The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1892-07-22
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A KENTUCKIAN's TRIBUTE.


At the meeting of the Bar of Washing
ton city & make arrangements for par
ticipating in the funeral of President
Lincoln, Joseph B. Stewart, esq.,, of
Kentucky, says:
ga good mans life has been destroyed
by bad one. The blow aimed by the
assq esin has struck tho heart of the
people; its death-shock is felt by all.
"From the aged sire to the infant fresh
from the hands of God, is the mantle of
sorrow spread like the dark shadow of
night over the weaping Nation. The
vaulted Heavens seem offended, and the
damned and blacklist hosts of hell stand
aghast at the foul deed. For this, a
Nation is made to mourn. We mourn
not alone for the wrong done to the
illus 'ious dead, enormous though it be.
We mourn his loss to mankind; for man
never sustained greater loss than the
life of one whose only aim was mans
greatest good; and such a man waS
Abraham Lincoln, the sixteenth Presi-
dent of the United States.
"The gall of malice had no place in
his nature; the scale of injustice had no
balance in his heart He was the friend
of the people; he was the friend of
popular government; he was the friend
of popular right; he was the friend of
freedom: he labored for the liberty of
mankind-unostentati in manner,
liberal in sentiment. jus; in judgment,
and humane in action, he was best
pleased when he had done the most
good. Justice he denied to none; right
he conceded to all; vengeance he
harbored for none. Even the offender
against the law of the land found SYM
pathy at his hands, while he wlo con-
tended for the right ever found him a
willing and able advocate. Then why
was he sla IN; nay, not or'y slain but
assassinated? Ele yated to the Presi-
dency by the voice of freemeu, he was
assa'led by the hand of treason. The
constitutional laws were trampled under
foot by those who plunged the country
into Rebellion-a Rebellion not prompted
by an oppressed people to secure free
dom, but 20 perpetuate Slavery. Yes,
Slavery? The alleged right CT Slavery; a
light, which, If righj is the mCGnsSt
right which ever found sanction; in the
most odious exercise of power oUer man
by man.
But even while he opposed treason, he
never forgot mercy, for mercy and kind
ness we're part of his nature. While he
battled. for our constitutional laws, he
never condescended to revenge-for re.
venge had no channel to his heart
Clemency beam3l from his face aud m
patty dwelt in bis bosom. Being above
all baseness, he trusted himself, and,
trusting hlms3'f, he could not but trust
his fe' ow-mau. Mean pg to harm no
one he feared no harm, but. in common
VITA TIE humbIest of bis hrmblest
fellow Gil zsrs, he felt that he had but
one grand object TO obt1iu-the GOOD Of
our beloved coun'ty.
But yet. oh, strange! oh, with shame
to MANKIND be it said! the hand of the
assassin awe ted him, not for wrong
riy,ed. but because he opposed
wong; rot for any injury THE lteued or
conceived toward the wretch who COM
passed and cUlsummated lis death was
he slain. in his head, wheIe wisdom's
counsel presided for the good of lis
krd, was lodged the facal ball of the
assassin; but that Llll rests not alone in
the head of Abraham Lincoln; its leade1
weight is felt in the hearts of millions of
people, and will there inner until gently
worn away by the wasting pillows of
time.
"But his death shall be our cfoss-the
Nations Cross! All, the peoples cross.
In the highways will we bear it; around
our fresiues viii we rear it! The noon
day sun shall a.,est its IL nth! In tfe
midnight hour shall we whisper its
sacred obligation! We will cherish II in
our memories! We VII Irvine it arouDd
our hea is! For lis cause we will battle!
In its name we willlive! For its triumph
we will die!
at shall be the morning star Of the
young, the evening star OF the old from
the aged sire to the infant! We will
form an eternal W each of heats al
hands, which shall circle tie last link of
postelity until we tW;ne it arodnd
Jehovah's throne in the final dissolution
of time.
"Ihis shat be our cross, and we pledge
ourselves before God TO bear, support,
and cherish it! Abraham Linco'n's
! body will pass fIom our sight, but lis
spirit WI dwell with us. The assassin
could destroy the one, but God viii pre-
serve us the other, od his name sha'l
form az additional diadem in the crown
of ,eedoms cause.
''For these reasons, l move the
adoption of the resolution, in orde- that
we may evince a corresponding ap,
probation of the great calamity which
bas befa'len the Nation, aud as just
tribute to the illusLcous dead. "-NetC
York Her0ld, April 20, 1865.
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