The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-08

tling for right and truth and he was
| Irresistible. He became logical. epi-
grammatic and eloquent. Convincing
as was his speech to those who listened,
1t 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 We're nurtured and taught
by precept and example in New Eng
land home-cherishing. church going
! and liberty-loving community. He
| moved West to teach school. acquire
his profession. and begin his career
with no other hardships than those
which are essential in America to train
and inure ambition for the success in
the battle of life. BY birth, associations
| and early influences he should have
| been opposed to slavery, but he became
! its most efficient defender ally and
friend. He lacked moral nature and
] perception.
BORN IN A SLAVE STATE.
| Lincoln was born in slave state. His
father. from repeated failures. had lost
courage and sunk into the condition of
the poor white in ante-bellum days.
He lived In log cabin with siHgle
room, and his companions We're the
| rough, coarse and ignorant children of
| the neighbOrhOOd. He grew to man.
hood wearing the skins of animals
for his garments, gigantic in stature,
| goOd-natured, storytelling, protecting
| the weak against the local bully, and
the pride of the settlement for his
strength, size. ready wit and uncouth
eloquence. The immoral, whiskey-
drinking and blusphemous associations
Of this formative period of his life
never tainted or tarnished his pure and
lofty soul. His life and experience seem
a startling refutatiOn Of the doctrine of
mans total depravity in a state of ma :
turc. With his early environment.
great gifts and talent for leadership,
he was the ideal type from which to Sc
lect supporter of slavery. But the
Puritan ancestry whose strength and
strain had been lost in the Kentucky
wilderness of slave-owners and the In
diana forest of slave-holding sympa-
thizers marvelOusly reproduced, in this
! homely descendant. the traits which
carried the Pilgrims from Scroby to
Holland and from Holland to Ply lymOuth
Rock to worship God according to the
dictates Of their own consciences on the
bleak shores of New England and found
a government Of just and equal laws.
Having sailed down the Mississippi
| as fiatboatman, to New Orleans, Lin
coin was attracted one day to sale in
the slave market. A young girl was put
up at auction, and after the usual ami
NAL 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 institution under which
such crimes against humanity Were
possible. He made little mark In the
legislature. but was gaining reputation
as q stump speaker. His service In
congress was distinguished by always
| voting for the Wilmot proviSO to pro-
hibit slavery In the territories acquired
from Mexico, opposing the Mexican
war; and introduced bill to abolish
! slavery in the District of Columbia. He
spoke in many states in the presidential
| canvases of 1874, 1S4S and 1852 for the
Wig party. but while his efforts were
popular, they were ordinary and pre-
functory. 1t required more than ques-
tions Of tariff. internal improvements
and, national banking to touch his big
heart and inspire his great mind tC
| supreme effort. He never was at his
best unless his sympathies were fully
| enlisted. This long training on the
platform had given him the technical
skill for wonderful work when once his
soul and intellect were harmoniously
aroused for Justice and liberty.
Immediately upon the repeal Of the
Missouri compromise In 1854, Lincoln
| who had retired from politics. re-enter-
l a ha a raY IN a no - N 10Th
slavery strictly within the lines of the
Constitution. He saw from the weak.
ness Of the Abolitionists that this was
the only successful way of curbing its
extension and ultimately extinguishine
| 1t. He was instrumental in calling a
state convention at Bloomington. May
90, 1856, of Free Soil Wings. Democrats
opposed to the repeal of the Missouri
compromise, and Abolitionists. Lin
coin was the leader Of the Free Soil
Wings, owen Lovejoy, of the Abolition
lists and Gen. John NJ. Palmer, of the
Free Soil Democrats. The speech which
thrilled and consolidated the conven.
tiOn was made by Lincoln. From II
sprang the Republican party of Hi.
! nois. This creative effort which was
burned in the mind and memory OF
every delegate, has long been known as
| Lincoln's lost speech, because it was
not reported. 1t has recently been re-
produced after having been buried fol
forty years in the notes of young
, lawyer who was present. 1t stirs the
blood now like bugle call for battle
I'VE have seen this day." he said, that
every shade of popular opinion is rep
resented here. with freedom or rather
free soil as the basis. We came tC
I protest against great wrong, and to
take measures to make that wrong
right. and the plain way to do this is
to restore the Missouri compromise md
to demand and determine that Kansas
shall be free. Thomas Jefferson q
STAKEHOLDER, mindful of the moral ele-
ment in slavery, solemnly declared i
! tremble for my country when remem
ber that God is just while Judge
/ Douglas, with an insignificant move ol
his hand don't care whether slavery is
voted w or down. The battle of free
! dom is to be fought out on principle
! Slavery Is a violation of eternal right
! We have temcOrized with ii from the
necessities of our condition. but as sure
| as God reigns and school children read
! that black. foul lie can never be conse-
Grated in Gods hallowed truth. The
conclusion OF all this Is that we must
restore the Missouri compromise. We
J must reaffirm the Declaration of Inde-
pendence:we must make good in es-
{ sence as well as in form Madisons
| avowal that the word slave ought not
! to appear in the constitution. We must
make this land of liberty i'm fact as II
Is in name. But in seeking to attain
| these results--so indispensable-if the
| liberty which our pride and boast shall
endure. we will be loyal to the consti-
tuition and to the flag of the Union, and
no matter what our grievance and no
matter what theirs, we will say to the
southern disuniOnists. We will not go
out Of the Union and you shall not "
In the Fremont campaign Mr.. Lin
coin, at the head of the electoral ticket
In Illinois made a canvass so thorough
and brilliant as to establish his leader
ship of the Republican party in the
state, and Douglas making repeated
| visits home ard on each occasion de-
| livered a cha ra cf ferisfo Snaanh ,ulial