The National tribune., 1892-02-25

Il
OF pure English, knowing nothing OF any other
language His sentences were composed largely
| OF mouOsyll8bles and always complete. In ar
gument il his premise was granted, the logic
OF his reasoning was unanswerabe. In clear
ness Of statement Of proposition he excelled,
| illustrating the fact by apt story or anecdote,
| which were "pathOs, wit, aud logic welded to-
gelher" lnimitable rs he was in story and
anecdote, he never used these weapons save 10
strengthen his own or weaken his opponent s
argument He did not shoot over nor under
the trieTs Of law or fact-always earnest, ire
sistiby carrying 10 the minds Of his auditors
4 that he believed every word he uttered. ms,
! in my judgment, is the highest evidence OF
! true 0rat0Ty. Mr.. Lincoln may not be ranked
with the great constitutional lawyers Of his
time, yet, taking him ali in al, he was the
/ model lawyer.
Mr. Lincoln did not give himself mp to the
work upon which his enduring fame rests
until 1858. The repeal Of the Missouri Com
/ promise four years previous had alarmed those
who believed the Territories should be dedi-
Gated 20 liberty. The repeal Of that compro-
mise measure precipil ed the fight TO the death
between slavery and freedom. This contest
was the AarOn's rod that swallowed all other
| political issues. The first great battle in the
conflict was fought on the prairies Of Illinois
IN the presence OF the Nation between the IN
] telleCtu8l giauts-Lnc0ln and Douglas. IL
was a battle royal. Other leaders OF national
reputation, both in the halls Of Congress and on
the stump. had denounced all efforts looking
10 the extension of slavery, but never had the
J moral sense OF the masses been so quckened as
! by the CioQueuce and logic Of Lincoln-reach-
! ing the brain and hearts Of the people. in the
/ long vista Of the years no uObler champion has
/ appeared IN llberty's cause. Possessing physl-
Cal and moral courage always true 10 " the
right as God gave him 10 see the right "-he
I Vr1C Ina i4r~rpoto 10 Of humanity Con-
sidcrate Of the opinions OF others, yet not a
/ time server, saying what he thought, but
never arrogant, believing that this Govern
ment could not endure permanently hall slave
and half free" he boldly proclaimed IT, That
"a house divided against itself cannot stand, "
4 he accepted rs a seif-eVidcnt truth. Believing
in the brotherhood Of man, be realized that
since the time the morning stars sang to-
gether" freedom and slavery had ever been
and ever would be iroc0ncilable antagonists.
Defeated OF election, yet he came out Of the
contest with Mr.. Douglas crowned with vic
tory. The name of Abe Lincoln, the Rail
Splitter" was upon every tongue. To-day,
whatever cline the suns bright circle warns,
there
T" His fame, like gold. the more it's tried
Tie more shall lis intrinsic worth proclaim"
Tie pages Of profane history will be searched
ia vain for a name around which clings more
Of true affection.
An initimable word painter has pictured an
orator as "one who loves the real, the simple,
/ the natural He places the thought above all.
! lie knows that the greatest ideas should be cN-
/ pressed 10 the shortest words-that the great
/ est statues need the least drapery. He ideaizes
! the real, trausfgures the common, makes even
! the inanmate throb and thrill, fills the gallery
Of the imagination with statues and pictures
/ perfect in form and color; brings to the light
fbp rgd I.ar9a1 l,vr rllaraprvr Fha cbatrg
the glitteriug coin 10 the spendthrift, hope /;
enriches the brain, enuOblcs the heart, and
4 quickens the conscience Between his lips
words bud and blossom" IL was Lincoln who
saw in the studio Of memory while the artist
painted this picture.
In 1860 Mr. Lincoln was nominated and
elected President amidst reioicngs Of the peo-
pie. They trusted him, while many party
leaders had misgiyings Of his being equal to
the mOmcnt0us questions that confronted him.
/ The battle had been fought and won on the
issue that neither Congress nor any Territorial
Legislature could legaiize slavery 10 any OF the
| Territories Of the United States. This issue
met the approval Of his reason and conscience
Believing that freedom was the inalienablc
right Of all, he louged TO see al men free. Yet
his reverence for the Constitution alienated
him from the extremists on the great moral
issue Of slavery in the States. lie would not
destroy the Union 10 either abolish or perpetu-
ate slavery. He beloved that if slavery was
restricted % the States IN which ID then ex-
listed, It's ultimate extinction was sure This
/ belief, although shared ia by the extremist
was too slow In It's operation OF extinction for
1 one set, and too certain OF accomplishment for
/ the other The election Of a man 10 the
/ Presidency holding these pronounced views,
shared IN by the majority Of the North, was
seized upon by the leaders in the South as a
/ Justification for secession. ia the agOniZing
days aBd sleepless nights that interviewed be-
/ tween bis election and inauguration, State after
State ratified ordinances Of secession; armed
/ resistance 10 the General Government was
boldly proclaimed in the halls Of Congress;
l imbeclity sat in the Executive chair sur
rounded by advisers in full sympathy with the
/ incipient rebellion; the National authority
was deAed; the bond Of Union between the
States was likened % a rope Of sand. That
! the authority of the President-elect might be
/ paralyzed when indicted into Office aud rebel
lion strengthened, the army was disbanded,
I the navy scattered, aTseuals plundered, forts
f. dismautled, and the Treasury bankruptcd
POrcntaus clouds we're IN the Southern sky.
/ The fate ot the Nation was in the balance.
! This condition confronted Mr. Lincoln when
he took the oath Of Office. Tie man who had
come up through the ranks OF the common
people from the log cabin 10 the White House
was equal 20 the emergency. His wisdom bis
f AbAA@kts Ah tAAIlDLlhilt hlb humanity, Stood
the crucial test His sublime faith in the
people combined with his confding trust ia
God, inspired him with an abiding faith in the
preservation Of the Union. From his youth
up he had been a disciple Of the new com.
mandment Of love; this ed him 10 the hone
that the cup Of war pressed 10 the Nations lin
would pass away.
no Rrander figure. since the day that ST
Paul stood In the midst Of Mars Hill, has ap
peared before the people than the immorta
Lincoln az be stood on tho cast front Of th,
Capitol pleading for the Union. There Will
uncovered head, like Saul Of old, head ant
shoulders above all the people," uninhucnoet
by passion or prejudice, he announced hi
determination under the Constitution 20 faith
fully execute the laws Of Congress Ina all tht
States; adding, " In doing this, there need b
no blood shed or violence, and there shall b.
none unless IL Is forced upon the National au
thority." Concluding, he said with wondrou
pathos, In your hands, my dissatisfied fellow
cOuEtrymen, aud not ia mine, 10 the mOmen
tous Issue OF civil war The Government viii
not assail yOu. You can have no conflict with
out being yourselves the aggress0rs. You hav
no oath registered In Heaven TO destroy tn
Government, while shall have the most sol
emn ono 10 preserve, protect and defend it.
dis pleading for peace and Union fell upoi
leaden cars. Prejudice, impelled by passion
ran riot, dethroning reason. precipitated civil
war, drenchIng our fair land in fralerna
blood.
IN that fercest Of conflicts Lincoln was Oh
central figure. lie lived 10 see the " Stars AM
Bars go down, aud the Stars and Stripes
ma anflt trbi ah b.oa r.,igfaraa An, H..