The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-03
Chicago, Dec. 2s, 1885.
ELrnU BURRIrT ON ABRAHAM LIN.
COLIN.

ELrHu BuRRIrT, nov in England, has just
published characteristic treatise on The
Mission of Great Sufferings," which is rep
resented in English papers as q work Of sin
gular interest. One says: ait discourses
of suffering, its mission and its power. with
wonderful profuudity, intelligence and pa
thos" In the last chapter, Mr.. BuRRlr1
comes naturally to the tragic events Of the
present day, among which an appropriate
place is given to
THE LIFE AND DEATH OF LIEcotE.
I've now come TO another event which
moved powerfully the whole of Christendom,
and produced an effect upon the foremost
nations which no occurrence of that or other
order had ever accomplished. II was IN
event that came in a moment with no pre-
monition. 1t was the sudden extinction OF
one human life except its light. There was
one honest hearted man who came up out Of
the commonest walks of the people, and vas
raised to the Presidential chair of the Ameri-
can republic to represent and execute its
will. The lifting up Of that man to fill this
high place split the nation in sunder. The
chasm was dark and wide. The struggle to
close it Oh one side and widen it on the other
was long and terrible. Half million of pre-
cious lives we're thrown into the breech, and
it ran deep aud red with the best blood of
the severed nation. The tall, gaun, man OF
furrowed face and plsin,ive eyes, who stood
in his place with steady faith and purpose,
being in the stature of his elevation what
Saul was 10 the Israelites from his shoulders
upward, WAS from beginning to end the butt
Of satire and denunciation, much ct home
aud more abroad. In a certain sense the
people of the North might have said, Re
bore the iniquities of US ALL. For all who
hated the Northern cause hit him and bruised
his spirit with their hard and cruel sayings.
I'm addition to all this burden of reprosch
piled upon bis shoulders, because they were
higher than the peoples whose he was and
whom he served, his personal antecedents
and associations were thrown in his face in
all the epi,he,s that ridicule could invent.
Foreign satirists lampoened him with their
criticisms, and caricatnred him with their
pencils. Friends fell away and foes fell on
him, as the sanguinary conflict vent on from
year to year. The burrows of bis face deep
ened; the shallow ridges Of his brow showed
the mole walks of care we're ploughing night
and day his inner soul. But as those sad,
deep and solemn eyes withdrew further in.
ward, they beamed with the old steady light
Of faith and hope. And according to his
faith WAS il given to see that for which his
spirit prayed with longing most intense. He
saw the long and bloody struggle concluded.
He saw the wide rent in the patton closing
With foot on either side, ie stretched out
his long, gsunt arms, and essayed to press
the two sections. like estrangsd sisters, to
bis broad and tender breast.
"His was a great life, but his Death was
greater still--the greatest, perhaps that had
moved the world TOR thousand years. When
he stood with his tender arms around the |
north and south, holding them to his heart
that both might soften theirs at his spirit,
his lfe's work was done. Then began the |
sublime mission of his death. While those