The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1867-01-03

psssvza.s A. x.exux, JANUARY Ia, 1871.

rsEsvx1ns A. xneguk, sAsuAHx lss, lss1.
Deassi iteanste ~ h ~ dAys Of AlsaAme,
- Rsqablisaa, NJ IL beaAnsa q - So
bssans H..
FExov Crlxus, &o.:-T - awsss tt
L i Is diikcult task 70 explain how AhaAan
Lissola 5searsd SCH iagslar hold apsa
he hearts Of This great psopas bat - =
was loved By he massss noss iss-
vently than aay othee nan Who svss
6llsa tAs Excessive Chais, l., ! -
lisvs, : fAes universally ceassdsd. Il o.
tainly was not his position - President thaa
gavs him The hold hs had upon the people.
There have been other men who occupied
this place in times Of pescs and war, who
also died in ONCE. They received the hon.
No and respect Of all good citizens, but for
whom did he hsaess Of this naaion ever barn
with such enthusiasm, or for whom did 9TH
er nations manifest such respect ~ for Presl-
dent Lincslai Iis no disparagement to this
remarkable man to say, that this nation has
produced other men who in some respects
were greater than he. He had not, fer IN
stance, the intellectual polish Of Everest, fAs
elexsnce Of Sumner, the tremendous intsliscs
Of Webster, or the cenmandins sloquence Of
Clay. But it is true that no man ever tired
BY this nation, possessed more excellen-
cies of charaster, more elements Of strength,
and fewer faults and vices. than Abraham
Lincoln. Truth, Justice and Right were the
standards BY which he weighed his motives
and governed his life. President Lincoln
was man Of one idea, but that idsa was
great one-it was TRurH. Upon his convic.
tioos Of this, on any given question, his opin>
ions were formed, and from this his judgment
acted. Hence, when he had arrived at . con-
clusion he remained fixed and unAlterabls.
Policy and expediency, ~ such, had no
weight. The question FIRST and last was " 10
liz right" He may have moved slowly, bat
what had be 70 guide him7 he Was on .
strange va all land>marks had been swept
away, and there was no precedsnts TO mark
out the channel. As he saw bis way be
moved on, but never backward. His admin.
issration was the development of one grand
purpose-she salvation of the Union. Said
he: my paramount object is to save the
| Union, and | would save il the shortest way.
| Ii could save the Union without freeing any
slave, l would do ii. III could save il By
freeing all the slaves, would do it. II
could save it by freeing some Of the slaves
and leaving the others in bondahe, would DC
that
And yet he would permit no modification Of
his oft-expressed conviction and wish, tina,
q all men everywhere should be free" And
vhv did he wish this2 Because it was right
for said be- III slavery is not wrong, nothing il
vrona.n During his campaign in 1858, with
Judge Douglas, he made that memorable
Ideciaration, which subsequent events have
ldisni6ed with the truthfulness Of y prophecy
Which was that s.this Union could not per
lmaaently endure half slave and half free
that ultimately the whole country would b
lone or the other" What . profound philos
lophy that sentence contained. Men nigh
lhave been startled and opposed such de
lclsration, but in this Abraham Lincoln VA
on Gods side, for this was simply an an
lnouncemeut Of what the Almighty has de
creed, that between right and wrong there i
AN eternal Antaaou,sm Why then did b,
not sweep slavery from existence At once
Because he was patiently following the un
Holdings Of Gods providence. He was not
therefore, in haste, for God never is. Blu
1.-The time came when the alternative hetwee'
1.-The death of slavery and the destruction o
1.-THE Union was - plain as the sun in tn
heavens. Then God willed the blow shoul'
lbe siven-then, and not till then, did Lin
coin place his name and seal to the immorta
Proclamation Of Emancipation. That &C
nave to our race New Years day OF free
dom, and made him the Liberator OF Amer
lica. Thus he struck American slavery, tn
cause Of all our woes, with the battle-axe 9
1.-The Union. Was he too slow? When th
hearts Of those who had urged this from tn
: first trembled when it Was done--when hi
enemies poured bitter storm of invective
upon him, what WAS his reply? II told theI
il they did not return to their allegiance an
cease numbering our soldiers, would strik
, at this pillar of their strength, and now tn
promise shall be kept and not one word Of
, will ever recall.
He leaned upon stronger arm than th
, army, . surer foundation than the patriotism
of the people. God was bis strong towe
immovable and secure.
Where, in all the literature Of christendon
) can be found more touching or devou il
! vocation than that appended to the Proen
, nation Of Emancipation? Here is his
guage: Upon this act, sincerely believe
to be an act Of Justice, warranted by the Coz
stitution ~ military necessity, invoke th
7 considerate Judgment of mankind aud Il
, gracious favor Of Almighty God" The
r slavery died Had 1t fallen sooner it migl
have risen again; but nov, thank God, Abr
ham Lincoln has buried it, root and brancl
so deep that the trumpets Of treason and .
: cession will never be able to summon it to
. resurrection. He that signed that gospel
freedom, has also sealed il with his hloo
. and it will stand IN ordinance forever.
this act the author will live for all time.
This Proclamation is the grandest mon
. ment that ever perpetuated . mortAfs men
DRY. How sublimely he stands in this doe
9 ment- He stands upon the manacles
I slavery, struck from the limbs OF four milie
9 bondsmen. His right hand grssps tbs Sta
q and Stripes-emblem Of liberty over treaso
with the other be presents our raca with the
charter Of freedom and manhood. Abo'
him, Liberty stands ready to crown him wi
n the enduring wreath of q nations gratitud
while the Christ beloved, from the ski
above, says to him, "Well done, good al
faithful servant" He assum,
Is all the responsibility, and in Il
r strength of an unwavering trust in the prs
ers of the nation aud the justice of Heave
he combined the strength Of all this mater
into one mighty arm. aud With that des
!, blow upon blow upon the impious head
l. treason, until the rebellion went Keeling
, ruin, while the same blows struck the fetie
of slavery from the limbs of every boud
man.
'e Washington is no longer the place ofbond
>, men. No, thank God the chains Of slave
- clank no more on the soil Of the Union; Ii
nation has come forth to newborn pardo
the shadow of the Stars and Stripes IA
upon none but freemen, and for all this, u
" der God, this nation and the world are j
;. debted TO Abraham Lincoln. Has he n
!. earned his place in the hearts of the peopl
:. That God in whom he trusted permitted hil
Of before be called him to his rest and rewal
ID to hear even in the streets Of the rebel ca,
e tai, every form Of praise and gratitude Ii
: piety and newborn freedom could inver
u bear his name lsdened with the blessings
" prayers Of our redeemed race, up 70 the Eft
nal Throne. And As the mighty chorus
10 the freedmen jubilee which came up fro
4. the land Of bondage, and the grand anths
- Of nations victory, met like two misl
OF tides, and rolled on and on, il vas Iincoli
% name that was sung through all the land
or every tongue.
e The people, appreciating the man who