his fame was as yet confined to
the West; 1t was not, however, to be cir
cumscribed by geographical limits, but to
become worldwide. He was one of the
few who were not born to die. Accordingly
in 1860 he was chosen by the majority Of
American people to fill the most honorable
and responsible position within their gift.
Here he stood for four responsible and la
borious years. So that at the time of his
death he had reached the acme
Of human greatness. The record Of the
world furnishes no name so universally be-
loved and so universally lamented: his
name was a name of national pride, and his
death is death Of national lamentatlon.
What gave him such a mighty hold upon
the heart of the people? What made him
great? | answer, he lived not for himself,
but for his country and humanity
Let us then look at the man little more
closely. intellectually he was strong man.
Though not finely educated 'she had no SUI
perior in perception of facts, In readiness
and retentiyeness of memory, and in logical
acuteness which enabled him to follow un-
waveringly every link in a chain of argument,
and to arrive with unfailing certainty at the
correct conclusion. Thus much was he in
tellectually. Mind is mind, as marble is
marble, some Is finer and some IS coarser
You may polish some men at college for
half score of years, and make nothing out
of them at last. Others without these adj
Yantages develope and rise, because they
have the calibre.
As to his style Of writing, you all know
how simple, clear and direct 1t was. This
at first was laughed at by his enemies, but
is now acknowledged by all to be one of his
crowning excellencies. The laborer could
lay down his axe or shovel, pick up his mes
sages, read and understand.
He was man OF great moral power.
However ignorant of him the masses were
when he went to Washington to assume his
responsibilities, they soon learned him as an
honest man; one who lcisbed to do right,
and who had the RerUe to do right, whether
under-handed wire pulling politicians were
pleased or displeased 1t was his moral
honesty that gave him access to the people,
which gave them such unbounded conf
dence in him. And here to is to be found
the reason why so many voted for him when
he ran the second time, who opposed him
the first. He was singularly free from po-
lltical schemlng, very unusual thing
among leading men now Open, honest and
upright, he was willing, not only that his
actions should come to the light, but also
that his motives should be made manifest,
Abraham Lincoln was also good man.
I am not acquainted with the character of
his inner life | believe he did not make
any pretention to the enjoyment of the
blessings which spring from arenewed heart,
and vet our faith ferbids us to think that
his Immortality is alone in the hearts of
men. This much we do know He was
temperate, honest, honorable and just He
read the Bible, and it is said, tried to con-
form his life to its teachings He largely
possessed those traits, which, in the com
mon acceptation of the word, make a man
good 2 Indeed in some respects he was
a beautiful exempiihcation Of the Christian
character. He was very forgiving There
never lived man more misrepresented and
maligned. Both in Europe and this coun-
try the press vomited forth Its poisoned
spleen upon him. But can you show me a
single sentence of reyenge2 Point me TO
one vindictive word He never wrote un-
kindly nor spoke bitterly of his enemies.
The words Of Bishop Thompson might have
been truthfully uttered by Abraham Lin
coin, Shoot on your poisoned arrows, it is
a brothers heart they pierce. and he can for
give you.
He had a kind natnre Il did him so