St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1895-03-06
A GREAT LECTURE
Was That Delivered BY Henry
Watterson Last
Night
AT THE PEOPLES CHURCH.
A Large Audience Greets the
Honored Kentucky
Journalist.
OUTLINE OF HIS SPEECH.
In His Simple Style He Talks
Of the immortal
"Abe."
AT THE PEOPLES CHURCH.
OUTLINE OF HIS SPEECH

A very large audience listened last
evening, in the Peoples church, to
Henry Watterson's lecture upon
Abraham Lincoln" The famous
Kentuckian was happily introduced
by Judge Flandrau as one who was
not exactly, as stated in the Dispatch,
a friend and confidential adviser of
Lincoln, but who, nevertheless,
though on the other side, never ceased
to be an American citizen
Mr.. Watterson INDUCED in but few
gestures, simple and graceful. His
voice is full, sympathetic and pene-
trating, not always musical nor clear.
His delivery is earnest, measured, i'm
presSiVe, with at times too little ami
nation, and an occasional excess of
pulpit infection. The lecture itself
was a true grafton. 1t was careful in
thought, elegant in diction, and eff
fective in climax. 1t was a sincere,
powerful address, equally free from
effusiveness or badness, from gross
ness or affectation. Some who might
have anticipated the swagger and
rhetoric of the "swashbuckler" were
not prepared for the quiet elegance
of the man and his words. Always
solemn, often pathetic, as becomes its
really somber subject, the lecture did
not excite the tumultuous applause of
a lighter effort, but, a truer test of
merit, it was heard for two full hours
with undiminished interest and atten-
ton.
"Phe ruff1ed shirt and the shoe
buckle" began the great editor, car
ried with it singular air of refine
is
about those days that is uncouth, moth
ing that is grotesque. Only after slav-
cry became a national question did
statesmen lay aside their manners
with their short clothes. Then came a
rough, rugged, turbulent set of men
great human boulders. Of Sumner,
Chase, Toombs, Stevens, Davis, it
could be said that soft words butter
no parsnipS. Then the simple, direct
battle became slavery against freedom.
The struggle became more intense, the
cry for abolition rose in volume. The
senate had it's Gettysburgs, and many
a Shiloh was fought on the floor of the
house. AT last there came into the
camp of the North a simple, inoffen-
sive man, not formed upon Hogarths
lines of beauty, yet doubly impressive
divine inspiration, which he announced
in these words: "A house divided
against itself cannot stand Half free
and half enslaved this country cannot
last This was Abraham Lincoln
A description followed regaling
| Lincoln's obscure origin, of his awk-
ward ways and his unbecoming garb
Always however, was the more in
telligent observer impressed by the
innate power and greatness of his
personality. The speaker made no
attempt to fill out complete biograph-
zeal sketch, but next devoted his at
tention to the mighty epochs of his
subjects life. Some time was given
to refuting the popular idea that Linz
coin sometimes allowed himself to be
dictated to by Seward, Stanton, or
others of his cabinet, and striking
! documents were read in proof of the
war presidents constant and abSo-
lutte independence of action. Lincoln
was declared IAN old line Wing of the
school of Henry Clay with enamel
patton tendencies, but never an abo-
litionist.''
Though deploring slavery, he was
true to his oath to the constitution
that recognized slaves as property,
and, after much hesitation, he at last
issued the emancipation proclamation
as military necessity. Indeed, 1t
was one time his intention to offer
payment for all the freed slaves. He
was himself Southerner, but by nc
means what was called "a poor
white He was ever the friend OF
the South, and the only friend who
dared to save the Southerners from
themselves. Many illustrations were
given of the lofty generosity and
kindness Of Lincoln, and especial
emphasis was put upon his mission
as lone sent by Cod
Soft Hats for hard heads; stiff
Hats, too, If you like-the Gordon
| co 6n Hot