The daily Argus., 1875-10-12
ALEDo CORRESPONDENCE.
colfax and his Lincoln Lecture.


lecture on The Life and Services Of Abra-
ham Lincoln" to an audience in the Pres
byterian church, on Friday evening last.
notwithstanding the subject has been
worn almost thrcadbare, and but very lit
tie, if anything, new was elected for read
ing people to contemplate, the audience
manifested their appreciation of the lee
ture-not by applause-but in the silent
and earnest attention given throughout.
Mr.. .Colfax has lost much of the full round
ness of his voice, as l recollect it to have
been some ten years ago when in the
zenith of his fame. He never was an or.
ator, but he was a pleasant speaker,
emitting sentences full of condensed vigor,
characteristic of all newspaper writer's.
Constant speaking has very much impaired
his voice, and 1t CRATES harshly upon the ear.
At the beginning the audience were un-
doubtedly disappointed, but they gradual
ly warmed up into sympathy with the
speaker, and listened with marked atten-
tion and unbounded interest.
1t is not my purpose to furnish even
synopsis of the lecture, for, as said before,
there was nothing new, but L wish to make
few comments upon some things said
touching the character of Abraham Lin
coin. In my opinion, the political history
of the United States does not furnish
another instance of a person so completely
over-estimated,s 80 beslimed with panegyric.
Abraham Lincoln, it is we'll known, was in
the first place selected as the standard
bearer of the Republican party because of
his very obscurity. He had some fame, it
is true, but it was almost purely local.
The leaders of that party well knew that
they did not dare select from their ranks
man with prominent political record,
with any possible hope Of his election,
Abraham Lincoln, until the time of his
nomination for the presidency was always
at his home in Springfield as merely a
third-rate lawyer. He was elected to the
presidency at period when the country
was electrified by startling events. He
was no leader, nor even counselor, but the
mere figure head of the nation during
momentOus times, and he was carried along
by the irresistible current of public opin-
ion. He became, inadvertently, the medium
through which the nation accomplished
some of the grandest results OF its history,
and in connection with these sublime
events his name will pass down to posteri,
ty. He done nothing but what any person
under similar circumstances would have
been compelled to do. He possessed
some sterling virtues for which he is
entitled to highest praise, but here the
thing ought to cease. Why 60 beyonc
the bounds of reason, common sense, Of
truth in ascribing to Abraham Lincoir
II. .ok he l11 n,
virtues of which he was VIGOROUSLY de6c
lent?
Now, am we'll aware of the penalty in
Cured for speaking disrespectfully of tn,
dead. 1t is not my intention to say any
thing derogatory to the character o
Abraham Lincoln, but rather to cnrrec
some false impressions forced upon thu
people in the exciting times of rebellion
and repeated now for political effect
Give to the martyr president" his dut
need of praise, but for the sake of truth,
for the sake of history, do not sicken pub
lie sentiment by foolish and fusome pane
gyric, to the disgustof common sense AM
comprehensive intelligence. A good por
tion of the lecture Of Mr.. Colfax was devot
ed to showing Abraham Lincoln as a ma
of such tender senSibilities as to be unabl
to listen to the cry Of distress without al
fording relief, and illustrated by severa
anecdotes wherein he had pardoned an
saved from death few soldiers sentence,
to execution. At the same time he inter
posed the hand of mercy in behalf of thes
soldiers, can not forget that there wa
confined in solitary dungeons at the II
stance Of his authority, over four thousan
men-some of the best and ablest 10 tn
land-whose only offense was that of beln
Democrats. l can not forget that some G
my neighbors were dragged merciessl
from their homes torn from their families
aud confined in prisons for daring to eS
press political convictions not in consC
nance with the administration, and man
of these men were murdered by starvation
cannot forget that Abraham Lincoln keE
in his cabinet as his chief war officer,
mau whose soul was so blackned by heart
less cruclties to his victims, under the fin
sy guise of patriotism, that his conscienC
rose up in rebellion against his inhumanity
and caused him to take his own life. Is
necessary for me to recount the thousand
of cases, where the blood of innocent vic
tins rises up from the grave in loud an
emphatic condemnation of an administr;
ton characterized by relentless cruelty, an
where the divine attribute of mercy scarce
ly ever made its appearance. In sue
sensational literature as is found in ''Claud
Duvap and Sixteen Slug Jack, we ar
called upon to worship the hero, becaus
occasionally the spirit of gallantry cause
him to return the lawless booty, wher
taken from poor man. The chivalrou
spirit of mock gallantry is made to overrid
the fiendish one Of robbery and murder
and so it has been with the administratio
OF Abraham Lincoln. A few isolated il
STAGES Of the exercise of leniency are pr,
sented in glowing colors, with the view {
covering up the g!aring enormities of hui
dreds Of instances of barbarous cruelty.
In his lecture, Mr.. Colfax also tries
show that Abraham Lincoln was q man {
deep religious feeling, by giving a fe
instances wherein, when in fits Of despor
dency, or depressed with responsibilitie
he used the name of God in the sense of
christian man placing his reliance on b
maker. These expressions were the mel
outbursts ofimpatience, the force of habi
the result of surroundings, and used on
IN the same sense person unconscious
gives way to profanity. The very ia,
that q volume of four hundred pace
could beswritten by an intimate frien,
showing that he utterly discarded all re-
gious views as accepted and establish |
our churches, should forever settle th
matter. But if anything further wei
needed to establish his disbelief in religion
the social life of Abraham Lincoln Whe
in Washington would be proof sufficien
This disbelief was common talk in the g
cial circle OF which he was the centre.
majority of the anecdotes and stories whic
ha On lnva1 m foil ON oil oooos;on, x,I.:-