Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1894-02-08
LlNCOLNS PLACE IN HISTORY.

Thirty years ago Abraham Lincoln, the
greatest American since Washington. in
order to preserve the Union. struck the
shackles from four million people. BY
many this has seemed the geatest good
accomplished by the civil war. while &C.
cording to Mr.. Lincoln himself it was but
an incident. Replying to Horace Greeley
he said:
IF there be those who would not save
the Union unless they could at the same
time save slavery, l do not agree with
them. II there be those who would no.
save the Union unless they could at the
same time destroy slavery, l do not agree
with them. My paramount object in this
struggle is to save the Union, and is not
either to save or to destroy slavery. Ii
could save the Union without freeing any
slave would do 1t; and ii could save it
by freeing some and leaving others alone.
would also do that. What do about
slavery and the colored race do because
l believe it helps save the Union; and
what forbear forbear because I do not
believe it would help to save the Union"
This gives Abraham Lincoln's idea, in
his own language, what he thought was
the meaning of the great struggle then
going on.
John Coleman Adams, in the February
Century, undertakes to tell US what is
Lincoln's place in history, and places the
struggle Of the civil war as the last great
step in the evolution OF nations, in the
worlds advance from barbarism to polt-
ical order and from 4 state of perpetual
feuds to condition nearer to essential
peacefulness than the world had previ-
ously known. Mr.. Adams says: ut is
becoming an accepted thought among in
telligent students OF history . that
the development OF mankind has been
continual struggle after conditions Of
orderly and peaceful living. The aspira-
tons Of man has been from the earliest
times toward state in which he could
live in Quietness and safety, harmless
and unframed" Again: And by far
the most valuable lesson which this ma
ton has given to the world at large is in
demonstrating the possibility Of the vol
untary union OF small groups in great
political group" 1T has been we'll said
by an American writer" says Mr.. Adams,
"'the principle OF federalism con-
tains within itself the seeds OF permanent
peace between nations, and to this end
believe it will come in the iullness of
time
This. then, is the task to which Lin
coin applied himself. to preserve this prin.
ciple OF union and federalism which the
Revolution had brought into existence,
the consideration OF which by congress
had eliminated in that memorable burst
OF Webster's when he exclaimed in the
senate Liberty and Union, one and in.
seperable." With this one thing for his
sole guidance Mr. Lincoln turned deaf
ear to all entreaties which had not this
for its object. BY his unyielding adher.
ence to that object he carried the war to
successful termination for the preserya-
ton OF the Union.
Will the events Of the future justify this
position which history is beginning to &C.
cord to Mr.. Lincoln, or rather will the
events which are to follow be in the line
OF this evolution OF nations SO that this
position will be bu: a link in the great
chain? The tendency OF the last thirty
years has been toward the acceptance OF
this principle,-in that arbitration has
come to be the almost universally accept
ed method OF settling difficulties between
nations, the which tends toward that per.
feet relationship between the nations Of
the earth, which, when attained, will be
the last step toward that peaceful and
harmless living tina. mankind has been
striving after from the beginning.
The one thing above all others tina: has
enabled the states to maintain this union
has been the perfect freedom Of CONNER
cial relations existing between them, and
not until the same commercial relations
exist between the nations OF the earth
will there he that perfect political relation
for which We are striving. Who will be
the man 10 strike the shackles that bind
and letter sixty-tive million people in
their stuggle for commercial freedom, and
thus place the Union one step farther in
the progressive march. and himself the
next in history after Lincoln? Will i, be
Cleveland?