Omaha daily bee., 1889-09-08
L,NCOLN'S RELIGION.
Two Remarkable Documents From
the Pen Of the Martyr President.

Two Remarkable Documents From
the Pen of the Martyr President.
The Century Life of Lincoln In
August says: 1--WE subjoin two papers
from the hama of the president, one Of
ticial and the other private, which
bear within themselves the imprint of
a sincere devotion and a steadfast reli-
ance upon the power and benignity OF
an overruling Providence. The first is
an order which he iss led on the 10th of
November, 1864, on the observance of
Sunday:
"The president, commander-in- chief of the
army and navy, desires and enioins the or
derly observance of the Sabbath by the Of
ficers and men in the military and naval SER
vice. The Importance for man and beast of
the prescribed weekly rest, the sacred rights
of christian soldiers and sailors, becoming
Difference to the best sentiment OF christian
people, and due regard for the divine will,
demand that Sunday labor in the army and
navy be reduced to the measure of strict ne
cesslty. The decipiline and character of the
national forces should not suffer, nor the
cause they defend be imperiled, by the pro-
fanation of the day or the name of the Most
High. AT this time of public distress adopt
ing the words of Washington IN l776) men
may find enough to do in the service of their
God and their country without abandoning
themselves to vice and immortality The
first general order is Issued by the father Of
his country after the declaration of indepen-
dence indicated the spirit in which our insti-
tuition were founded and should ever be de-
Tended. The general hopes and trusts that
ever officer and man Will endeavor TO live
and act as becomes christian soldier, de-
Tending the dearest rights and liberties OF
his country"
1.-The date OF this remarkable order
leaves no possibility for the iLsinuatiOn
that it sprung from political purpose or
intention. Mr.. Lincoln had just been
reelected bv an overwhelming major
ity; his party was everywhere trium-
phant; his own personal popularity was
unbounded; there was no temptation to
hypocrisy or deceit. There is no expla-
nation Of the order except that it was
the offspring of sincere conviction. But
If it may be said that this was, after all,
an eXoteric utterance, springlng from
those relations of religion and good
government which the wisest rulers
have always recognized in their inter-
course with the people, we will give one
other document, of which nothing OF
the sort can be said. 1t is paper which
Mr.. Lincoln wrote in September, 1862,
while his mind was burdened with the
weightiest question of his life, the
weightiest with which this century
has had TO grapple. Wearied
with all the considerations OF
law and OF expedlency with which he
had been struggling fortwo years, he
retired within himself and tried to
bring some order into his thoughts by
rising above the wrangling of men and
of parties, and pondering the relations
OF human government 10 The divine. In
this frame of mind, absolutely detached
from any earthly considerations, he
wrote this meditation. 1t has never
been published. 1t was not written TO
be seen OF men. II was penned in the
awful sincerity of perfectly honest soul
trying TO bring itself into closer COM
mupion with its Maker.
"The will of God prevails. In great con-
tests each party claims 10 act in accordancs
with the will OF God. Both may be and one
must be wrong. God cannot be for and
against the same thing at the same time. In
the present civil war IL is quite possible that
Gods purpose is something different from
the purpose of either party; and yet the hu-
man instrument taltles working Just as they
do, are OF the best adaptation TO effect his
purpose am almost ready TO say that this
Is probably true; that God wills this contest
aud wills that 1t shall not end yet. BY his
mere great power on tho minds OF the now
contestants he could have either saved or
destroyed the union without human con-
test Yet the contest began. And having
begun he could give final victory TO either
side any day. Yet the contest proceeds"