Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-02-13

At the expiration of his term he was
not candidate for reelection. but
he kept in touch with the political
trend of the day
Hoped to Avoid War.
There were in the audience men
who fought in the great work of eman-
cipation 1t might be presumptuous
for him to reveal the character of Lin
coin to those men, whose good fortune
it had been to work with him and to
know him. But for the generation
that is now rising to do its political
duty. it was fit that something should
be shown to reveal the character of
the great emancipation Lincoln was
impressed with the idea that this was
representative gOvernment: that
here the sovereignty of the individual
was recognized as nowhere else: the
government eXemplified the dignity of
individualism: his idea was to pre-
serve and perfect the government. he
was not at all times prepared TO com
nit himself to the doctrine of eman-
cipation: he recognized the great di-
versty of mems minds on all great
questions: while he was not. after his
retirement from congress. thoroughly
in accord with what was then called
the more advanced sentiment of the
time, he realized that the country
could not exist half slave and half
free; but he hoped out of his mag
nificent philanthropy that a scheme
might be devised by which through
purchase all bondsmen might be freed.
During the time tetween his retire
ment from congress until the famous
meetings with Douglass on the stump
he kept himself informed from the
ideas that controlled the public sit
uation; he entered into the law and
in his experiences there we find step
ping stones to the elimination of his
career; in the Douglass debates the
candor and honesty of his position
paved the way for his nomination to
the presidency.
Conditions When Elected.
The conditions at the time of his
election were these: Political excite
ment was at fever heat; the northern
arsenals had been stripped of arms
and munitions of war for the protec-
ton of the south in the struggle which
had been foreSeen The impression
had gone abroad that our union of
states was mere compact which
might be dissolved at any time by any
state so desiring; feeling of sectional
strife had been inflamed even es-
pecial precautions had to be taken to
protect him from assassination.
Liberation Of Slaves.
In his inaugural address there was
no uncertain language as to the policy
of the government: he astonished the
world as diplomatist: the attention
of foreign powers was called to the
nature of our constitution and our
ministers instructions were to inti-
mate that any attempt at Intervention
in the struggle which was impending
would be considered an act of war;
and then Russian war fleet had ap-
peared on the Atlantic coast. off New
York. and another Russian fleet ap-
peared off San Francisco and men
asked themselves what it meant but
received no satisfactory answer: but
on the first day of the following Jan
uary the emancipation proclamation
was issued. and following this was a
proclamation by Alexander II. of
Russia. giving liberty the millions of
serfs. Then came the answer. that
| l4incoln's stalwart manhood and de-
tense of Righteousness had attracted
the attention of the czar and that
through his influence more human be-
ings had been liberated from bondage
that ever had been before or would
be again. And when twenty years
after. Talmage. the great preacher,
spoke in a Russian church to a Rus.
sian congregation. although few of
those present were able to understand
word. when he mentioned the name
or Abraham Lincoln the audience rose
in an insanity of delight and echoed
and re-echoed: Abraham Lincoln.
the liberator." (Applause)
Monument in Hearts Of People.
There was a monument to Lincoln.
in Scotland erected by the compatriots
OF Wallace. and Bruce in token on
their admiration of this great man.
AT Westminster there was Lincoln
tower Other nations had followed in
erecting memorials of the martvred
president; here in his own country no
such memorials were required his
epltaph was craven in letters of blood
upon the hearts of his countrvmen.
he had made ii a proud distinction to
be able to say: 81 belong to his coun-
try" AS long as history endured, so
long would his memory be revered and
honored. There were abundant lessons
IN his life OF inspiration to the youth
OF the land: he ii was who gave life
to the form of territorial government
to Dakota; his great general Grant.
laid the corner stone of the building
IN which these exercises were being
held; and that other president and
grandson of president. also
chieftain in the great struggle had as
sisted us to statehood The best imi-
tation of the great Lincoln and the
best evidence of sympathy with him
lies In the honorng of the veterans
VINO fought out the great war; and il
was good to reflect that there was no
dignity equal to that of being an
American citizen and of belonging T.,
the country that Abraham Lincoln had
designated "the chief of the world ;"
(Applause)
Father Conaty Speaks.