The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1890-02-24


LIxCOLx.s FAME
A Els@sent 1Ssbsts - His Great HEART
The following are the closing words Of
The . Life Of Lincoln. = the final INSTALL
ment Of which appears in the February
CkafxSy.
"GeneraI w. 7. Sherman hiss repeatedly
expressed The admiration and surprise
with which he has read Mr.. Linccln's cor
respondence with his generals, and his
opinion Of The remarkable correctness OF
his military views. General v. :. Smith
says:
q i have long held 10 the opinion that ut
the close of the wsr Mr.. Lincoln was the
superior Of his generals in his compre-
hension Of the effect of strategic move
ments and the proper method of following
up victories to their legitimate conclusion.
General ]. II. Wilson holds the same
opinion, and Colonel Robert n. Scott, IN
who's. death the army lost one OF its most
vigorous and best trained inteliects. fire.
quentIy called Mr.. Lincoln the ablest
strategist of the war
ITO these qualifications OF high literary
excellence, and easy practical mastery OF
affairs Of transcsndent Importance. we
must add. ~ an explanation of his i'm
mediate and Worldwide fame, his posses
sion Of certain moral qualities rarely COM
bined in such high degl ee in one individual.
His heart was so tender that he would dis
mount from his horse in forest to replace
in their nest young birds which had fallen
by the roadside: he could not sleep at night
if he knew that soldier-boy was under
sentence of death; he could not even at the
BIDDING of duty or policy. refuse the prayer
Of age or heiplessness in distress. Children
instinctively loved him: they never found
his rugged features ugly: his sympathies
were quick and seemingly unlimited.
He was absolutely without prejudice
of class or condition. Frederick
Douglas says he was the only
man Of distinction be ever met who never
reminded him by word or manner of his
color; he was as just and generous to the
rich and well born as TO the poor and hum
ble-a thing rare among politicians. He
Was tolerant even Of evil; though no man
can ever havenlived with loftier scorn of
their existence and counted with them.
He said one day. with fash OF cynical
wisdom worthy Of La Rochefocauld. that
honest statesnianship was the employment
OF individual meanness for the public
good. He never asked perfection Of any
one; he did not even insist for others
upon the high standards he set up for
himself. At . time before the word
was invented he was the first OF the
opportunists. With the fire of
reformer and . martyr in his heart he yet
proceeded by the ways Of cautious and
practical statecraft He always worked
with things as they were. While he never
rclinquished the desire and effort to make
them better. To hope which saw the de-
lectable mountains Of absolute justice and
peace tn the future, to faith that God in
His own time would give to all men the
things convenient 70 them. he added a
charity which embraced In its deep bosom
ill the good and the bad, eli the virtues
and the infirmities Of men, and . patience
like that OF nature, which in its vast and
fruitful activity knows neither haste nor
rest.
"A character like this among the pre-
cious heirlooms Of the republic; and by .
special good fortune every part of the
country has an equal claim and pride In Il.
Lincoln's blood came from the veins OF
New England emigrants, OF middle state
Quakers, OF Virginia planters. Of Kentucky
pioneers; he himself was one Of the men
who grew up with the earliest growth
of the great West. Every jewel OF his
mind or his conduct sheds radiance on
each portion of the nation. The marvel
Gus symmetry and balance OF his intellect
and character may have owed something
TO this varied environment OF his race. and
they may fifty tvpify the variety and solid
ity Of the republic. II may not be un-
reasonable to hope that his name and his
renown may be forever bond of union to
the country which he loved with an alice
ton so impartial and served in lie and
death with such entire satisfaction.
BARON sTOfFEL INTERVIEWED.
The Famous French Omcer Reiteratce
His Strange Views.
Cable Dispatch 10 the wsrld
Baron StoiIel. whose recent article adyo.
eating an alliance between France and Ger.
many attracted universal attention in
Europe. was seen by q Work. representa-
tive. Baron Sioifel spoke freely and plainly
and reiterated with emphasis and elaborate
expression the views contained in the ar
ticle referred to- He said he could see m
approaching danger 10 the nations of
Europe, which Is fast growing in the East.
This danger. he said makes a Franco-t;er-
man alliance necessary for the preservation
OF the peace OF Enrore aud to check the
ambition Of the car of Russia
III this is not done" said Baron Stoffel.
Russia will one day seize the provinces OF
the Danube and Others. like Napoleon I.
had done in his time. and be all-trinmpha,,t
la the North of Europe. Franco-sser-
man alliance" be said. can only be
brought about nv patriotic. magnaniaious
aud sta,esuanlke policy of Cancellation on
the part OF Germany. which shall. include
the restoration 10 France of the provinces
OF Alsare and Lorraine. wresiea from her
in the inglorious conflict precipitased by
Napoleon III. twenty vears ago. This sac
rises on the rart Of Germany depends on
ore man which the next generation of
Germans may produce.
Hal .r.f