Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-04-21

| ADDEEss OF b. X. PERKINS, EsQ.-Tha fol
lowing is g report of the address of Mr.. E
R. Perkins, delivered in the First Presby
terian Church, on the occasion of the fune
raj Obsequies of President Lincoln, OF
Wednesday:
FELLow CITIZENS: To-day, before th
minds of more than twenty millions of 10y
al people, the form of one man distinctly
stands. From the rock-ribbed coast o
Maine to the sunny slopes of California
men, women and children are bowed b.
| one common sorrow. In the quiet homl
circle, in the busy marts of trade, in city
and in country, in the halls of wealth anC
| fashion, in the humble cabin of the freed
man, in the hospital and on the picket line
all unite in doing honor to the memory o
Abraham Lincoln, whose name and deedi
have become the worlds heritage.
Many of his early friends will remember
him as he appeared in his first struggle 70
an honorable name. Others will remenn bel
him as the honest advocate, the upright
citizen, the safe counselor and friend. Tc
some he will stand forth as he appeared in
the arena of politics, when he met the
great Douglas, and fearlessly enunciated
and defended the sublime truth that "this
country cannot remain permanently hall
free and half slave" To others he will ap-
pear as when four years ago he left his
home in Springfield to enter upon the per-
formance Of the grave duties to which he
had been summoned by his countrymen,
and, bidding his neighbors and friends q
fearful farewell, bespoke their prayers
Four millions of diseRthralled slaves will
remember him as the Moses, appointed by
the Providence of God to conduct them out
of the house of bondage to the very borders
of the promised land. We shall all re-
member him as the incorruptible patriot,
the wise ruler, the nations benefactor, the
great EmsncipatOr, the Incompatible man.
A great career has been abruptly termi.
mated. A great character has been com
mitted to history. She will be Just to his
virtues. She will tell of his magnanimity,
and dwell upon his unexampled generosity.
She will trace tne manner in which he uni
ted opposing parties, and won the conf
dence of a great people. She will speak of
his indignation, his fxedness of purpose,
his eleyEtion of character, and his unyield-
ing devotion to the cause of his country.
She will record his rare gifts; his wonder
full knowledge of human nature; his keen
discrimination his sly humor and his re-
morseless logic. She will accord to him a
Wel-balanced mind, which, without ele-
tuition, the relation of cause to effect, and
with unerring judgment, selected the pro-
per time and instrument for striking each
great effective blow at the head of the tree-
son, which has 80 long assailed the nations
life. Nor will she fail to mention his calm
trust in God, and his sublime faith, even in
dark hours of the republic, in the ultimate
triumph of the right. One of the bright
spots shining out from the darkness of the
middle ages, is the honor accorded to the
great italian poet Petrarch, when the Sem
stor of Rome, in the name of grateful
Europe, crowned him in the Capitol. To-
day, in the presence of en- audience far
grander that ever uttered its plaudits in
Roman Senate or Forum, history bestows
upon Abraham Lincoln G crown nobler
than was ever decreed to monarch, con-
queror or poet, as the Emancipator of an
oppressed race. Than this, no more stately
need shine over his dust, no
nobler monument shall ever be raised TO
perpetuste his fame.
Abraham Lincoln has gone, and the na-
tion is in mourning. We do well to weave
garlands to cast upon his sepulchrs, yet we
shall fail to comprehend the awful solemni-
ty fthia event, if we do not remember that
the blow of the assassin was aimed not 80
much at him, as at the principles of popu-
lar government, Of which he was The en-
bodiment. The enormity of the crime can
be understood only as it is seen to be the |
legitimate fruit of the conspiracy, which,
sfler thirty years of plotting in secret, st |
length by force Of arms set st defiance the |
of the Federal government. It is |
part and parcel ofthe policy of the elear-
headed, eold-hearted mar, just hurled from |
ais seat of power in Richmond, and /
iri7sR forth Wanderer, without country, /