The Monmouth inquirer., 1865-07-27
';WEanll,ollt5 Enquirer.
q ERE4T WORDS OF MIR. LINCOLN.


6earer, but which charm dies when the
voice has ceased. But be had behind
: every word spoken by him, such strong
force of character and honesty OF opinion,
that conviction always followed this high
est type Of eloquence. America never
!, produced his equal in his forcible and
happy STYLE 4of putting things" stating
his positions. We will illustrate by one
! instance. In his letter giving his reasons
for employing negro soldiers, he utters
this sentence: - gcq
i, /" I Thought that in your struggle to
save the Union, to whatever extent the
negroes should cease helping the enemy,
to that extent it weakened the enemy's
resistance to you. Do you think differ
ently? I thought that whatever negroes
can be got to do as soldiers, leaves just
so much less for white soldiers to do in
saving the Union. Does it appear other
wise to you 7"
What could the grumbler say in reply'
WHY, those words and the manner Of put
ting them, were perfect estoppel upon
any futher discussion in reference to en-
ploying negro soldiers But to draw his
neral after unhorsing his opponent, Mr..
Lincoln Immediately says =
"But negroes, like other people, act
upon motives Why should they do any
thing for. us, If we do nothing for them ?
If they stake their lives for as, they must
be prompted by the strongest motives
even the promise of freedom; and the
promise made must be kept"
The words uttered in his debate with
Judge Douglas, will remain as specimens
of the best argumentative oratory on re-
cord, and his deep insight into things, is
shown by almost the first words of his
s. opening speech -
=" A house divided against itself cannot
stand. I believe this government cannot
endure permanently, half slave and half
free. do not expect the Union to be
dissolved-I do not expect the house to
faIl-but do expect it will cease to be
divided 1t will become all one thing or
all another"
Further on he states volume Of objec
tion to the Nebraska Bill" which he
styled .'monstrous injustice. in this
pithy; and pointed sentence :-Fsw
am again opposed to it in that it for
COS SO many really good men amongst
ourselves into an open war with the very
fundamental principles of civil liberty,
criticising the Declaration of Independ-
,ence." s
Again he says:
"That is the electric cord in the Dec
laration that links the hearts of patriotic
and liberty-loving men. together as long
as the love Of freedom exists in the minds
Of men throughout the world.
10 eae X ga I should like to
know if taking this old Declaration Of In
dependence, which declares that all men
are equal upon principle, and making ex-
oeptions, where will it stop. If one man
says it does not mean the negro. why not
another it does not mean some other man?
Hthat Declaration is not the truth, let
MS get the Statute Book in which we find
it and tear it out Who is so bold as to
do.it,?, H,itis not true, let US tear-it out.
Cries of mo, no p Let us stick to it,
then ; let US stand firmly by it, them
Throughout that great debate. which
is the most memorable in our calendar,
the able Judge Douglas found his adver-
sary ever ready and ever prepared to meet
him upon all points with that eloquence,
sententious as it was, that always made
him master of the situation But he has
uttered words that will be quoted as long
as the English language is spoken. In
closing his great speech at the Cooper In
stitute, he beautifully says 8
i" Let us have faith that right makes
might, and in that faith let us to the end
dare do our duty, as we understand it."
In his frst inaugural, he touchingly ap-
peals to his fellow-citizens at the South
sto'preserve the faith and memory of the
Fathers, and adds = sa
am 10th to close. We are not en-
emies, but friends. We must not be enc
mics, Though passion may have strain
ed, it must not break our bonds of affec-
tionsaiaThe mystic chords of memory,
stretching from every battlefield aud pa
triot grave, to every living heart and
hearth.stone all over the broad land will
yet swell the chorus of the Union, when
again touched, as they surely will be, by
the better angels Of our nature"
Had the instigators Of rebellion but
listened to that great heart, pleading so
tenderly with them, what mountains of
crushing sorrow would have been spared
the land
The climax to every and all efforts of
the late President to give thoughts words
was his second inaugural address. Read
in the light Of subsequent events, it comes
upon us now like the benedictions which
follows prayer-the .last sad parting
words of that Father so dearly beloved,
who was about to yield his life for the
sake of the Republic. These words were
not less mighty than the prayer of Hab-
bakak. nor less lofty in inspiration than
those Of Jeremiah, nor Of less Christian
fervor than the best thoughts of Job:
~G.EondiU do wa bono foryon+lr A. -