The Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Ohio) 1863-1886, 1866-03-22


desolation and deaths THAT freedom
or slavery must utterly perish was in
evfthbleg The prophetic genius OF
Abraham Lincoln comprehended the
poftent ofthe gathering storm, and IN
spired by the presence and magnitpde
Of an issue upon the just solution OF
which hinged the hopesof the people
and fate Of the republic, he again chal-
lcnged Mr.. Douglas The challenge
was accepted, the result was a strug-
Gle between intellectual giants, with
the Nation asa theatcr aud thirty mil
lions of people for an audience. Mr..
Lincoln's moral victory was completes
He vanqnished his great adversary in
every point. The resultwas splen
did tribute to his intellectual powor--
made his reputation national, and at
once established him ss the foremost
man ofhis party and Of hisage. ~
-ipapproach now events in the llfe OF
Abraham lincoln, Of greater maghi.
tude than ever before fell 70 the lot of
mana crisis IN the history OF the Re-
publie's imminent peril, threatening to
engulph the most cherished hopes of
mar kind. The greatwork ofMrgL
coIn's sIife-the work Of fvndicating the
Republican experiment; Of asserting
the dignity Of the Constitution and
maintaining tho supremacy of tho
Federal Union; of defending and per.
petunting civil md religious liberty
work equally exalted, momentous
and dificult-bcgan with the assump-
tioh of his Presidential duties on the
4tb of March, 1861. a'fi .''R.l@'1'
Mr.. lincoln brought TO the accom-
plishment OF this task a powerful mind
and firm hand; consc 'ods rcctitulo Of
purpose; firm reliance upon Provi
dence; deep faith in the certainty
OF ultimate triumph AS God is just,
he knew that slavery must perish. As
God il merciful, he knew that liberty
must survive. He knew the people
he was one of them and, confding in
their wisdom and patriotism, heard
tho voice of their fidelity and of their
deep Indignation, like thcroaroft thci in
fulfated -surgng and swelling :
pledgipg their lives and fortunes to the
country, and felt when the hour of trial
came, they would meet and master it
--rescue liberty from the flames. He
heard The distant tramp Of infuriatcd
millions eager for the fray and saw the
blaze Of countless bayoncts The wealth
Of nation at his feet and the vision Of
victory become palpablo and clear
When tho moment came lie called, and
tho millions answered pointed to the
flag, and its insults were avenged
spoke, and the wrath Of rebellion re-
coiIcd upon itself as tho maddeped
waves recoil upon the sea struck, ant
the nation was preserved, and the fet
tiers of bondage fell from the limbs anC
tho freedman stood proudly forth thC
ehiranchised, the immortal--the dark
yot living image Of his God. W..
Mr.. Lincoln came into power in The
darkest hour Of the nations history
Tho flames Of civil war were bursting
from every portion Of the South thC
imbecility OF Mr., Buchanan and troa
son ofhis Cabinet had paralyzed tn
Government and made it contemptibl
before the world. Tho Treasury wa
bankrupt; the public credit destroy
cd + the army was disorganized; th
navyin distant seas tho forts and ar
senaIs ofrthe South were in tho band
of the enomy; six millions of people
with, an oarnestness, unanimi.y an
determination, never before eqqalled
were resolved upon the dismembcrmon
of the Union; their government wa
already organized; their armies mar
shalling; their treasonablc purposes
already declared, The ocean was heav
ing tho earthquake was rocking tn
nation was rs helpless and almost Il
hopeless Us u mastesa and rudderles
ship in the midst OF a storm at sea
Out Of this great pcril; out Of this ap
palling dread from the brink Of th
terrible precipicc, tho wisdom, pru
deneei 6rmness and fortitudc Of Abra
ham Lipcolp, brought tho country
safely. To him, more than to any
other man, is due tho, mighty resull
ofrebollion suppressed, treason over
thrown, a country re,united--of peace
prosperity and liberty restored ant
porpotuated, bgss., alt.- H
lThe annals Of the past furnish nj
parallel to, themagnitudo and onormi
ty of tho slaveholderls rebellion Th,
wiclsedness and folly ofthe instigatOrs
is equally lyinoxplicable aud monstrout
Without u cause, they cohsp'ired to dC
stroy tho life that nurtured them, anJ
tosoyorthrow the Government arount
which clustered all their most saGrc,
recollections, and in which was cen
tered all their most cherished hopes--
the Gofernment from which they ba,
drawn ungratelully whatever Of in
diyidual prosperity, Whatever OF Oh
tiOnA dignity and distinction they er
joyed. Without n preleXt, they tran
tieally plnnged the country into wa
plowed tho earth into trenches, an
filled those trenches with tho blood {
tkeslaim The shrioksbf the mangleC
tho Ccurshs Of the dyingi theprayers 9
the diving, the lessons Of tho past, tn
hopes of the future wero scorned alike
until tho destiny thGy invoked over
whelmed them, until tho tidal sweoI
otthe wrath they provoked role
over them and crushed thom forever
No man Of his age combined 10 mi
ny qualifications and possessed sue
eminent fitness for tho work ,beio,
L. - Ia 4 L.. 49, I-,...l..