Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-02-08

ence he had a right to expect succor |
and help. If the armies of Lee were |
attacking him in the front, the rancor-
Gus tongues of some who were his |
closest advisers were broadcasting |
their evil murmurs everywhere.
Well" says some hearer why did |
he allow those men who were nearest |
to him to criticise linn? Why did he |
not do as one of his Springfield friends |
suggested, kick thim out of office? "
That question cannot be answered in a
better way than by quoting the words |
Lincoln spoke when he said, quietly,
that it was easy enough to kick man
out, but not always SO easy to get an
other man to fill his place and do as
well as he did. In those few words
we realize the results of Lincoln's pa
thence with those so called friends who
kept publicly criticising their chief.
He once said to Leonard SWEET, Il may
not have made as great a president as
some other men, but | believe | have
kept the discordant elements together
as well as any one could" Like Abra-
ham Lincoln. are we as Christians
ready to let men criticise us and find
fault with us if only we can use them
for the cause of Christ. as Lincoln was
able to use Stanton and Seward and
Simon Cameron and Hooker and Nc
Clellan and Thaddeus Stevens and
Greeley and Bennett to help save the
Union?
Leader of the People.
Is1uI,+ h. hoo Il
part of the day, so we find that the
mellowing sunset of Lincolns life was
even more glorious in its golden refiec-
lions than when he was accomplishing
the great purpose of his life-the pres
ervatiOn of the Union. Like Moses of
old, he was able to lead his people
through the dark wanderings in the
Wilderness; but, also, like Moses, he
was not to be allowed to plant his foot
in the promised land. The Jordan
which separated him from his southern
people in the reconstructive period was
to be a great river whose waters came
from the falling tears that millions of
eyes shed over his bier and by his coffin
lid. In those few days that led up to Ap-
pomattoX and thereafter we may know
what fruit the patience of Lincoln
would have borne. His purpose was to
bind up the nations bleeding wounds
and make the boy in gray" and the
hoy in blue" clasp hands as brothers.
A Noble American
How, then, did he want to reach out
the hand of reconciliation? On Feb. 5,
1865, after the outcome of the war was
practically decided. he drafted bill
by which, if congress consented, $780,,
100000 was to be paid on account of
the liberation of the slaves He pre-
scented this proposed bill to his cabinet
and when they unanimously rejected
it the president, as Norman HapgoOd
tells us, sadly folded it up and laid
it away" AS soon as Richmond had
been evacuated he got on the cars and
started south. He went not as Il con.
QuerOr, but as a messenger of peace
In his plain, simple way he practically
said to the old Virginians: Il am your
brother. | am your friend. Come, be
my brother and my friend" When
that other messenger Of peace, Ulysses
S. Grant, practically said to the Off
GERS and men of the disbandng south.
ern armies alike: Go home Take your
horses and pillow your fields. Go home
and be our friends and comrades in
stead of our foes what was Lincoln's
comment? Good! Good! All right!
Exactly the thingr' Admiral Porter
gives these as Lincolns words, which
he heard him repeat a dozen times. In
the glorious hopes Lincoln held of flu
ture reconciliation, do you wonder that
Henry Grady, the eloquent Georgian,
was impelled to say that the first
who cOmprehenGed within himself all
the strength and gentleness. all the
majesty and grace of this republic was
Abraham Lincoln" He was as true
and pure and noble and patient and
God inspired an American as ever
lived.
A Lesson of Love.
| Today, if | had it in my power, l
would start a pilgrimage to the Spring
| field tomb. l would have the southern
er as we'll as the northerner. easterne1
and the westerner go there and learn
| the lesson of gentle and glorious love.
| What some cynic cries, would you
have the southerner go there as to a
shrine:' Yes. my brother, l would
have the sOutherner go to Lincoln's
tomb and kneel, the same as | would
have the northerner so to the sacred
tomb of Lexington. Va. and bow rev.
erently before the dust of honored, gen.
| tie Robert Z. Lee Both of these men
/ were cOnQuerOrS. Both have subdupd
and by their example will yet subdue
great hosts, whose numbers. in the dim
| future will be counted nv tha millions