The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1901-01-17
Continued from last week.

in line, and yet the end was not reached.
Mrs. Lincoln, in appropriate costume,
stood next to her husband, on his right.
Among the distinguished guests were Sen
ator and Mrs. Douglas. All the Cabinet
and their wives. except Mr.. Seward, were
present. Charles Sumner was there for
the first time in six years.
The gay Diplomatic Corps. the officers
of the Army and Navy, which always
help the makeup of a brilliant picture
the high lights, as it were, and beautiful
women in elegant costumeS-for there was
not State, fZom Maine to California,
that did not have its representatives of
wealthy AMI cultured circles-all were
represented.
THE CABINET.
To his Cabinet President Lincoln called
William II. Seward, of New York, as Sec
rotary of State; Salmon L. Chase, of
Ohio. to the Treasury; Simon Cameron.
of Pennsylvania, to the War Office, and
Edward Bates, of Missouri, he made At
torney-General. Gideon Wells was made
Secretary of the Navy.
The following January Edwin NJ. Stan
ton succeeded Simon Cameron as Secre
tary of War.
The man best known to the people in
The Cabinet was William III. Seward. For
81 years he had been in politics and be-
fore the public. He was a candidate for
the nomination, but lost it because it was
thought that his views were too radical.
He was not a trimmer in any sense of
the word, and scorned compromise. His
name will always be associated with that
of Abraham Lincoln.
Seward verify believed the conflict when
it came would be of short duration. It
was he who said: 'All troubles will be
over in 80 days" 1t was with this that
Henry Ward Beecher was confronted be-
Il in, I Hon,
when he was explaining to the English
people the exact condition over here.
Some one in the audience yelled out to
MIR. Beecher, why didn't you put down
the rebellion in 90 days, as you said you
WOuld?"
Mr.. Beecher looked at his Questioner for
n moment, and then said: Because we
found we had Americans to fight, not
Englishmenr'
Mr.. Salmon p. Chase represented the
more pronounced anti-slavery element.
II is not our purpose to go into any de-
tails of the civil war. History has COW
cred every page of that great shadow
upon this Nation.
LINCOLN AS MAN AND PRESIDENT.
Step by step Abraham Lincoln Wake
before the people, their true representa-
tive. If he was ever slow in movement
it was because the pulse of the people beat
slowly. He quickened his step to theirs.
If ever a man was tried by fire it was
resistance did their best, but all his life
n strange fortune attended him and led
him on.
Lord Bacon said manifest virtues pro-
cure reputation; occult ones. fortune
abraham Lincoln was carried on in the
whirlwind of war, and when he had taken
the helm of the old ship of state the pilot
l.. = ~. H.
During the four years of battle and
strife this endurance was unbounded his |
courage undaunted. Through his human |
ity and largeness of soul, through his |
benevOlence and justice, he meted out to |
Others as he would have them give to |
him
lie was the grand, heroic figure, the |
center Of all hope, and toward him were |
turned the eyes and hearts of all who |
loved their country.
His speeches and messages are flied |
with common sense and deep foresight |
They are humane in tone and lofty in ex-
precision. When he said, Every man has |
right TO be equal with every other man."
he translated the Declaration Of indie :
pendence anew,
His speech at Gettysburg has no peer !
in modern language, and. will go down |
through the ages as Il masterpiece of
thought
No statesman ever uttered words |
Stamped with the seal of so deep wis
dom and so true a simplicity as he in his !
1naugurals and Messages to Congress.
Sumter had been fired upon, and the
President used his war power and called
for 10000 troops. The news of the at
tack on Sumter swept over the country
like Il flame of fire. Expectation when
it became reality came with a great
shock
People in the cities fiocked into the
streets, and the people in the country
fioesed to the villages for news. Gray
haired men talked gravely of the uenfl
that was done, and all made prophecies.
After the secession of South Carolina
the other States, one by one, seeded, and
all the arsenals, docks, custom-houses, etc, |
IN the South had been seized. Officers in
the Army and Navy resigned; Virginia
rapidly filed with volunteers and troops
from the South, and the Capital itself
was threatened.
The 18th Of April the 9th Mass regi-
ment. when passing through Baltimore on
its way to the defense of Washington.
was fired upon by the citizens, and three
men killed. This was the first bloodshed
OF the war.
The Capital and the President were
safe, but the country, which had been
made free and united by Washington and
she brave men who had sacrificed their
lives for the love Of il in the Revolution
AIRY War, was torn asunder.
WASHINGTON IN 1862.
In 1862 Washington was a third-rate
city. The best homes gave no sign of the
march of improvements or conveniences,
while the larger number of the buildings
lining every street, even PENNSYLVANIA
Avenue, were small, low and shabby.
The north wing Of the Treasury was not
even begun. In its place was the old |
State Department, diminutive, dingy and |
dirty. The south wing was conspicuous
by its incompleteness. All these magnifi- |
cent conceptions lacked the crowning ex-
cellence of being finished.
What was seen of all the ripened fruit
age of the magnificent city in embryo |
looked destroyed by over-ripeness, and |
Space would have been welcome to such |
incumbrance. The clang of the street-car
bell had not been heard In the Capital |
The streets were unpaved. and through |
the sloughs of mud the lonely omnibus /
tarcencd and pitched with its burden OF |
congressman, being conveyed to their re-
spectivc homes.
Capitol Hill lowered in loneliness over |
the slush and mud of this vale of inhar- |
monies.
livery hilltop bristled with forts and |
EVERY gateway had its sentinel. Hospitals !
had sprung up in a night, in every sub |
urb. Churches, halls and private dwell |
ings were filled with the wounded and |
lying of the boys in blue.
The changing of artillery. the roll of the |
army wagon WAS ceaseless, through ave |