The daily morning journal and courier., 1900-02-12
JEFFERSON AND LINCOLN

ed his own successor to finish up the
 great work of his administration so aus
 piciously commenced.
 SLAVERY.
 Jefferson, though born in a slave state, surrounded by influence of the system, was opposed to the institution, and never bought or old a slave in the shambles of the market. In 1769 he in- troduced resolution into the legisla- ture of Virginia for the emancipation of slavery in the state; and later, as pres ident of the United States, called at tention of congress that the time had come to prohibit importation of slaves into the country.
 LINCOLN
 born in Slave state, was anti-slavery in his convictions, and fought against the institution with all the courage and vigor of his manhood, and finally al an opportune moment burst the letters of slavery and set a race free forever. The Emancipation proclamation by Lin- coin was equal in literary merit as courageous and patriotic in design, as meritorious in execution, as the Decla- ration of Independence in the days of the Revolution These two papers stand side by side as masterful aids in the cause of liberty and humanity throughout the world.
 LOUISIANA PURCHASE.
 One great act of Jefferson's adminis- tration was the Louisiana purchase from France, which covered an area of territory larger than the thirteen origi- nal states of the Union, at cost of less than two cents for each one hundred acres of land covered by the purchase. It gave us a solid country from the Att lantic . to the Pacific, from great fresh water lakes on the north to salt seas on the south, removing the anchorage of the French nation from our borders, giving us possession of all their lands and mineral deposits, control of the Mississippi river and it's tributaries, an unbroken coast line from the Gulf of St. Lawrence to the Gulf of Mexico; and strange as it may seem, Jefferson was denounced, vilified and burnt in effigy for squandering the nations money for wild desert lands, fit only for Indians and the roaming of wild beasts
 Out of this purchase we have already admitted thirteen states into the Union, each state representing many times in value the entire cost of the purchase.
 These states are powerful elements in the channels of our national life, effect Ing, if not shaping the destinies of the republic.
 They are germs of statehood civiiza- tion that struck deep root in American soil one hundred years ago, when Jeffer- son watered the plant and it's vigorous growth survives the life of his being.
 ALASKA.
 One great act of the Lincoln adminis- tration was the purchase of Alaska from Russia. This territory, according to governmental figures contain an area of sS0,107 square miles, equal to more than seventy states the size of Massachusetts. It was wise fore sight and lucky grasp of circumstances that secured to the United States this territory.
 If the purchase had been delayed | twenty years it is doubtful if one hun dred millions of dollars would have se- cured the transfer and if delayed thir- ty years no money consideration could | have been named for it's purchase. ' Just when CT how Russia acquired ju- over this territory am not advised, but presumable it was by dis covery. In 1728 Vitus Behring, a Rus sian navigator, crossed over the Beh ring sea into Alaskan waters, giving his own name to the sea and strait, which name they bear to-day. In 1741 he crossed it gain, but on his return.was on one of the outer Aleu- Eian Islands and died there in 1741 The Russian government followed up these incursions by leasing out to it's subjects rights to establish trading r pots and gather furs therein. At the time of It's transfer to the United States some forty of these trading posts had been established, shipping furs direct to Russia. Most of these leases expired by limitation with the year 1863, when he Lincoln adminitration commenced for the purchase of the ter 'itory.
 The original price agreed upon was ,even million dollars, but it was found hat there were some outstanding obli- cations to Russian subjects, and some ,laimed rights to Prince Edwards Is- and, which it was deemed best to can- el before the transfer, and two hun fred thousand dollars fas added for that 1uIPUoC. toOlAC ueioy Wdo cCCoSIOHCu hereby, but all outstanding claims be- ng secured, the sale was perfected at , 7,20G, ,000 <, This great territory with all it's wealth f gold and silver, it's coal, iron, copper f nd other mineral deposits, it's fisheries, ts seals, its timber, were all turned yer to the United States at a cost, of {, ardly the fraction of cent for each ne hundred dollars represented by the 4 urchase.
 The peaceful abrogation and negotia ; lon of recognized rights of a foreign : ation from the continent, and the ab- z orption of those rights in friendly :, avs, was of more consequence to the . Irited States than many times the 7 loney value paid for the purchase.
 JEFFERSON. il At the close of his official duties as e resident he retired from political life S i, his Monticello home, where he enter ained in delightful manner all who c alled, without distinction of rank, de- D oting his leisure hours to correspond 1ce, to improved facilities of education q Virginia, and to the amelioration of W Iankind throughout the world, always b evoted to the paramount interests of st 1e nation under our system of govern II ent as superior to any other form of V l.. q yi