Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1902-02-14
LAFE YOUNG ON LINCOLN
ADDRESS DELIVERED BEFORE
MARQUETTE CLUB, CHICAGO.
On the Program at the Annual Ban
quet Of the Club on Lincoln's
Rirfhdav.


quet Of the Club on LincoIn's
Birthday.
Chicago, Feb. 13.--Following is the
response to the toast OF abraham Lin
coin" by Lafayette Young, Editor of
the Des Moines Capital, at the Mar.
quette cluo banquet, Chicago, illinois,
last night:
Mr.. POSTMASTER and gentlemen of the
, Marquette Club:
The life or Lincoln from 1909 to 1865
covered ths greatest events in the form
alive period Of the Republic
These years Witnessed the birth, tenn
porary existence and destruction Of
IDEAS, experiments and theories. In the
various states there were men Of great
ability contending for and against isms
and ideas that seemingly had to be fought
out before progress could begin.
Between the close of the Revolution
and the dedication Of the Bunker Hill
monument there may have been some
patriotic spirit. But between the years
1926 and 1860 scarcely q voice was raised
In behalf of patriotism that compre-
hended the entire country. The great
national idea had few advocates. The
people Of this then scattered settlement
were drifting. There were great men
but their energies We're required contend
ing for lesser purposes. The statesmen
idea what they were looking for and lit
tie knowledge of what to do with 1t
when they found 1t.
After the year 1925 the poison put into
the veins of American life began to show
itself. Agitators for liberty were active;
the pamphleteer was abroad: Uncle
Toms Cabin was written: the Mex
lean War was fought: the Missouri Com
promise was repealed; the bred Scott de-
cision was rendered.; John Brown made
his raid. The jamestown poison was at
tempting to break through the veins.
1t had INSTRUCTED the energies Of great
men; affected the sermons and prayers Of
. the church: made the great Calhoun a
sectionalist. Webster faltered. Few men
in public life were superior to popular
conditions. Great Intentions and aims
stood still Local and sectional differ
ences were growing, Now and then the
politician raised his voice in the inter-
est Of the freedom that was finally to
come. The majority were weak enough
to trim their sails. When slavery BE-
came endangered the Shareholder drew
his garments about him and put away
all other purposes except the deterni-
nation to maintain his cherished insti-
tuition. He read and re-read the Bib,e
which said, Servants be obedient to your
masters. He asserted that the Consti-
tuition was on his side. that savrey was
in existence when the embattled farmers
fired their shot. In the face Of the ag-
gressive slave power the Wing party fal-
tered and finally disappeared. Bot the
national idea did not progress and no
man Of the time had q glimpse of what
the future ought to bring. But out of
tho disagreements and dfscord events,
were maturing. The jamestown poison
could no longer be restrained: 1t must
work it's way out. If it were doing MOTH
ing more it was producing the unrest
Of guilty consciences.
P1lrnOSPa m1tured
at the election time III 1860. But the
people gathered in the spring of that
year in the wigwam In Chicago in an
effort to get together after nearly forty
years Of minor distractions. In that
great wigwam after full and fair de-
bate the comprises of men made the
platform and the Providence of God
made the nomination. The purposes of
the future were dimly seen in the ris-
ing sun of the new era.
"God bless Abraham Lincoln.
1t seems strange to new generation
that human slavery was ever tolerated
Stranger still that there could have been
vision of true nation Of stalwart men
possessing consciences and q belief in
God while the black man was held in
bondage. Strange also that even Web
ster could have had a vision of q gr, at
national life while the negro was eS
posed to the lash. 1t was a strange
Providence that called Jew to lead
in the overthrow of the religion of a
great people and that called a poor
American youth from the home of power
t- in a slave state to proclaim freedom
to the black man.
Forty years the country sought to ex-
list and maintain the Union by compro-
misses and concessions. by provisos and
court decisions But the hour of the
crisis was only being postponed and the
great sore that had been fostering al
most from the beginning was to break
or be lanced. The country was ripenin 9
for the final conflict. The storm cloud
looking for a leader. Freedom was
seeking champion. 1t knocked at the
door of the courtly Seward, of New
York; it greeted the dignified Bates of
Missouri: it considered the great Chase
Of Ohio; also the learned McLaln; but
finally turned awayfrom all these and
came to the home of the man Of the
century; one who was born in the dark
and bloody ground with the courage of
the land that gave him birth; with a
strength typified by the trees of Indiana
which his boyhood knew; and the
breadth Of manhood illustrated by
the breadth of the prairies Of Illinois
in whose sunshine his nature had drawn
it's strength for the duties and purposes
Of the coming years; the pioneer exper-
fenced in war, trained in legislation
thorough in the law; tried in pub
nc dH"iFs, ~ Holle III HeoaLe, tbe 'I1Iai-
nation Of eloquence, philosophy and COM
mon sense, the embodiment Of the spirit
Of the new world-Abraham Lincoln
craftsmanship is common Sc se applied
to politics; seneralship Is common sense
applied to war. The new leader was
both statesman and general.
Days Of 81 were glorious Yorktown
may have marked the Christmas Of The
Republic AppomatoX was its Easter
This nation is what it is becauseLin"o'n
and his hosts lived, commended and died.
The Civil War did more for America.
north and south, than all the years Of the
Republic had before done. IT. destroyed
the contention over trifes and conferred
che purposes Of the people on national life
1t was the beginning Of American great
ness. The world learned Of the courage
Of Americans north and south. Some one
has said of the Civil War: THAT 1t
crowded four centuries of progress into