Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1866-02-23

his childhood to do both
When eight years old he Aoated down the Ohio
with his father a raft which bore the family
and all their possessions TO the shore OF Indiana
aud, child as he was, be gave help as they toiled
through dense forests to the interior Of Spencer
county. There, in the land Of free labor. he grew
up in log cabin, with the solemn solitude for his
teacher in his meditative hours OF Asiatic liter
ature he knew only the bible Of Greek, Latin, and
medieval no more than the translation OF EsOps
Fables; Of English, John Bunyans Pilgrims Pro-
gress. The traditions OF George OK and William
Penn passed to him dimly along the lines Of two
centuries through his ancestors who were Quak-
ers.
his EDUCATION.
Otherwise his education was altogether Ameri-
can. The Declaration Of Independence was his
compendium Of political wisdom, the Life Of Wash
ington his constant study, and something of jeff
erson aud Madison reached him through Henry
Clay, whom he honored from boyhooi. For the
rest from day to day, he lived the life Of the Amer
lean people; walked in its light; reasoned with
its reason thought with its power Of thought /;
felt the beatings Of is mighty heart; and 50 was
in every way child of natnre-a child OF the
Wcst-a child Of America.
MS PROGRESS IN LIFE.
At nineteen feeling impulses Of ambition TO get
on in the world, he engaged himself 20 go down
the Mississippi in Aatboat. receiving ten dollars
a month for his wages, and atterward he made the
trip once more. At twenty-one he drove his
fathers cattle as the family migrated to Illinois,
and split rails to fence in the new homestead in
the wild. At tweuty-three he was a captain Of
volunteers in the Black Hawk war. He kept
shop he learned something of sury 'ying; but Of
English literature he added TO Bunyan nothing
but Shakspeare's plays. At twenty-five he was
elected to the Legislature Of Illinois, whore he
served eight years. At twenty-seven he was ad-
4 IL \. l.. IL. Il -.
Springfield the beautiful center Of the richest land
in the State In 1917 he was a member Of the ma
tOnal Congress, where be voted about forty times
in favor OF the principle of the Jefferson provso.
In 1854 he gave his influence to elect from Illinois
to the American Senate a Democrat who would
certainly do justice 10 Kansas. In 1893, as the
rival of Douglass he went before the people Of the
mighty Prairie State SAYING, "This Union cannot
permanently endure, half slave and half free the
Union will not be Dissolved bat the house will
cease 70 be divided" /" and now, in 1861. with no
experience whatever as an executive officer, while
States were mIily flying from their orbit, and wise
men knew not where TO inl COUNSEL this descen-
dlnt of Qnakers. this pupil Of Binyan, this child
of the great West, was elected President Of Amer
lea
He measured the difficulty Of the duty that de-
volved on him, and was resolved to fulfill it.
HE GOES TO WASHINGTON
As on the llth of February, 1861, he left Spring
field, which for quarter Of a century had been
his happy home, TO the crowd OF his friends and
neighbors whom he was never more 10 meet, he
spoke a solemn farewell :" know not how soon
shall see you again. duty has devolved upon
me greater than that which has devolved upon any
other man since Washington. He never would
have succeeded except for the aid of divine Provi-
dence, upon which he at all times relied. On the
same Almighty Being place my reliance. Pray
that | may receive that Divine assistance, without
which cannot succeed, but with which success is
certain To the men Of Indiana he said, " | am
but accidental, temporary instrument; it is
your business to rise up and preserve the Union
ana liberty" At the capital Of Ohio he said,
Without a name, without reason why should
have a name there has fallen upon me a task such
as did not rest even upon the Father OF his Coun-
try At various places in New York, especially
at Albany before the Legislature, which rendered
him the united sup ,ort of the great Empire State,
he said, While | hold myself the humblest of all
the individuals who have ever been elevated to
the Presidency, have a more difficult task to per-
form than any of them. | bring a true heart to
the work | must RELY upon the people OF the
whole country for support and with their sustain
ing aid, even l. humble as | am, cannot fail TO
carry the ship of state safely through the storm"
To the assembly of New Jersey, at Trenton, he
explained, d" shall take the ground deem most
Just to the North, the East, the West, the South
aud the whole country, in good temper certainly
with no malice to any section | am devoted TO
peace but it may be necessary TO put the foot down
hrmlyn In the old Independence Hall Of PhilA
depha he said, " have never had a feeling po-
htically that did not spring from the sentiments
embodied in the Declaration of Independence,
which gave liberty not alone to the people OF this
country, but to the world in all future time. Ii
the country cannot be saved without giving up that
principle | should rather be assa3sinated on the
spot than SURRENDER it. have said nothing bat
what | am willing to live and die by
IN WHAT STATE HE FOUND THE COUNTRY.
Travelling in the dead of the night to escape
assassination, Lincoln arrived at Washington nine
days before his Inauguration. The outgoing
President, at the opening OF the session OF Con-
gress had still kept as the ma ority Of his advisers
men engaged in treason; had declared that in
case Of even al " imaginary" apprehension of
danger from the notions OF freedom among the
slaves, . dsuuion would become inevitabie.n-
Lincoln and others had Questioned the opinion Of
Taney; such impugning he ascribed 10 the fac
tious temper OF the times.n The fAvorite doctrine
of the majority of the Democratic party on the
Territorial Legislature over slavery he condemned
AZ an attack on " the sacred rights OF property
The State Legislatures, he insisted, must repeal
what he called " their unconstitutional and obnOx-
ious enactments,n and which il such were null
human power to save the Union" Nay, il these
unimportant acts were not repealed, - the injured
States would be justified in revolutionary resist
ance 10 the Government of the Unon.n He main
tanned that State might secede at its sovereign
will and pleasures that the Union wrs meant for
pepetuity and that Congress might attempt to
preserve It, but only by Cancellation that sword
was not placed in their hands to preserve it by
force that the last desperate remedy of des-
pairing people would be % anexplanatory amend
ment recognizing the decision Of the Supreme
Court Of the United States.n The Amer san lIgl-
ion he called "a confederacy" Of Sta.ss, and he
thought it duty to make the apyeal for the amAn-
ment 4" before any of thasr States should separate
themselves from tne Union The views OF the
Liente.-at General, containing some patriotic
tdsce, - conceded the right of secession pro-
aouncod quadruple rupture of the Union i" a
smaller evil than the reuuitng of the fragments
by the sword aud - oschewed the idea OF inva-
ding a seeded State After changes in the Cabi-
net, the President informed Congress that Z" mat
tors were still worse y that " the South suffered
serious grievances which shoull bo redressed
" in peacen
The day after this message the flag OF the Union
was fired upon from Fort Morris aud the insult
was not reyenged or noticed Senators in Con-
gress telegraphed to their constituents TO seize
the national forts, and they were not arrested
The finances of the country were grieveousy en-
barrassed Its little army WAS not within reach
the part Of it in Texas with all its stores, was
made over by its commander 20 the seeding in-
surgenls, One State after another voted in con-