The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1878-06-26

negro with his shackles broken and ready
to rise in the dignity of free mana citi-
zen OF an ocean girt republic. This is very
pretty. 1t attracts attention. 1t does more;
it speaks and declares that Abraham Lin
coin emancipsted the slave to save the
union without any consideration whatever
for the welfare OF the slave. History tells
the story. Lincoln said to Horace Greedy:
III there be those who would not save the
union unless they could at some time sape
slavery, do not agree with them. If there
be those who would not save the union un-
less they could destroy slavery, I do not
agree with them. Ny paramount object in
this struggle is to save the union, and is not
either to save or destroy slavery. If could
save the union without freeing any slave
would do 1T; and if could save it by freeins
all the slaves would do it; and il 1 could
do 1t by freeing some and leaving Others
alone 1 would also do that. What do
about slavery and the colored race do
because believe it helps to save this union;
and what forbear, forbear because / do
not believe it would help to save the
union" Under such circumstances the
statue OF Lincoln in Lincoln park, Washing
ton City, does not symbolic the truth. 1t
does Lincoln injustice. 1t speaks a language
that IS not true. Lincoln, though snti-slav-
cry IN his views, did not emancipate the
southern slaves from any consideration of
hostility to slavery 1t was not a philan-
thropic idea. 1t was simply war measure:
stragetic movement, In which the slave
question was considered only so far as eman-
cipation might aid in bringing victory to the
union cause. This fact knocks the poetry
out of the bronze statue, and the broken
shackles and the kneeling slave at the feet
OF Lincoln are out Of place If the country
is TO be decorated with monu-
ments by public contributions, this
question as to the why's and
wherefore's is debatable If the marble
and granite shafts are to rise to commemor-
ate deeds that had significance above and
beyond personal ambitions then it occurs to
US that the monument business will expert
ence a depression which it will require
several decades of years to overcome. This
conclusion is strengthened by the fact that
the monument is still unfinished, though
hundred years have fed since the deeds that
it was designed to commemorate were per-
formed. II valor is to be honored with mon
uments then America furnishes enough in
stances to exhaust the quarries of her noun
tains. If heroism, in all of its higher
forms and ennobling attributes, is to be hon.
ored with monumental stones they will be
as numerous as fence poisson all of the high
ways of the land; and If every blatant dema-
gogue who, astride of popular wave. served
his party and himself st the same time, is to
have monument at the public expense,
then, indeed, will the stone cutting business
revive to the disgrace OF the American name.
1t is not necessary to attempt to forestall
public opinion by rearing monuments above
the dead. Years in their flight will sober
men, and thousands and tens of thou
sands who are regarded worthy of
monupents at the time they hand
ed in their checks will be forgotten by
mankind by the time the worms have ceased
banqueting upon their flesh. At any rate,
money to blild monuments the deeds the
polished shafts are designed to perpetuate
should be free from the sordldness OF self,
and rising above party or creed should evil
dence deer regard for the well being of
mankind. Such instances are rare, and
hence the clamor for monuments should be
rebuked.