The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-12
LINCOLN THE PARTISAN.

Now that the anniversary OF the birthday
OF Abraham Lincoln is SO generally OBJ
served and his wonderful personality is the
theme of the best orators of the country, 1t
would be well if some one OF them would
set forth the history OF his political career.
The object of such a study should be %
show that Lincoln was {. partisan. lie al
ways belonged to a party. In his party ne
was always an active man--a partisan. He
attended the primaries. ne went to conven-
tions. He chose his party for himself when
he became voter. and from the time OF his
choice until the Wing party went TO pieces
on the slavery question he an ardent
Whig--first a county and later district
leader. but always in the thick OF the con-
f1ict, whether in the party convention or in
the campaign before the people. When new
party lines were formed on the issue of
slavery, Mr.. Lincoln was one of the first
to lift up the banner of the new party hos
tile to the extension of slavery. He became
a Republican. not nominally, but an out
and-out partisan. He left his law business
to work for the cause. to build UP the new
party. He became its recognized leader IN
Illinois because he was an intense as well
as an able party man. In these days, when
quite a number of excellent men are wont
to deprecate partisanship and patriotism, 1t
is well to keep i'm mind that Lincoln and
other great men of the country have been
active party men-in fact, partisans.
1t needs to be added that Abraham Lin
coin was a partisan because he held posi-
tive convictions upon current political ques-
lions. To incorporate those convictions
into policy and law was the inspiration OF
his partisanship. He was frequently a can
didate, but all his biographies which are
complete show that personal ambition was
secondary. That the party then forming
might have United States senator, he
united his sixty Wing supporters to the
dozen free soil Democrats and made Judge
Trumbull senator. In his contest for the
senatorship with Douglas he refused TO
modify his opinions on the issues to suit
trimmers. tie was a partisan for prin-
ciple
Abraham Lincoln was a partisan without
being a demagogue. He never appealed to
class or sectional prejudice. The policy
which conserved the interests OF one sec
ton or class must benefit the whole coun-
try and all its people. AS much, If not
more than any man of that period, he was
responsible for the war measures. As q
true partisan, he had the courage of his
convictions. When demagogues charged
that the draft laws were framed TO give
immunity to the rich at the expense Of the
poor, he merely replied that the draft laws
were necessary to fill the ranks OF the
Union armies; for the laws under which
bonds were sold and soldiers were paid,
which demagogues had assailed as favoring
the.rich at the expense of the poor all these
years, he was more responsible than any
other man, and assumed it as a courageous
partisan carrying out policy which his
opponents made partisan.
In short Abraham Lincoln was the ideal
party leader. His political acts were de-
voted to high purpose. He never conrpro-
missed an essential principle, but he timed
his action to circumstances