The record-union., 1896-10-11

skill and logical power that his friends
proudly named him the Little Giant
Lincoln had humor and pathos and
Douglas possessed neither. Lincoln's
faculty Of being at once at home with
his audience in the easy familiarity
which makes them both friendly and
receptive was the genius of popular
oratory. But with these elements he
had singularly lucid power of state
ment and was master of logic. I'm
| like Douglas, he was weak unless he
knew he was right. His whole nature
must be stirred with the justice of his
! cause for him to rise above the COM
monplace. But once convinced that he
was battling for right and truth and
he was irresistible. He became logical,
epigrammatic and eloquent. Convinc-
ing as was his speech to those who
listened, it was more powerful when
read in cold type.
Douglas was born in Vermont. He
had all the advantages of its splendid
school system, and improved them by
an academic education. His boyhood
and youth were nurtured and taught by
precept and example in a New England
home-cherishing, church-going and lid
erty-loving community. He moved
West to teach school, acquire his pro-
fesson, and begin his career with no
other hardships than those which are
essential in America to train and inure
ambition for success in the battle OF
life. By birth, associations and early
influences he should have been opposed
to slavery, but he became its most effl-
cient defender ally and friend He
lacked moral nature and perception
Lincoln was born in a slave State. His
fofH Hny. fa1 fai1
courage and sunk into the condition OF
the poor white in ante-bellum days. He
lived in log cabin with single room,
and his companions were the rough,
coarse and ignorant children of the
EeighbOrhood. He grew to manhood
wearing the skins of animals for his
garments, gigantic in stature, good
natured, story telling, protecting the
| weak against the local bully, and the
pride of the settlement for his strength,
size, ready wit and uncouth eloquence.
The immoral, whisky drinking and
blasphemOus associations of this forma-
tive period of his life never tainted or
tarnished his pure and lofty soul. His
life and experience seem a startling ref
utation of the doctrine of mans total
depravity in state of nature. With his
early environment great gifts and tall
ent for leadership he was the ideal type
from which to select a supporter for
slavery. But the Puritan ancestry,
whose strength and strain had been
lost in the Kentucky wilderness of slave
owners and the Indiana forest of slave
holding sympathizers, marvelously re-
produced in this homely descendant the
traits which carried the Pilgrims from
Scroby to Holland and from Holland to
| h =
ing to the dictates of their consciences
on the bleak shores of New England
and found a government of just and
equal laws.
Having sailed down the Mississippi as
a fiatboatman, to New Orleans, Lincoln
| was attracted one day to a slave mar
ket. Ayoung girl was put up at auction,
and after the usual animal examination
and inspection sold. He turned from the
| scene with horror and registered a
mighty oath that come what would he
| would do his best to destroy an insti-
tuition under which such crimes were
possible. He had made little mark in
the Legislature, but was gaining repu-
tation as stump speaker. His service
in Congress was distinguished by al
ways voting for the Wilmot proviso to
prohibit slavery in the Terrific
RES acquired from Mexico, opposing the
| Mexican war and introducing a bill to
abolish slavery in the District of Co
lumbia- He spoke in many States in the
Presidential canvasses of 1914, 1S4S and
loo2 for the Wing party, but while his
efforts were popular they were ordinary
ana perfunctory. 1T required more than
questions of tariff, internal improve
ments and national banking to touch
icrh ho1 1T~t "A
to supreme effort. He never was at his
best unless his sympathies were fully
enlisted. This long training on the plat
form had given him the technical skill
/, for wonderful work when once his soul
and intellect We're harmoniouslv
aroused for justice and liberty.
Immediately upon the repeal of the
missouri compromise in 1854 Lincoln
VINO mad retired from politics. re-en-
tered the arena to form party to fight
slavery strictly within the lines of he
CONSTITUTION. He saw from the weak
ness or the Abolitionists that this was
the only successful way of curbing its
extension and ultimately extinguishing
IT, he was instrumental in calling a
state convention at Bloomington Nav
20, 1896, OF Free Soil Wings, Demo-
Gratis opposed to the repeal of the Mis-
souri, compromise, and AbolitiOnists
Lincoln was the leader of the Free Soil
Wings, Owen Lovejoy of the Abolition
lists, and General John NJ Palmer of the
free SOIL Democrats. The speech which
thrilled and consolidated the conven-
ton was made by Lincoln. From it
sprang the Republican party of Illinois.
This creative effort which was burned
in the mind and memory of every dele
gate, has long been known as LincoIn's s
lost speech, because it was not reported
1T has recently been reproduced after
having been buried for forty years in,
the notes of young lawyer who was
present. 1t stirs the blood now like a
pugle call Tor battle I'VE have seen
this day." he said, that every shade
of popular opinion is represented here.
with freedom or rather free soil as the
basis We came to protest against a
great wrong, and to take measures to
make that wrong right, and the plain
way to do this is to restore the Missouri
compromise, and to demand and deter
mine that Kansas shall be free. Thom-
as Jefferson, Shareholder, mindful of
ly declared, I tremble for my country
when l remember that God is just:'
while Judge Douglas, with an insignifi-
cant move Of his hand, don't care
whether slavery is voted up or down.
The battle Of freedom is to be fought
out on principle. Slavery is a violation
| of eternal right We have temporized
with it from the necessities of orr con-