Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1888-04-27
ARRAHAM LINcOLN ~ 1883.
A short Lesson in Current Politics fer
Young Voters.


From the New York Mail and Express April ill
Twenty three years ago tonight Abra-
ham Lincoln fell mortaly wounded bv the
hand of an assassin, and on the following
day his great and magnanmous spirit took
its flight, leaving a nation bowed in grief
Temporal MutdHiUr. a generation of
voters has arisen which knows not Lincoln
save by the traditions of venerated name
New issues have superseded the momentous
questions which tried the souls Of Lincoln
and his coadjutors New men have come for
ward or been pushed forward to iill the
places Of the patriotic men Of 1865, and the
political successor of James Buchanan oc-
cupes the executive chair
1t may be interesting and perhaps not
an entirely idle and protitless speculation,
10 ask what would he the position of Abra-
ham Lincoln among the statemcn and poll
ticians Of 10 day but for the murderous bul
let Would he be a Republican, a Demo
cart, or, as an irreverent country journal
has suggested, "A Mugwump Was he up
on the threshold of a still more brilliant
and useful career, or is it true that his
work was finished his usefulness ended
and that he died in the fullness Of his
fame =
1t requires no stretch of the immagina
I
living, active figures Of to-day. With his
iron frame and vigorous constitution, he
would in all human probability have sur
vived most Of his contemporaries Of equal
years. He would be but - years Of age
He was ten years younger than his secre-
tary of war, Simon Cameron niue years
younger than the historian Bancroft, two
wears Younger than John q. Whittier, and
one year younger than Jefferson Davis lie
was born in the same year with Gladstone,
Tennyson, DIR. Holmes, Hannibal Hamlin,
who was elected with him. and two Of our
own ex governors, Hamilton Fish and Lu-
cius Robinson. all Of whom survive in health
and vigor Sherman and Sheridan, who
with Grant upheld the hands of the presi-
dent through the long struggle, are with us
still
( In 1868, as in 1883, there sat in the sen
ate John Sherman and George +. Edmunds.
In the house sat the two Conklings, one now
battling with giants strength against the
grim destroyer, and the other daily visiting
his brothers bedside. There, too, were
Judge Kelley, Allison, Dawes Boutwell,,
Banks Rutherford b. Hayes and James c.
/ Blaine. All these are still living, all were
/ trusted supporters of Lincoln's admins
tration and Of the Republican party They
are Of that party still Would Lincoln be
with them were he alive TO day, or would
he be arrayed against the party he helped
create whose issues he formulated and
which he led to its first victory.
| We can imagine Lincoln successfully
completing, in 1869, the term for which he
had been elected, aud retiring to Spring
| field as Washington did to Mount Vernon
amid the acclaims of grateful and reunit-
ed people. He would have seen the Repub-
U 4 =.
policy toward the south carrying the coun-
try safely through the reconstruction peri
cd elevating and educating the race which
he had emancipated rehabilitating the ma
tional credit and placing it on a firm finan-
cal basis steadily reducing the national
debt upholding protection to American
industries providing for the disabled vet
Grams who had risked their lives for the
country they aided in saving reforming
the civil service, and legislating against
and restricting the two greatest remaining
evils. after slavery, which threaten our
civilization Mormonism and rum. He
would have seen his loyal supporters, Grant,
I Hayes, Garfield aud Arthur, successfully oc-
cupying the seat he had honored, and his
| first-born in the seat of stanton
/ On the other hand Lincoln would have
seen the Democracy, who in 1864 had sol
emnly declared the war failure, consist
| emily obstructing at every step the legis-
| laton necessary 20 secure the results of the
war, opposing the resumption of specie
/ payments and demanding the repeal of the
resumption act almost ON the eve of its
| successful execution He would have seen
/ that party sailing under false colOrs, and
/ and by an accident of ALTERATION restored
/ to the control of the government they had
/ betrayed twenty five years before. He
would have heard again the rebel yell in
| the halls of congress; he would have seen
/ rebel leaders or sympathizerS elevated to
| the cabinet and the bench. Under the new
/ Democratic administration he would have
seen the applications of crippled veterans
/ for relief thrust back with an insult in their
| faces the trophies which they had won ON
so many IA hard fought battlefield attempt
ed 10 be restored to their late enemies the
/ industries Of the nation imperlled by igno
rant and harmful attempts to amend the
tariff laws He would have seen that par
ty opposing all legislation looking To liquor
restriction and voting as "A unit to fortify
the rum power behind its intrenchments,
aud proving recreant TO all the pledges by
means of which it crept into power
Would Abraham Lincoln be to-day in
hearty accord with the aims and principles
of the Republican party, or would he be,
actively or tacitly, aiding his lifelong op-
ponents Would he have voted for Grant,
Hayes, Garfield and Blaine, or for Sey-
mour, Greeley, Tilden, Hancock and Cleve-
land
We think the question answers itself,
and the answer ought to strengthen and
inspire the Republican party for its ap-
! ,,..no chino yt,,,artrla