The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-02-13

ripate the slaves, Mr.. Lincoln said: Well,
that's queer. ] thought ] was running this
thing. If God has anything to say about it
lie would speak to me. would He not, in
stead of going off to that wicked city to talk
to sou chaps about it?'' This means that
he trusted his own judgment, followed his
own reason, stood on his own feet
The next element of his character was his
common sense, the most uncommon thing
to be found among men. His stories which
were many, were parallels and fables en-
bodying the deep philosophy OF common
the common people. Once Sumner, Ed
munds and q number of the great senators
waited upon Mr.. Lincoln TO induce him TO
make some radical Cabinet changes. MT
Lincoln routed their hopes by a hOmeiy
comparison. When they had retired sum-
ner was very indignant, but Edmunds said:
Possibly the comparison is not classical,
but there is a world of eommon sense IN II,
and that is what we most need just now
These three pointS-his moral sense, mis-
reason and his common sense-are three
fixed points through which the great circle
Of his majestic character was drawn. Had
he lacked either Of these we would have
been buried beneath the ruins of the Re-
public. Had he lacked the first he would
nave been Il villain. Had he lacked the sec
ond he would have been fool. Had he lack
ed the third he would have been dreamer.
Having them all he was Abraham Lincoln.
He was the Great Commoner. He loved
the common people and he had his great
triumph with the common people. When
he landed in Richmond after it's surrender
the officer in command ran down the gang
plank to clear place for the President.
Turning about he saw Mr. Lincoln standing
halfway down the gangplank. A big col
coins feet and his face turned up was
shouting at the top of his voice The Lord
bless Massa Lincoln" Mr.. Lincoln stood
with his hat off and his tears dropping
down into the upturned face of the old
bondman. He was happy that he could
bless these common people Educated in
the wilderness and the cabin, his calloused
hands never slipped from the poor man 8
hand. He was as acceptable in the White
House as he had been in the cabin.
Under the unmeaSured responsibilities
that pressed him every hour of his admins
tration he grew into a staIwart and majes-
tic Christian experience. He was a con-
slant and close student of the Bible quoted
it most frequently and plead it's promises
most persistently. He repeatedly said: Il
am driven to my knees, for / have nowhere
else TO 60" Mufdock, the actor and reader,
was a guest at the White House. He says
over his own name: .One night / was dis
turbed; could not sleep. L got out of my
bed; 1t was O'Clock. / went out into the
hall; heard a strange moaning; l went
Looking in / saw Mr.. Lincoln on his knees
on the floor. praying nightly to God for
help. | turned about and went away as
quietly as I could over the velvet carpet.
feeling every step l took that / was in the
presence of Almighty God, and never from
that night doubted which way the war
would terminate"
AS patriots we can afford to take courage
in every storm when God raises up such
men from among the common people for the
c. II. FOWLER (Bishop.)
Honest Old Abe; 4 Sketch of His Life.
Honest Old Abe was the title by which,
curing his early life, he was known among
his friends and neighbors in southern Illi-
nois, the word "old" being an expression
of homely endearment. He was born in
Kentucky in 1909 of a family of poor
Whites type we'll known in the slave
States, deteriorated by generations OF pow
erty, illiteracy and intemperance, yet not
without manly and kindly characteristics.
Fortunately, his father soon after his birth,
moved into the free States-first Indiana,
then Illinois. There the boN grew up in the
rough equality of the frontier, where all
feet social equality. Hardy uneouth and
illj1erate. he grew into manhood clearing
land, splitting rails. tending store, navigat-
ing fatboats and fighting Indians. A few
weeks early tuition had enabled him to
read and write, using a board for a slate.
lie read the Bible, Aesop's Fables. Robin
son Crusoe," the Arabian Nights Enter
tainments,' Pilgrims Progress" and
Weems's Life of Washington" Later he
got hold Of a history of the United States
the lives of Franklin and Clay, Shakespeare
and Burns. Better reading this tnan the
modern substitutes, the daily newspapers,
with their sensational details of folly and
crime.
Naturally with his sympathetic tempera-
ment, he was attracted to law and politics.
In 1884, at twenty-five years of age, he was
elected to the Legislature, and again in
1896 In the latter year candidates were
% upon n fRs f fSarty paPe ay
in the New Salem Journal, Lincoln re-
sponded: agreed. Here's mine. | go for
all sharing the privileges of the. government
who assist in bearing its burdens. Conse-
quently, j go for admitting all whites to
the right of suffrage who pay taxes or bear
arms by no means excluding females. If
elected. 1 shall consider the whole people
OF Sangamon my constituents, as we'll as
those that oppose as those that support
meN During this session, twenty-four
years before the civil war, in a community
profoundly pro-slavery, Abraham Lincoln,
with only one other member, introduced
strenuous protest against the passage OF
resolutions denouncing anti-slavery soci-
cites, asserting the right of property In
slaves, and opposing the abolition ion OF slav-
very outset Of his public career Lincoln an
nounced himself a woman SuffragfSt and
an enemy of slavery.
His private life was Singularly pure and
unblemished. Although careless and often
coarse in his talk among his rough COM
panions, he was noted for temperance and
respect for women. Naturally, he early fell
in love and was heartbroken by the death
of the girl he adored. 1t is doubtful wheth-
err he ever fully regained his cheerfulness
or formed an engroSSing attachment for
any other woman. From 1884, the year when
he met this loss he was subject TO fits, or
melancholy, and was wont to quote as his
favorite poem:
20 why should the spirit of mortal be
proud?
Like a swift-feeting meteor, a fast-fying
cloud,
A flash OF the lightning. a break of the
wave.
Man passes from life to his rest in the
grave
In 1916 Lincoln was elected to Congress as
Il Wing and served two years with some
distinction, opposing the Mexican war while
voting supplies to carry it on In 1856 the
Wing party went to pieces. With the re-
peal of the Missouri compromise the slav-
cry question became the pivot of American
politics. The anti-Nebraska convention
chose Lincoln presidential elector. A
series of debates with Stephen A. Douglas
made him national reputation. Defeated
by Douglas for senator, he bided his time
and i'm 1860 was elected President. During
the five crucial years that followed he rose
TO the emergency. Calm, reasonable, pa
tient and consderate. he developed moral
nature singularly lofty, a tenderness which
reflected the SORROWS of camps and hos
nitals and deSolated homes, a faith in Prov
idence inspiring and sublime He lived to
issue the proclamation of emancipation and
accomplish the restoration of the Union
followed after his death by the adoption of
the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth
amendments which defined the citizenship
of ''all persons born or naturalized in the
United States irrespective of race, color
or sex. He never was false to the dreams
of his youth. In that better future, when
these principles were fully accepted and ap-
piled. Abraham Lincoln will be remembered
as the prophet and martyr of the great
American Republic wherein and
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