The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1890-04-23

The following are the closing words Of
fhe Life Of Lincoln" the tinal INSTALL
,oent of which appears IN the February
fosnrg General W. T saern'an has
....es,.dlv e>pressed the admiration and
surpr se with which he has read Mr.
1;ncoln's correspondents with his Cen
erals and. his opinion ofthe remarkHp'e
corn-4ne.s II his military views Gen
rr.l ". r. Smith says
Il have long held 60 the orinion thai
a., i,.. elosr - she war Mr. lincoin ~Ar
,.e su,.rior II his Gensruls IN his com
urebeusion Of the effsct Of strategic
movements and the proper method oi
following mp victories 10 their legitimate
CONCLUSION"
General J. II. Wilson holds the same
opiaion and Colonel Robert \. sc',t' IN
whose larented death the army lost one
,r i,s most vigorous and hest trained IN
,ellec,s. frequently called Mr. Lincoln
the ab.e4t s,rasexist Of the war.
To these qualifications Of high literary
excelleoca. aud easy practical mastery OF
aHairs Of transcendent importance, we
must add. as an explanation oihis imme-
diate end world wide fame, his posses
sion Of certain moral qualities rarely
combined in such high degree in one m
dlyidual. His heart Was 80 tender that
lac would dismonni from his horse IN
,on.si 10 replace in their nest young BIRDS
which had fallen by the road side ne
,oula not sleep at night ifhe knew that
s,lSier bov was under sentence ofdeaih
he could not. even at the bidding Of duty
ar policy refuse the prayer Of age or help
i.ssn,-ss in distress. Children instinct
lively loved him they never found his
,o,,ed features ugly his rympaihies
were quirk and seemingly unlimited
II. vas absolutely without prejudice oi
class or condition. Frederick Douglass
saws he WAS the only man Of distinction
l,e ever met who never reminded him
l.v worl or manner Of his color; he was
AS lust and generous to the rich and well
horn as 10 the poor and humbie-a thing
rare among politicians.
lie was tolerant even Of evil; though
no man can ever have lived with loftier
scorn Of meanness and seldshness. be- yet
recognized their existence and counted
with them. fie said one day, with
flash Of cynical wisdom worthy Of La
R,nchefoncauld. that honest statesman
shin was the employment Of individual
meannesss for The public good. He
never asked perfection Of any one he
lid not even insist for others upon the
high standards he set mp for himself. AT
a time before the word was invented he
was the first Of opportrnists. With the
fire Of a ref5Tner a martyr in his heart
De vet proceeded by the ways Of cautious
l,raaical siaiecrsn lie always worked
with things a. they we're, while never re-
linauishiug the desire and effort to make
them better To hope which saw the
Detachable Mountains Of absolute justice
and l,eace in the future, 20 faith that
God in bis own time would give 10 all
men the things convenient 10 them, be
added a charity which embraced in its
deep bosom all the good and the bad, all
he virtues and the infrmiiies Of men,
and patience like that Of nature, which
in lis vast and fruitful activity knows
neither hate nor rest.
A character like this Is among the pre-
cious heirlooms Of the Republic; and by
d special good fortune every part Of the
country has an equal claim and pride in
d.. Lincoln's blood came from the veins
If New England emigrants, of Middle
State Quakers, Of Virginia planters Of
Keniuoky pioneers he himself vas one
nfthe men who grew np with the earliest
growth of the Great West. livery jewel
Of ais mind or his conduct sheds radiance
on each portion ofihe nation. The mar
velous symmetry and balance Of his in
iellect and character may have owed
something to this varied environment
of his race, and they may ftly typiiy the
variety and solidiiy Of the Republic. 1t
may not be unreasonable 30 hope that his
name and his renown may be forever a
b nd Of union TO the country which he
lovel with m affection so impartial. aud
served in life and deaih-Niih such en-
fira .layofion