Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1898-02-10

President whose
birthday falls this
week seems not objectionable vio-
lence at this peculiar period of our his
tory.
England, at the time Wordsworth
wrote, century ago, was "a fen Of
stagnant waters;" the true English, lib
erty-loving spirit, which Milton a CEN
tury and half before had voiced at its
best, was paralyzed by commercialism;
the plain people were down, Toryism
was up.
The closing years of this present
century in American politics seem in
some respects not unlike that unhappy,
unillumined period in England.
Abraham Lincoln embodied the
growth of the people. The pictures OF
his early homes and haunts are vocal
with suggestion of whence his impulses
were drawn. He grew with the people
through the varied stages of their
growth, from the humblest poverty
known amid the poverty of the frontier
to mastery of the most bewildering
financial complications that have ever
confronted this nation.
But he was the man of the people 70
the end. He never lost the initial i'm
pulse. He never was uncertain how
the common man would regard meas
ure. The common man knew that his
opinion had weight with the homely
President.
Lincoln was no faster than the plain
people could follow.
Herein again he embodied their his
tory. lie and they seemed to develop
together. He held back till he felt
their impulse Enthusiastically pushing
him. Radical men complained at his
slowness. Wendell Phillips ragged at
him with frenzied abusiveness. But
Lincoln could not move until his peo-
pie were ready to move with him.
What profound leadership was in
this leaning back against the people!
For Lincoln was leading most when
he seemed to be moving forward least.
He hated slavery no less during his
senatorial fight with Douglas than
when he signed the Emancipation proc
lamation. But during those exciting
debates before the voters of Illinois he
only asserted the rudimentary
principle that house divided
against itself can not stand.
His position was regarded by
the abolitionists as pitifully made
quate. But it set the people to think
ing and reasoning, while the vehement
abolition leaders had been chiefly sue
cessful in arousing them to rancor.
When inaugurated as President,
amid the unutterable gloom and fear,
while state after state was passing it's
ordinance of secession, he seemed to
many as willing to sacrifice the main
idea which had lifted his party to
power if the South would consent to
return. Nothing so plaintive, yet so
manly, was before heard in speech
by the head of the nation. The North
sern radicals called it weakness, and
groaned for the stronger tones of Sc
ward
But it won the people.
1t broke:down party walls and almost
created unanimity. Republican and
Democrat as names were dropped for
a time and men called themselves only
divided that the Southern leaders CAL
culated upon it's inaction, Lincoln made
compact mass.
The success Of the war hung upon
this judicious leadership of the people.
Stewards high hand would have made
gulf where Llncoln's subtle sympa-
lhy made a nation of single heart.
His secret was that he loved the PEG.
ole from whom he sprung, and knew
Them so we'll that they stood before
1im, with all their variations, as one
Individual.
Because of this he led them from The
tart to the end, not once out-pacing
hem, not once losing patience, yet
steadily drawing them on while they
believed they were themselvs the lead
.rs and were pushing him. They trust
I'd him through the blind era because
hey saw that he was obeying them.
But this implied no deceit by him.
AS man in his solely individual rela-
ions he had decidedly individual con-
lotions. But as man who stood as
he representative Of the people he hal
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