The Cairo bulletin., 1904-02-13
Speech Of Cousins.

tthillliihtHtufE tUt MdEuutltt 1luD
as an organization, which In the grand
commonwealth of ii,iuois and "in the
midst of the mighty commerce of
Chicago takes the time and opportu.
nifty to observe the memory Of men
whose characters and achievements
have conserved the welfare of the
nation aud glorifed its history" the
speaker proceeded at once with a pow.
erful analysis and beautifl encomium
Of the character of Abraham Lin.
coin, characterizng the rebellion as
the most tremendous test of repub.
ican government"
Destiny declared Mr.. Cousins.
had not seen fit to give to the new
republic the simple problem of solv.
ing the question of its unity, identi,
ty and federal authority by mere
abstract Interpretation of the consti.
tutien as to whether for any cause
the Union might be dismembered.
1t seemed as though infinite wisdom
sought TO couple with the problem
every passion that could come from
human ayarice, every prejudice that
might arise from forfeiture. every bias
that material considerations could
arouse The terrible test must be
made for ell time and with every ag.
gravation that could possibly attend
it.
"Ah America, how great must be
thy gratitude to him, who standing In
the llashlight OF that crisis, shall dis
cern with certainty the way for the
new republic to work out its ultimate
salvation, the way for liberty TO live,
a course by which a nation torn as.
under shall reach perfect and en-
during union"
Tracing the career Of Lincoln the
speaker said:
He came into the contest as a
countryman, out of the loins of labor,
from the very heart of the people and
the continent. No trumpet sounded
his arrival, he had to reason his way
out of the woods into the world; out
of poverty into position. and finally
he went from life into the calendar
of saints-which never happens ex-
cept by the unanimous consent Of all
mankind"
Then with unusual cogcncy. Mr.
Cousins analyzed the Lincoln Douglas
debates declaring in conclusion his
diplomacy was worthy of a Tally.
rand. his reasoning worthy Of Abra.
ham Lincoln. When he was through
with Douglas. be was wanted every.
where. His reasoning had set a torch
upon the hilltops. Finally be was In.
vited to New York, and In Cooper In.
stitute in the presence Of such men
as William Cullen Bryant, David Dud.
ley Field and Horace Greeley, he who
had been mentioned as the rude, lank
westerner' made 1t possible to be pres.
ident and finally to be crucified The
dreaming child of the Kentucky wood.
land. the country boy of Indiana, the
fiat-boat pilot OF the Mississippi. the
village postmaster, lawyer legislator
and logician of Illinois, the orator and
statesman OF America, became our
president"
With great effect, Mr.. Cousins quot
ed the wonderous utterances of Presi
dent Lincoln's first inaugural: "The
union of these states is perpetual
"We must not be enemies" and many
other Of the most significant utter
ances Of Lincoln. concluding with
climax of great tribute to the Grand
Army of the Union and to President
Lincoln when Abraham Lincoln
bad finished bis first inaugural, he
had convinced the better judgment Of
America. not only Of the justice Of
The Unions cause. but Of his pre-eml
nent worihiness 10 represent that
cause. His thought had reached the
his argument was ON the
lips OF his countrymen: his bentle