The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1865-04-22
OTTAWA fret Grabtr.
OTTAWA, APRIL -, 1868.
The Gsrea, Crixe Of the Age.

making the announcement in these columns,
it will NO longer be news to our readers, that
ABRAHAM LINCOLN, President of the United
States was basely, foully murdered at Wash
ington City OIL Friday night of last week,
tioa are given in an article on our outer form.
<; To say that, in common with every loyal
individual in the north, (and for the honor OF
humanity, We hope with some not 50 loyal
we receive this news with the most profound
sorrow, would inadequately express our feel
fiHisgs. 1t was with honor and dsmay. The
assassina'io of any individual in cold
blood is horrible; but the assassination OF,
the chief magistrate of the nation. and at a,
time like this-there is 10 name for the crime.
We have in these columns often had oc-
sd c.siou to crlticise the acts and measures Of
Presindent Lincoln. In the heat Of party
,'isOatrife our language may often have been
Incorporate, and We may have asc-ibsd
.on. motives to actions that were not justified by
the occasion. We have never, however
that we are aware Of doubted the goodness
Of heart, or honesty of intention of the
President. At the commencement of the
L. present war it was our pleasure to approve
=. and in our humble way to support AL the
leading measures of his administration.
go Then for a season We believed him swayed
By influences which tended usecssly to en-
better and prolong the civil war in which
the country was engaged, and We opposed
VI hi, measures. The war has been. however, pro-
secuted more successfully than We had then an
vo ticipa.ed; and wl:ilo tie great object aimod
.t-the destruction of slavery-sccmed to US
:, to involve more cost of treasure and blood
=: than its attainment would he worth,-yet
that object attained-there was again nothing
= left to oppose in Mr.. Lincoln's administration
(. unless it would be on new questions arising
out of the steps be should take, HOW that the
war was over, to pacify the country.
So far as he had thrown out intilnations n
that subject, 1t gave real pleasure to
iadulge the belief that we should again be
able, as at the FIST, cordially to approve and
> support the President. But at this moment,
:. when so rapidly were centering in him the
hearts and hopes all msn-when all felt that
now at least there was delivernnce from our
troubles in his hand, come the tidinss OF hi.
death. The man who does not join in the
common thrill and shudder which shocks the
land, in view of all the circumstances, is no,
better than the assassin himself.
We give Lelor. from a contemporary, a.
brief biographical sketch of Mr. Lincoln
which Eill in tais connection be found in
.eresting.
AZ
Kentucky, Februasy IL, 1909 By DESCENT
belonged to Quaker family that can be trac-
co back from Kentucky to Rockingham, Viz!
gina, and from thence back TO Berks county
in Pennsylvania, at which point we lose sight
OIL his ancestey, although further Remove
would probably reach origin in England.
Both of Mr. Lincoln's parents were born in,
Virginia, bat subsequently moved into Ken.
tueky. When Mr. Lincoln was years Of.
age, his Parents removed IL a section OF;
country which is included in Spencer
county, Indiana, a, which place he assisted
his father IN clearing the forest. For ten!
.aa-s h. lahn-.d with The axe. and at otncrs
work en- the farm. going TO school ut inter
walls, but during all the time not having more
than one wears benefit of even the rude edu- !
cstional privileges offered by that ear peri :
cd in the remote section of the c0ua,ry in3
which he was located.
At the age of Is he determined upon vari-
ETY., and accordingly hired himselfto the own
er of a fiat boat and made trip down the ]
Mississippi river to New Orleans. Two years
later. in 1880, he removed with his parents
to Macon county, this State where he assist
ed In bringing wild land under cultivation
and at which time he split rails enough TOT
fence ten acres of land. In 1881 he was an
employee upon n Mississippi tboa., but;
after making one trip he gave mp the business!
and was given charge OF store in Menard]
Ha al l. 81, l.
out oft:e Blackhawk war in 1882, when hei
joined company of volunteers and wasa
elected Captain. He served three months. +
was present at some of the Skin miskes in the \
Rock river country and on his return was
nominated On the Wing ticket for the I.egs-
iature, and was beaten, although in his own:
rr.einct, out of2Si votes cast, o"lv against,
him.
He next opened IL general variety store.
but did not meet with success. He suisse
quentiy received the appointment Of post
N lister of New Salem, and having some leis
ure on his hands. he commenced reading law
from books which he borrowed from a neigh
boring lawyer. About the same time the
County Surveyor offered to asst him such
part of the county surveying 49, WAS required
to be don, in e Vi " of New Sa'em
whereupon Mr. Lincoln il stead OF sl.hletting
the work TO some professional man. seeured
awork on surveying and compass, and did
il himself.
His popularity during all thi, time increas-
cd rapidly, much SO that in 1884 he Was!
again nominated for the Legislature, and this
time he was elected by the higiest vote ever;
given Def re u a caad a:e from that section
He was re elected in 1856, 1888 and 1910 J
but in 1896. having procured license to
practice law, he removed to Springfield. and
entered into partnership with Maj. John T..
Stewart. He rose rapidly both as n LAWYER
and a politician. in the former character OBJ
tanning his greatest success as a.iury advo-
cate; and in the latter position that made
him the leader Of the Wing party in Illinois,
This era in Mr.. Lncolu's eventful lie may
be appropriately considered as the close of
the first period. He had risen from obscure
~ entirely through his Inherent energy and
perseverance, until le became the leading
MUD Of his party Of great State. The rise
is almost unprecedent d; but, despite its
wonderful character. it was not yet termina
ted. There was a second period, and a third,
both Of which, but m'oe especially the last,
are almost os astonishing as, or more than,
the first.
From the time that his position as a State
politician was established NATL 1916 he was
continually before the people. He ran seye-
raj times as Presidential Elector, and in
1874 he canvsssed the entire State of Illinois
and q part OF Indiana for Henry Clay In
lS36 he WAS elected tn Cop1ras. .,j 81