Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1873-06-27
Boutwell, on Lincoln.
Ernm his Decnrntinn nar allro

Our gratitude. however, is not due to the
army alone. Many in the civil service per-
formed great deeds, and gave their lives to
the nation. Lincoln and Stanton are among
those who died for the country, and it is not
easy to name any who performed more or
better work. Stanton labors never ceased.
lie denied himself time for rest and food.
He was familiar with the vast theatre of
military operations, and he anticipated the
wants Of the army in supplies and REIN
torcements. If he did not organize victory,
he furnished the means f victory, and this,
l venture to say, Is all hat has ever been
done by any except thu commander in the
held. Rejecting the language of eulogy,
we may properly say that he was the ableSt
war minister of historical times, and that
he was second only to Mr.. Lincoln among
civilians in the value of his services to the
nation. If we limit our observation to men
trained and serving in civil lie exclusively,
MIR. Lincoln appears to be the first person.
age in American history. In powers of
reasoning he rivaled Webster, and he was
endowed with subtle Wit and laughter
moving irony to which Webster had no
claim. lie was formidable in debate, and
he wrote and spoke some of the hest SEN
tences in the English language. His speech
ut gettysburg was not an accident or a
temporary inspiration. a similar power
was manifested in his debate with Douglas,
and his first inaugural contains paragraphs
which rival the choicest of the language. |
quote one that is marked by the spirit OF
prophecy and at the same time the tender
est OF the numerous appeals for the Union
with which our literature is filled: The
mystic chords of memory. stretching from
every battlefield and patriot grave to every
III ~ nd d IL 81 =.
broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the
Union, when again touched, as surely they
will be. by the better angels of our nature"
Admitting, asserting, rather, that his Cabi
net was composed of able men, it yet re-
mains for me to express the opinion that he
excelled all and every one of them in each
OF the essential qualities of craftsmanship.
lie was endowed with power of foresee
ing-Sagacity to anticipate future events
touching the public welfare. lie had
firm faith in the people-in their wisdom,
justice and power. lie possessed true cour-
age. lie was never dismayed by misfortune
never overcome by disaster. lie had
practical wisdom that he could apply with
out delay to present questions. This, and
the quality first mentioned, are the tests
of craftsmanship, without which there can
be no eminence in the administration of
public affairs. 1t yet remains for the world
to learn that at one of the two critical mo-
ments IN our foreign affairs he corrected and
a most important diplomatic pa
per with his own hand. showing superior
clcarness of judgment and great subtlcty of
genius in matters outside of his training
and experience.
SHOCKING RAILWAY ACcIDENr.-AN ISE-
BRIATE BEnEADED EY TKAIN.-A frightful
and fatal railway accident occurred June
ID, in Danville, on the Toledo, Wabash and
Western railway. Three men undertook to
cross the Danyillc railway bridge, which i
over 4 quarter of mile in length. and
from seventy to eighty feet in height
above the level of the water. Some of the
party were intoxicated and did not notice
the westward bound train on the Toledo |
and Wabash road that followed |
their tagging steps with the speed and !
certainty of fate The men had not ira
verSed over more than half the extent of the |
bridge, when two of them perceived the |
imminent danger of their situation. They |
Were seen TO exert the most vigorous efforts |
to induce their more inebriatcd and nearly |
helpless companion to flee for his life The |
latter. it seems would not yield either to |
the expoStulationS or efforts of his friends |
to save him. and finding him too stubborn |
and too blind to see the peril to which he |
subjected himself they bethought themselves
for their own safety, and were fortunate !
enough to clear the western extremity of |
the bridge Just a the train rushed by. The |
engineer had been an interested spectator of |
the scene, and thinking there were no Others
in the way when the two men whom he |
had speeding before his train had escaped, he |
slackened speed 50 as TO give them sufficient
time to get out of harms way. Just. |
however. a he imagined all chance of
catastrophe past, he saw a dark object
lying across the track. In moment an
ann was cOnvul>ively raised, and the next
instant il was evident a manhad been crush
ed to death under the engines wheels The
train was stopped and an examination made.
which revealed a CHASTITY sight. The man
was completely decapitated. The head,
which had been severed from the body by
the wheels. fell from the bridge through be
tween the timberS to the river below. with
the upturned face horribly distorted, the
eyes starting from their sockets, and the
neck torn horribly. Ii foated some dis
tance down the stream before it was recov-
cred. The trunk of the deceased was fear
tully mangled. The remains were careful
ly collected together, and taken in charge
by the authorities. TWAS aScertained that
the name of the deceased was Newman. and
that he was salilcr by trade