The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1899-04-04
In 1t the London Comic Paper. Which Had
President Throughout the War. Poet
icaIIy Recanied Its Heresy and Placed
Wreath on Lincoln's Bier-Hay ind
Nicolay Disclose Writer'S Identity.

English comic paper (which gave the
world ". s. Gilbert, author OF Pima.
fore" ard Du Maurier, author or TIL
by''D of the position of unfriendliness &c
the United States which it had consistent
IN maintained since the beginning OF the
war. The poem follows:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
F6ullv Assassinated April "a. 1865.
You lay q wreath on murdered Lincoln $ bier,
You who with hooking pencil wont to trace.
Broad for the self-complacent British sheer.
His length OF shambling limb his furrowed face
His gaunt, gnarled hands, his unkempt bristlirs
hair.
His garb uncouth. his bearing i'll at ease.
His lack Of all We prize as debonaiT,
OF power or will to shine OF art TO please.
You, whose smart pen backed up the pencils laugh
Judging each step. as though the road were plain
Reckless. it could point its paragraph,
OF chiefs perIlexity. or peoples pain.
Beside this corpse that bears for winding sheet
TIE Stars and stripes he lived to rear anew,
Between the mourners at his head and feet.
Say. scurrii-jester, is there room for you!
Yes, he had lived to shame me from my sneer.
To lame my pencil. and confute my pen
To make 5wn this hind of princes peer.
This rail-splitter true-born king OF men.
Ny shallow judgment | had learnt to rue.
Noting how to OCCASIONS height he rose;
How his quaint wi, made hOme-truth seem more true
How, iron-like. his temper grew by blows
How humble YET how hopeful he could be;
How in good fortune and in i'll the same:
Nor bitter in success, nor bOastful he
Thirsty for gold nor feyersh for fame.
He went about his work-such work as few
Ever had laid on head and heart and hand
As one who knows, where there's a task to do
Mans honest will must heavens good grace en-
mand.
Who trusts the strength will with the burden grow
That God makes instruments to work His will,
II but that will arrive to know.
Nor tamper with the weights of good and i'll.
So. he went forth to battle on the side
That he felt clear was libertys and rights
As in his peasant boyhood he had piled
His warfare with rude natures thwsrting nights
The uneeared Crest, the unbroken soil,
The iron bark, that turns the lumberers ak,
The rapid, that oerbears the boatman's toll
Tie prairie. hiding the mszed WANDERERS tracks
The ambushedFIndian and the prowling bear
Such we're the needs that helped his youth train
Rough cultUge-but such trees large fruit may bear
Ii but their stocks be of right girth and grain.
So he grew up destined work to do
And lived TO do it-four Iong-sunering years
Ill-fate, ill-feeling il-report, lived through
And then he heard the Kisses change to cheers,
The taunts TO tribute, the abuse to praise
And took both with the same unwavering mood:
Till, as he light. from dsrkling days.
And seemed ia tuuch the coal from WHARF he srood
felon hand. between the goal and him.
Reached from behind his back. trigger prest--
And those perFleXed and patient eyes were dim
Those gaun, long-labOring limbs laid TO rest
The words OF mercy upon his lips
Forgiveness in his heart and on his pen
When this vile murderer brought swift eclipse
To thoughts Of peace earth good will to men
The old world and the new. from sea to sea-
Utter one vOice'of sympathy and shame!
Sore heart so stopped when it at least beat high
Sad life, cut short Just its triumph came
A deed aceurst, Strokes have been struck before
By the assassins hand whereof men doubt
II more Of horror OF disgrace they bore;
But thy foul cri:pe, like Gains stands darkly out
Vile hand, that brsndest murder on strife.
Whste'er its grounds stOutly and nobly striven;
And with the martyrs crown erownest life
With much TO praise. little to be forgiven.
Author of the Poem.
The poem appeared anonymously in
Punch Of May 6. 1865. accompanying a
full-page wood engraving which repre-
sents Britannia mourning at the bier of
Lincoln and placing a wreath upon his
breast Columbia weeping at the head Of
the martyred President and a slave, with
riven shackies b. his side, covering on
the floor at the foot of the bier In an al.
titude of despair Under the 0ictu:e are
the words, Britannia Sympathiz4s with
Columbia -
The authorship of the poem has beel ct
tributed TO Mark Lemon, the dra matte
writer. and others, and has led ID cOnsid-
cradle controversy. In order TO settle the
dispute a representative OF The Post re-
Gently called at the State Department and
submitted il TO Secretary john Hay, 'he
joint author, with Hon. John @. Nicolay.
of the Life of Abraham Lincoln"
Mr.. Hay remembered the poem after
casting enc glance at the heading.
ut was written by Tom Taylor, The
dramatist," he said.
The Post representative then called al
the residence OF Mr.. NieOlay, who con-
firmed Mr.. Hays statement.
Il remember il very we'll" sal1 Mr..
Nicolay. ''and the author Of the poem is
Tom Taylor. The aristocratic classes Of
England were intensely bitter against the
Union during the war. and Punch faith
fully reflected their sentiments, which
makes il very remarkable that the paper
should ne admitted these staazds."
Som Of the bitterness Of English
sentiIn sLich found vent in the col
unns - rIud,l may be gathered fr5m The
followlas ex!rset appearing in that Dub
LEGATION Janusry q, 1865: