Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1895-03-14

sent in response to this extraordin-
airy communication a memorable re-
ply, IN which he eaid he would outline
the policy of the administration, and
that he expected in carrying out
the policy to have the advice Of every
member of the cabinet. This settled
at once and forever the question OF
who was president,
II want to say just here few
words about Mr.. LinColn's relation to
the South and toward the people Of
the South.
He was himself a Southern man.
He and all his tribe were Southern
ers. Although he left Kentucky
when the merest chlld he was an old
child; he never was very young; he
grew to manhood in Il Kentucky col
ony, for what is Illinois but Ken
lucky colony, grown somewhat out of
proportions? He was in no sense
what we called poor white Awk-
ward, perhaps; ungainly, perhapsi
niggerless, certainly; but aspiring;
the spirit of hero beneath that rug
ged exterior; the imagination of po-
ct beneath those heavy brows; the
courage of lion beneath those pa
tient, kindly aspects; and long before
he was of legal age, a leader. His
first love was a Rutledge; his wife
was Todd.
Let the romantic tell the story Of
his romance | dare not. No sadder
idyl can be found III all the annals Of
the poor.
I'VE know that he was n poet; for
have we not that immortal prose po-
Elm reclted at Gettysburg2 We know
that he was statesman; for has not
time indicated his conclusions? But
the South does not know, except as
kind of heresy, that he was friend
the one friend who had the power and
the will to save it from itself. The
dlrest blow that could have been in
hicted upon the South was delivered
by the assassin's bullet that struck
him down.
KIND TO FRIEND AND FOE.
"But l digress. Throughout the
wild contention that preceded thu
war, amid the lurid flame that attend
ed the war itself, not one bitter o.
narrow word escaped the lips o
Abraham Lincoln, whilst there was
hardly day that he was not project
ing his big sturdy personality between
5 some Southern man or woman aDC
danger.
, after the formal interview at tina
, famous Hampton Roads conference
; when the confederate commissioners
Stephens, Campbell and Hunter, hac
traversed the field of discussion witt
Mr.. Lincoln, the President and Mr.
Seward, the Secretary of State, Mr.
Lincoln, the friend, still the old whif
colleague, thodgh one was now presl
dent of the United States and the
: other was vice president of the South
ern Coniederacy, took the slim, pale
faced, consumptlvs little man aside
and placing his arm over bis shoul
der pointed 10 a piece of paper he hel(
in his other hand, and said: 'Steph
ems, write Union at the top of tina
page, and you may write below i
, whatever else you please
Z I'm the preceding conversation
Mr. Lincoln had intlmated that pay
ment for the slaves was not outside
possible agreement for reunion anC
peace. He based that statement up
on a proposal he already had il
hand to appropriate $400000,00O tt
r this purpose. 1 am not gong to tel
any tales ont Of school. But when W,
are dead and gone, the private memo
rabila of those who knew what term
we're really offered the Confederacy-
within ninety days of it's total col
lapse-wilI show that 10 the lndvidu
al judgment of all Of them, the wis
, dom Of the situation said accept
"And why we're they not accepted
God again. 1t WAS the will of Goo
that there should be- rs Gods owl
prophet had promised, new birth o
freedom, and this could only b
reached by the complete oblltera
, ton and extinction OF the very idet
of slavery. God struck Lincoln dVwr
in the moment of his triumph to at.