The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1902-12-12
Prot. Sparks, OF Chicago
University, Tells His
tory Of His Life.
Last Lecture Of Univer.
sity Extension Course
at the Y. M. C. A.
men Who made THE nation

The last lecture in university extern
sion course was given by Prof Edwin
+. Sparks, of the Chicago university,
in the Y. NJ G. A. auditorium We'd
nesday evening, his subject being
abraham Lincoln" The series was
made" up of lectures on THE Men
Who Made the Nation
The lecture of Prof. Sparks was not
recital of the deeds and accomplish
ments of Lincoln, nor eulogy on
the life of the great statesman, but
rather an explanation of the speakers
view as to the causes which combined
to bring Lincoln in a position to be
1.-The Great American"
The fact that Lincoln was born ard
reared in the west, made him like the
other pioneers who lived west of the
Alleghenies, self-reliant and cautious
and these traits stood him in good
problems of secession as ruler of the
nation.
Stephen A. Douglas was in fair way
to become the leader of the Demo-
crat party in the west He attempted
to make certain his position by intro.
ducing and having passed the Kansas
Nebraska bill, embodying the doctrine
of "squatter sovereignty" giviug 10
the new states of Kansas and Nebras-
ka the privilege of deciding for them
selves whether or not slavery should
be allowed within their borders. This
idea, however, did not prove accept
able to the people of either the north
or the south, but served to bring out
Il the man who was to be the leader OF
his party, Abraham Lincoln.
.o For the Republican nomination in
1859 William II. Seward OF New York
seemed to be the favored candidate.
The convention was held in Chicago
The candidate of Illinois, Abraham
Lincoln, was nominated to the sur.
prise of almost The entire east His
election was brought about only by
the SPLIT in the ranks OF the opposi-
tion party, both northern and south.
ern candidate being in the field. Wher
goinr east after his election, he was
received even by the Republicans in
a rather half-hearted manner, as even
then many seemed to doubt the ability
of their new ruler.
The few mistakes made by Lincoln.
said Frof. Sparks. were made only
when the president followed the direc-
tions of the party leaders, rather than
his own convictions. He was ridiculed
because of his coming to Washington
in disguise, doing so by the advice of
the party leaders and against his own
preference. In the great questions,
however, he took his own counsel. He
did not acknow ledge the southern cor.
federacy as nation, and did not treat
with the seeding states as such He
male no attack on slavery at the be-
ginning of his administration, and did
not otherwise nse war powers without
having first exhausted all peace power.
In the opinion of the lecturer, the diff
ficulties of reconstruction would have
been largely avoided, had it not beer
for the unfortunate assassination Of
Lincoln.
The speaker quoted Walt Whitman,
who said that there were three time,
In his life when he thought the world
WAC coming IN an end when Fort
Sumter was fred on, when the union
soldiers met defeat at Bull Run and
when he heard Of the assassination OF
Lincoln.