News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1903-03-11

When young man. on a ramble through the streets
OF New Orleans with several friends he caught his first
glimpse Of the horrors of slavery There he saw comey
mulatto girl being sold at public auction and as the
prospective buyers pnched her flesh and made her
up and down like horse the sight chilled his blood
Then and there in the hearing of his friends, he regis
tered that if he got chance he would hit
slavery hard and noby did he fulfill that pledge years
later IN the Emancipation Proclamation, which freed
four million slaves
How, too, the soldiers idolized him They knew
there was one in all the land who sympatized with
them more III their pr1Vat1OnS and SuerngS One the
great trials of his Office to allow the death penalty
to be admins to them for their Oenses How his
heart bed for them and their dear ones Friday, the
day when such sentences were executed, he always
called butcher day and there were any possible ex
cuse to let them off how gladly he would take advan
tage OF IT. re said it rested him after hard days work
ana ne could 60 to bed happy II he knew that the sign
ing OF his name would make poor fellow and his
parents happy. when die" he remarked to a
friend 81 want it said of me that ALWAYS plucked a
thistle and planted a flower where thought flower
would grow" Acting on this theory he pardoned the
young who had deserted to get married. payfullv
remarklng want TO punish the young man probably
IN less than year. he Will wish had withheld the par
don" PardOn1ng another soldier, he said, well, |
think the BOY can do us more good above ground than
beOw!"
One other feature of his claracternovy remains to be
mentioned tor gives to tits GROWING glory, and that
his deep religious While he did not accept some
OF the popular religious ideas OF his day, still he in
hearty sympathy with the of Christian
1ty. He did join church. for he felt that he could
not subscribe all othe articles eevangecacreed
He summed up his idea of religion love sod and love
to man. and better practiced what he preached
However may criticse the theology of his head
dreamed of cticisng the religion of his heart
AS he left his home III Springfield for the Capital bur
dened with his heavy responsibility his aStrequest
that they would pray for him. Often on the eve of
great BATTLE taknghis Bible he would gointo by
himself where he would wreste prayer that the victory
might be won on the morrow He declared more than
that he could have gone through the terrible
ordeal but for the strength that him from re
ance on God. Many times, " 'he said, 81 have been
driven to my knees by the overwhelming conviction that
| had where else to go. If it not for my firm
belief in an over-rulng Providence it would be difficult
for to keep reason III its seat amid such cOmpca-
tons have always taken counsel of Cod and have
never adopted course of proceeding without being
assured far | could be of his approval" Those
surely, the words of one who has walked humbly
With his God, and entered into the deepest religious
experiences. We may well rejoice that he was in the
best sense of the term noble Christian like Washing
ton before him.
What a grand work he did for the nation in it's
hour! How atas-ke he seemed to carry
the nations burden How herocly he bore the ma
TONS on bis heart He led his people through the
great and terrible wilderness and like the ancient law
gver he died within sight of the promised land which he
was never to enter Instead he was to wear the
martyrs crown, and to leave behind "a name the
world will not willingly let die name the world will
ever next its hearh" He did his work wisely and
WELL and out Of his sacrifice ard death issued the
TONS life As the years roll on, the name and fame of
Abraham Lincoln will shine with brighter lustre and
esta Like some lofty mountain his character needs
the majesty Of distance to reveal its proportions
and grandeur AS long the stars in the skies will
the name of this man, who was more precious than
gold" shine out beacon light in national his
tory Surely, it is well for with sister churches
throughout the land to pause to-day, that may do
him homage, lay wreath upon his tomb remind
ourselves OF the lessons of his memorable life and make
offering to the work that dear to his heart
the elevation of the Negro race in the South!
Great captains, with their guns and drums
Disturb our judgment for the hour,
But, at last silence comes;
These all are gone, and standing like tower
Our children shall behold his fame
The kindly, earnest brave foreseeng man,
Sagacious patient dreadng praise, not blame,
New birth of our new soil the first American! ~