The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1866-08-09
A Monument to Abraham Lin.
coin.

Among the latest proceedings of the
hump Congress was to vote an appropra-
ton of $4,000 TO build monument to the
late Abraham Lincoln Except that we
regard it as a wanton squandering of the
public money, we have no objection to it.
They may, if they please, build monu>
ment until 1t reaches the skies they may
put upon it any inscription which fuIsome
tiattery suggests, or cover it with lies IN
bronze, but it will neither add dignity to
or confer honor upon him whose memory
1t designs to perpetuate. On the contrary.
the more brilliant the monumental shaft.
the more la0ored the inscription, the poor,
er the character Of Abraham Lincoln will
appear by the contrast. No chief ruler of
j country was ever so unfit as he. He had
no qualification to inspire personal respect.
much less admiration. Nothing could
have ever converted him even into an apol-
ogy for hero. He rendered no service
whatever to the country, either political or
personal. In learning, cultivation and ac>
complishments, he was, in every respect, a
burlesGue. His efusionS, that were. by
courtesy to his place, called State papers,
were as destitute Of logical conference and
vigor as of grammatical construction and
elegance. His antecedents. before he en-
tered upon his high Office, were contempti>
bic in their obscurity. lie only succeed
ed in connecting his name with the most
gigantic blunde.s and crimes of admins
tratiOn of which history makes mention
His ignorance and partisan preiudices
brought upon the country the most un>
heard-of national sorrows and msfortunes.
No scourgc of disease and pestilence. no
conyulson ct nature, could have been 50
great calamity as his election to the
Presidency proved. National unity and
good feeling fled before his approach to
the Federal capital. The delicate and in
tricate machinery Of our Government was
disorgan;zcd as soon as his coarse. rude
and inexperienced hands were laid upon
it, lie crushed under his heel the beau
tiful flower of liberty. that had been the
great ornament of our political system
A monument to Lincoln What better
monument can his enemies desire than the
recollection of those bastiles which, in de-
fiance of law, he filled with groaning and
unhappy captiyes? Forts Lafayette and
WarreD-namcs now of infamous Hire
pute--will forever be associated with that
of Abraham Lincoln The press, whose
freedom he destroyed, will take care that
his name shall go down properly to poster
ity, monument or no monument.
The memory of his tyranical acts Of the
deadly injury IIe inflicted upon the cause
of constitutional government. will survive
when the loftiest and proudcst column of
marble shall perish and moder away be-
meath the action of the elements. The
circumstances of his death were dramatic
and almost inexplicablc. In the moment
of his greatest exaltation, when coercion
had performed its appointed work, when
he who had sent those engaged in it upon
their mission was preparing TO enjoy the
fruition for which he had toiled, he was
struck down by the hand of violence. On
day given up to festivity and rejoicing
the American, like the ruler of Babylon OF
old, whose name is recorded in sacred
writ, perished by the hand of az assassin
1t is this untoward and aeplored event that
gives HIM his only claim upon our sympa
thy, and throws around him the robe which
he never should have worn--that of q may
tyr; and embalms the victim of murde:
with kind of halo and regard Ciacia-
natl En9.