Omaha daily bee., 1874-05-06
Iinnnln and Sumner.

A SKETCH OF LiNIoH->
Abraham Lincoln vas a true child
of the people. There was in hi
heart an ineXhaustible fountain o
tenderness, and from it sprung thai
lounging to be true, just and merci
full to all, which made the people
love him. In the deep, large
humanity of his soul had grown his
moral and political principles, 70
which he defended with the strength
of a vigorous mind.
But he had not grown great in
any high school of Craftsmanship.
He had, from the humbleSt begin
nings, slowly and laboriously work,
ed himself up, or rather he had
gradually risen up without being
aware of it, and suddenly he found
himself in the foremost rank of the
distinguished men of the land. In
his youth and early manhood he had
achieved no striking successes that
might have impaired to him that
ovcrweeningsa lf-appreciation which
so frequently leads self-made men
to overestimate their faculties, and
10 ignore the limits of their strength.
He was not a learpedman, but he had
learned and meditated enough to
feel how much there was still for
him to learn. His marvellous sue
cess in his ripper years left intact the
Unborn modesty of his nature. he
was absolutely without pretensions.
His simplicity, which by its gentle
ness extorted respect and affection,
was wonderfully persuasive, and
sometimes deeply pathetic and stri-
kingly brilliant.
His natural gifts We're great, he
possessed a clear and penetrating
mind, bat i'm forming his opinions
on subjects of importance, he was
50 careful, conscientious and diff
dent, that he would always hear and
probe what opponents had TO say,
before he became firmly satisfied of
the business of his own conclusions
not as if he had been easily con-
trolled and led by other men, for he
had a will of his own-but his men,
tai operations were slow and hesita-
ting, and inapt to conceive quick
resolutions, He lacked self-reliance.
Nobody felt more than he the aw-
full weight of his responsibilities.
He was not ~ of those bold re-
formers who will defy the opposi-
ton of the world and undertake to
impose their opinions and will upon
a reluctant age. With careful con-
sideration of the possibilities of the
hour he advanced slowly, but
when he had SO advanced, he
planted his foot with firmness
and no power was strong enough to
force him 10 a backward step. And
every day of great responsibility
enlarged the horizon of his mind,
and every day he grasped the helm
Of affairs with a steadier hand.
1t was to such a man that Sum-
nor, during the most doubtful days
of the beginning of the war, ad-
dressed his appeals for immediate
acknowledgements impetuous
and impatient as they could spring
only from his ardent and overriding
convictions.
The President at first passively
resisted the vehement counsel of the
Senator, but he babe the counsellor
welcome. 1T was Mr.. Lincoln's
constant endeavor to surround him.
self with the best and ablest men of
the country. Not only did the first
names of the republican party ap-
pear In his cabinet, but every able
man in Congress was always in
vited as an adviser, whether his
views agreed with those of the
President or not. But Mr.. Sumner
was always treated as a favorite
counselor, almost like q Minister of
State, outside of the Cabinet. There
were statesmen around the Presi-
dent who were also politicians, I'M
derstanding the art of management.
Mr.. Lincoln appreciated the value
of their advice as to what was pru-
dent and practicable. But he knew
also how to discriminate. In Mr..
Sumner he saw a counselor
who was no politician, but who
stood before him as the true
representative of the moral earnest
ness, and the great inspirations of
their common cause. From him he
heard what was right, and neees-
sary, and inevitable. By the
former he was told what, in their
opinion, could prudently and safely
be done. Having heard them both,
Abraham Lincoln oounseled with
himself, and formed his resolution.
Thus Mr.. Lincoln, while scarcely
ever fully and speedily following
Summers advice, never ceased to
ask for it, for he knew its signifi-
canoe. And Sumner, while almost
always dissatisfied with Lincoln's
cautious hesitation, lever grew
weary in giving his advice, for he
never distrusted LincOln's fidelity.
Always agreed as 10 the ultimate
end, they almost always differed as
to times and means; but while diff
fering, they firmly trusted, for they
understood one another.
And thus their mutual respect
grew into an affectionate friendship,
which no class of disagreeing opin-
ions could break. Summer loved to
tell his friends, after LincOln's
death,-and / heard him relate it
often, never without an expression
of tenderness,-how at one time
those who disliked and feared his
intimacy with the President, and
desired to e it disrupted, thought
it was irreparably broken. 1t was
at the close of Lincoln's administra-
ton, in 1865, when the President
had proposed certain measures of
reconstruction, touching the State
of Louisiana,
TIE RECONCILIATION BETWEEN
LICoLN AND SUMNER.
The end of the session of Congress:
was near at hand, and the successo
the bill depended on a vote Of the
Senate, before the hour of adjourn
ment, on the 4th of March. Mr.
Lincoln had the measure very
much at heart. Mr.. Sumner oppos
ed it, because it did not contain
sufficient guarantees for the right
of the colored people, AMI by a par
liamentary maneuver, simply con
sumiug time until the adjournmenr
came, he with two DR. three othe
~