St. Landry democrat., 1891-03-14
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETC H les
BY w. al. CLINE
AHHilIAM LINCOLN.

2
abin of one room with no furniture except
the rudest Ind. His mother died in
MS eayly boy hood and lis father married
.yaiu. His stepmo.her loved him, and
reated him as son and he fully recipro-
.ated her love- She used to remark that
sAbe is the best boy that ever lived.
When Abe was still Young his father
moved to Indiana, and young Lincoln
worked for awhile keeping ferry at SIX
/ dollars pe? month When he was young
man the family moved tc illinois and SET
lied on the Sangamon river. In opening
farm here, young Lincoln cut and split
5000 rails These rails We're proosoiy
i tn4arlv or quite all decayed before MI
Lincoln became candidate Tor FresGehC'
but Notwithstanding this, proDaoly ~
GOO or more rails, sad to nave peen llia"e
hy him were cut up snd distributed as
/ - incoln rails" in 1860. After working
nm the farm for awhile, young Lincoln IN
connection with one or two others, con
etrncteS loaded and navigaJed hat boat
tn New Orleans, Returning to Illinois he
angau-d for 8 time in the mercantile ouSl-
nass Notwithstanding he had never hao
R.nnre than nine months scEoei'ng IN his
life he read law at every opportunity; ana
when he finally gave up his store. ne was
admitted to practice at tue bar. lie soon
attracted attention as a lawyer, ana oe-
cama nonnIar, He was noted even IN early
life for his STORYTELLING. The writer OF
This sketch, we'll remembers whep
Lincoln used to practice law IN The
country where he was raised; ana no"
the farmers and others who were attendlng
court used to crowd to the tavern, as /.
was then called, where lincoln~Hput up
i'll order to hear his quaint stories Ioio III
the bar room" during the evenings
He was also noted as an athlete; ano
oluavs excalled in the rade sports which
R,-re practiced in that day, such as WresI-
Il i;np jumping, snd throwing maui
W6rn the Black-Hawk Indian war
broke ont in 1892, Lincoln raised COM
nanv. and was chosen captain. he served
in this capacity with creCit during Inc
wsr After the war he WAS elected 10 the
a Atate legislature and served several terms:
Ha was once defeated for the
1a1is1stnre by the famous back
woods methodist preacher, Peter Cart
wrioht In 1914 he was elected to congress
and served one term.
In 1858 Mr.. Lincoln was nominated by
tba Republicans of Illinois tor On'ted
states senator His competitor was
stephen A. Douglas, one Of the aoles1 men
Illinois had ever produced Lincoln Ghal-
h lenged D glas to public debate ana Ine
axrsnraments were made for the discus
ejnn The friends of Mr.. Douglas, who
did not know Mr. Lincoln, expected TO see
tbair champion demolish his opponent IN
a short time. Mr. Douglas himself knew
fiat he had foeman worthy OF his steel,
and so it proved.
The great debates, between Lincoln al u
Douglas were read by people all over tne
limited States. and Mr.. Lincoln became
known at once as a very able man. lie
ranutation he gained by these debates
+orether with the rivalries of the Other
asnirants, gave MIN the Republican nomi-
nation for the presidency in. 1860. be
cause of the split in the Democratic party
Mr. Lincoln was elected by majority O.
the electoral votes, but received minor
itv of the popular vote OF the people
His vote was almost wholly confined u
the Northern States, while brecklnrloee
Bell and Douglas, each received larg'
vote in the South. j,
As soon as the result OF th
election was KNOWN ~ s:.
.haoan in several States in the South to dis
ii
aracv in the South. The leaders OF tn
evtreme view in the South, and OF tn
radical part of the North, were both AYERS
to ANYTHING like compromise. Esch oe
+erm;ned to have all or none of the thing
they contended Tor.
In the South, Mr.. Lipcoin's character
ability and disposition, was very gfeatl
misunderstood at the outset oil the trouoleS
Rv }hany. he was thought to be an 1gne
rant .bloodthirsty tyrant, gloatlng ove
scenes of bloodshead and slaughter. In
rsvarse of this was true. He was able
though unpublished ; ard as KIND hearted
man as ever the sun shone upon: q,
AS Mr.. Lincoln was on his way 10 "asl
notion to take his seat as president ne re
ceiyed notice of a plot to assaslnale Ill
,efore he could reach that city. s..
His friends disguised him somewha
and changed the route and trains on "nlT
he entered the city so that If there real
aVisted any plot it was defeated and M
lincoln was inagurated president OF u
N United States, March 4, 1851.
In the meantime the Southern ConIes
eracv WAS formed, the forts and arsena
had been taken in many places, ana ARM
were forming; throughout the Soul
rrb4n followed the capture of Ft. Sumpte
the msrshalling of great armies, the cla
If arms the hundreds of battles, al
sieoes. the devastation and cruel sutferll
If the greatest war of modern time
throughout this war Mr.. Lincoln stood
the helm, and maj Tested greatne
that was felt and acknowledged eV
by those opposed to him.
Gen. Longstreet, the gallant Confe
crate general said, "The greatest man
war developed on either side was ABRAMS ao
.. Lincoln" He was Reelected IN 1904
commenced his second term when the "
was nearing it's close. He witnessed
oloeinp actions around Petersburg; a
Iyhan the armies OF Lee and Johnson ST
rendered feeling that the war was oV
his great heart began at once deVlsi
ways and means, by which ne could IN
the Impoverished people OF the South
soothe the wounds that had been ms
dnring the bloody struggle: But ne
not permitted to carry out his oenevol
designs. A fanatic on his own respon
bility under the mistaken idea that ne
serving the South, put bullet tnioo
y his brains, April Ia, 1866 Mr.. hinc
lived through the night, and died APrii
He was taken, o Springfield, Hlnois !
buried amid the tears and lamentati
of the people.
Mr.. Lincoln died at what seems to us
unfortunate period. His great genero
and kindness, together with MS love
his country, would have made him
hest friend the stricken South could b