The national Republican., 1866-04-14
ONE YEAR AGO.


America, was assassinated. Nothing in &c.
tual life ever surpassed the horror or enor-
nifty Of the tragedy; and romance never
equalled the dreadful reality Of the awful
crime. ABRAHAM LINCOLN earned the respect
not only Of his own countrymen, but the ad-
miration Of the world for his austere virtues,
and lofty personal character; more than this,
he had won, as no other American ever had,
the tenderest affections and earnest love Of
the people whom he served. The most terri
BILE civil war Of modern times had ended in
national triumph; conquering armies were
returning home with their tattered ensigns;
the cannon had sounded its hoarse notes Of
jubilee throughout the empire; and the ho-
sannas Of an exultant people had rung out
from ocean to ocean. in one united strain of
joy, when the announcement of the murder
Of the great and good PRESIDENT, flashing
across the continent hushed every voice,
changed the peel into dirge, substituted ma
tional joy with national grief, and for mo-
ment made men doubt whether the God who
gave the victory had not robbed us Of its
glory and worth in permitting the death Of
our immortal and beloved leader.
One year ago this day the darkest hour in
human history, save one, and the heaviest
task for human faith, came to us. The land
was shrouded with the emblems Of woe; a
wall Of anguish went up from the whole
country; million stalwart men in arms,
who knew not fear, quailed before single
death; thirteen millions Of citizens who
never lost heart trembled in their grief at
the inexplicable mysteries of Providence,
and one lifeless corpse seemed to hold within
its inanimate clay the hopes and the courage
Of the nation.
We will not revive the terrors of that fatal
night. We care not to recall the emotions
of that baleful hour. The palsy of the com
munity; the stricken country; the agony of
sorrow; the funeral march, when from the
sombre Capitol they bore him, amid scenes
Of unusual sadness, from city to city, past
uncounted thousands of weeping men and
women, for sixteen hundred miles to his dis
tant prairie grave, is fresh in all our memo
ries and cannot be forgotten. Our task to-
day is Of different nature. 1t is not his
death, but his life, that most concerns us.
We ask what distinguished that life ; what
placed him so far above his countrymen,
that hereafter the test Of greatness will be to
approach his standard Of excellence2 Why
were his virtues universally recognized d?
Why was his loss considered almost irrepar.
ableR Why did the humblest, even more
than the highest, sob over his departure
Why did patriotism regard him as its un
questionable exponent? What is the mora
of his careerH Was the grief that followed
him to the dark house aDd the long home
real or fctitiousH Is his memory properly
revered, and is his peerless example regarded
to-day? These are questions which force
themselves home, on this dreary anniversary
and their answers might well be considered
as the most important Of oil that affects us
ABRAHAM LINCOLN fought no battles
around his brow we do not find the warrior
wreath. He had no extraordinary intellec
tual gifts; classic culture did not adorn hi
speech; and not to him do we look for tn,
model Of American scholarship, or for para
gons Of eloquence. We find the clue to hi
greatness, the source Of his strength, and the
secret Of his being embalmed in the popular
heart, to be his catholic spirit Of nationality
and his pure and unselfsh devotion to the
country Of his birth. He was no systemati,
reformer. He was neither an enthusiast or /
philosopher; he was simply pure American
patriot. Patriotism was the pervadinI
element Of his nature. 1t was from tn,
purest motives Of patriotism that he avoided
while ii was consistent with national honor
resort to the tribunal of arms. From tn,
same lofty spirit, when the inevitable fate o
war came. he used all the means which tn,
vast powers Of the nation placed in his hand
for its ultimate preservation. He had nc
other idea than the welfare and perpe
tuity of. the Republic over which h,
had been called to preside. From the first
discharge of rebel gun upon the insulteG
nag Of his country to the moment of hii
cruel death, the one object of his life toas Il
effect restoration Of The in8urgent States Il
their practical relations tcih the Fedora
Union. For that he marshaled immens,
armies, and sent forth our matchless fleets
For that he poured out the treasure of the
people. For that he liberated four millions
OF bondmen, and placed within the black
mans hand two hundred thousand muskets
For that heproclaimedamnesty to those who
would abandon the rebellion and take oath IN
Government. For that he initiated the re.
turn OF the insurrectionary States when one
tenth of their voting population gave evi
dence of loyalty. For that he extended
pardon to all who solemnly swear to hence
forth faithfully support, protect, and defent
the CONSTITUTION Of the United States an(
the States therein" For that he conferred
with the agents of the rebel Government
and went in person to Fortress Monroe "witl
the view Of securing the peace of our ON
common country" And as if to give add
tional solemnity to this central purpose of hi
life, few days before he left this earth, il
an elaborate address to the country, h,
pledged himself anew and untiringly to thu
work Of restoration.
The toll Of his weary years of official anx
laIy. the Of