St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-02-12
LINCOLN'S BIRTHDAY.

Had it not been for the glaring luna
tic With pistol Oh that April day
twenty-siX years ago, ABRAHAM LIN
coin might be alive and celebrating
the completion of eighty-two years of
his life to-day. Unless the terrible ten
sion of the war period had weakened
his vital forces. he would have had
much more than an average chance to
live to advanced age. He had none of
the popular vices. Growing up hand in
hand with associates saturated with
frontier customs and ethics, it IS re-
markable fact that he did not adopt the
current practices. He did not use to-
bacco or whisky, Or swear, but had the
saving virtue in his surroundings, that
he was a firSt-clasS story-teller. He
VAS not under any churchly diScl-
plne. nor did he have any exotic fancies
in regard to the prevalent lndulgenceS.
He did not believe them desirable, and
the latent strength of character. so
wonderfully developed later, was Wig
orous enough to align his habits with
his theories. He would never have
filed lofty niche in nations history
and veneratiOn. had he not had the ma
terial in him. He had the esteem of all
about him, but it was as much of sur
prise to most of his community as it was
10 the nation when his great qualities
were so strikingly eXemplified. His dis
position to shrink from the focused
light of the popular eye and his reserve
in putting himself forward were
in contrast with most men who
aspired to popular leadership. He
was often undervalued while they
aided to magnify themselves. A nota-
bic contrast in his time was had with
STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS. In the great
canvass made in 1858 by these two gen.
tlemen, as the opposing nominees of
their parties for the senate, their differ
ent methods illustrate their respective
indiYldualitieS. One instance will i'll
dcate these. At a town not more than
forty miles from the home of LINCOLN,
and where he was personally very gen.
orally known, both had an appointment
for a speech. DOUGLAS had his day
first. He came with a large retinue,
with music, special train, and can
non on flat car fired to enthuSe the
country and bring out the people. He
was met by bands. banners, professions
and all the paraphernalia of a great pop
ular demonstration, with ten thousand
people phrensied in their exhibition of
personal devotion. The speech of the
Little Giant was aimed to fire the
popular heart, not to convince by logic
and fact. DOUGLAS was a master in
this art, great leader of the populace,
and withal a man of large brain and
broad craftsmanship, and a sincere
patriot. One morning. few days later,
Mr.. LINCOLN quietly dropped into the
same town, was possibly met at the sta
ton by brother attorney, and walked
Il half mile or so into town. In the after
noon two or three hundred men gath
cred under knot of trees, and listened
10 4 dlSpaSSionate, logical argument,
with no stories, appeals to prejudice or
attempts TO arouse passion Mr.. LIN
COLIN hardly made greater speech in
the campaign than this one to this small
gathering of men. There were no
shouts or applause, but the argument
was convincing.
LINCOLN had great qualities, but they
did not fire the unthinking populace,
and could only be brought into full eX-
ercise by great emergencies.
The work of his life was compressed
into half decade. All previous was
but the preparation. To the superficial
eye he was almost Indispensable to the
nation when he was sent away. His
peryading spirit might have spared the
country years of anger and turmoil,
but there is none so penetrative of tho
nnrcvealed as to be able to declare that
his work was not done, his human mis-
sion completed when he passed from
the earthly to the celestial theater.