The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-07
Lincoln and Mckinley at Galesburg.

President MCKINLEY and the members OF
his Cabinet will reach Galcsburg to-day,
and there take part In the celebration Of
the anniversary OF one of ABRAHAM LIN
coins debates with STEPHEN A. DOUGLAS
In tho course Of the great Senatorial can
vass Of 1858 in Illinois.
II was at Guesburg on October = forty
one years ago, that LINCOLN delivered the
sixth OF his seven speeches in debate with
DOUGLAS concerning the eternal principles
OF human liberty, Although this memoir
able discussion was followed by the election
OF DOUGLAS to the United States Senate, it
gave LINCOLN the national reputation which
made him later the candidate OF the Repub-
lcan party, the war President, the enamel
pator of the slaves aud the preserver Of
the Union.
In his GaIrsburg speech Mr.. LINCOLN ac-
cused DOUGLAS and his party Of being the
first Americans to maintain that when tho
Declaration Of Independence held it as II
self-evident truth that all men are created
equal, with inalienable rights to life, liberty
aud the pursuit OF happiness, it did not in
clude negroes in the term call men" This
was the burden Of LINCoLNs exalted philos-
ophy throughout the whole series OF the
meetings with DOUGLAS in joint debate:
"Thc right to life, liberty and the pursuit
OF happiness the negro is as much entitled
to these as the white man.
At Ottawa, for example, he said:
1T is the eternal struggle between those prin.
ciples-rizht aud wronr-throughout the world.
They are the two principles that have stood face to
face from the beginning of time, and will ever con
tinue to struggle. The one is the common right OF
humanity. and the other the divine right OF kings.
1t is the prime pie in whatever shape It devel
ops itself 1t is tho same spirit that says You work
and toll and earn bread. and III eat it, No matter
in what shape it comes. whether from the mouth Of
. king who seeks to bestride the people OF his own
nation and live by the fruit of their labor. from
OF men as an apology for enslavIpg another
race, it is the same tyranncal principle.
We quote this particular passage because
it seems at first sight most likely to serve
the purposes of the xpansionist
orators, BRYAN among them, who are per-
verting the utterances Of LINCOLN on the
subject Of human liberty and exhibiting
them as il they constituted rebuke to
WILLIAM MCKINLEY and a warning against
American control Of the Philippines.
Especially by the mobile mouth OF BRYAN
il ABRAHAM LINCOLN cited as a witness
against the Administrations policy.
Now, all this misuse OF LINCoLNs name
and sentiments proceeds either from de-
liberate political dishonesty or from dense
stupidity OF the intellectuals.
ABRAHAM LINCOLN was contending for
the equal right OF the black man to life,
liberty and the pursuit Of happiness under
the American .hag How he would have
stood with regard to the question now
confronting hn Admin lot rati pp md hot
he would have done under conditions SINH
lar to those now existing may be inferred
from what he said and did when certain
white men asserted and for four years
fought valiantly to establish their theory OF
the right to liberty according to the Decla-
ration of Independence.
Suppose that after their personal emanci-
patton the four millions OF negroes whom
LINCOLN freed from the enslavement which
he held to be contrary to the principles
OF the Declaration OF Independence, had
attempted by force of arms to set up on
American territory government OF their
own. Suppose they had claimed the right
to liberty in that form and sense, as an
inalienable right proclaimed by the Decla-
ration OF Independence.
Does any one doubt how ABRAHAM
LINCOLN would have met that nterpreta-
ton of the doctrine OF the equal rights Of
all men?
II President MCKINLEY repeats to-day
at Galesburg his pledge that the Filipino
insurrection shall be suppressed at any
cost or any sacrifice, there will be no incon-
sistency between his attitude toward the
Declaration OF Independence and that Of
Mt hA nj
forty-one years ago.