The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-13
WATTERS0N on LINCOLN,
He Says lie Was tho Only Friend the South
Had in fime of Need.

CHICAGO. Feb. R.-The eighth celebra-
ton OF the birth of Abranam Lincoln
by the National Union took place this
evening at the Auditorium.
The celebration took the form of a con-
cert and addresses appropriate to the oc-
casiOn. At the conclusion Of the muslcal
entertainment, the speaker OF the even
ing. Colonel Henry WattcIson, was intro
duced. lie spoke ln part as follows:
Il want to say few words about Mr..
Lincoln's relations TO the South and
towards the people Of the South. He was
. himself a southern man. He and all his
tribe were southcrnors. Although he left
Kentucky when a mere child, he was an
old child. He VS. never very young. He
grow to manhood In a Kentucky colony,
|. for what is Chicago but q Kentucky col
ouy-groan somewhat out of proportion
"Throughout the wild discomfort that
preceded the war; amid the lurid pas
sions that attended the war itself, not
one bitter or narrow word escaped the
lips of Abraham Lincoln, while there was
hardly a day when he was not projecting
his big. sturdy personality between some
southern man or woman and danger
After the formal Interview at that
famous Hampton Roads conference, when
the Confederate Commissioners, Stephens,
Campbell and Hunser had traversed the
field Of discussion with Mr. Lincoln, the
President took the slim, pdle-faced, con-
sumptive-llke man aside and placing his
arm over his shoulder pointed 10 piece
of paper he held in his own hand, and
said: Stephens. write Union at the top
of that page. ana YOU may write below
whatever else you please.
"Iu the preccdius conversation Mr..
d 44.l. =.
the slaves was not outside Of possibility
ARRANGEMENT for reunion an1 peace. lie
based that statement upon a proposal ne
already had in hand TO appropriate four
hi ndred millions of dollars 10 this pur-
pose. / am not going to tell any tales
out Of school ! am not here for contrO-
yersy; but when we are dead and gone
the private memorabilia OF those VINO
really knew what terms were offered the
C0nfoderacy. when in ninety days of its
total collapse. will show that I'm the in
dividual judgment of all of them. the
wisdom Of the situation said accept, and
why were they not accepted? 1t was the
will or God that there should be. as God s
own Prophet had promised a new birth
Of freedom and this could only be reached
by the complete obliteratiOn and extern
sion of the very idea of slavery.
God struck Lincoln down on the mo-
mcut of his triumph 10 attain it: God
blghtcd the South 10 Gttain II. But he
did attain il, and here We are this night
10 attest 10. Gods will be done on earth
as 70 is I'm heaven. But let no southern
man point a finger at ME because 1 love
Abraham Lincoln, for he was the only
friend We had when friends were most
iu need. he was the man who wanted 10
preserve as intact and ave us from the
wolves OF bassion and plundcr that stood
az our doors. and so sure as that God OF
whom 10 has been said: Whom he lOVeth'
he chasteueth' meant tnat we had been
chastoned. Lincoln was put out OF the
way by the bullet Of an assassin having
neither lot nor parcel. neither south, but
q winged omissary of fate, come from the
shadows of the lick Of the mystic world,
which AcschylJs and Shakespeare con-
ccntrdted 90 tragedy
colonel Watterson paid n high compli-
mcnt 10 LincOlns powers i'm debate, his
wonderful acumen and his skill at com
position. and concluded with an eloquent
tribute to the dead hero's virtues. ac-
companied by AN Argument that he was
iuepired by Heaven TO his life work, end
ing with these words:
"Whcre did Shakespeare get his gen us?
Where did Mozart get his music? Whose
hand smote the Tyre Of the Scottish
plowman, and stayed the life of the Ger
man priest? God, God, and God a'oue'
and AS surely as these were raised up b.
God. inspired by God, was Abraham . n
coin. and a thousand years hence. no
story. no tragedy, no epic poem will be
0ued with greater wonder or be fol-
lowed by mankind with deeper feeling
than that which tells Of his life ant
10th