The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-02-19

face, increased n In III deep
eyes, defeat after defeat smote the
army. multiplied ~reproaches laoded the
air around him, but his steadfast soul
never faltered.
He read constant ~reproaches In the
press of his party; he noted the male
dictIons of the opposition press: when
his attention was called to them he
smiled; when the stately scholars and
statesmen of his party sought to urge
their advice upon him he listened,
quietly, or put their arguments aside
with an absurd story and they turned
away In despair.
! The courtly, scholarly Seward had
accepted the place of secretary of
state. and he became the hope of those
who distrusted Lincoln. There came
a day when 1t was necessary to send
an important communication to the
government Of Great Britain. Mr.. Sc
ward prepared 1t and mentioned the
time. The Trent had been brought to.
and two of her passengers taken from
her, and carried away prisoners. The
Third Napoleon was urging Great Brit
ain to join with France and recog-
nize the confederacy. The titled and
wealthy classes Of England were clam
oring for the interference.
LET me see what you have written,
Mr.. Secretary said Lincoln. Mr.. Sc
ward passed over the paper to the
president. He struck out a sentence
here and there. added on here and
there, changed the ~phraseology in
other places, revised the entire copy.
then handing 1t back. said: THAT will
do now, william; have 1t copied and
sent"
Mr.. Seward read the amended manu-
script and was manly enough to say:
"Mr. President, that is now a very
splendid state paper."
900
The wal grew more and more ter
rible until the whole land, north and
south, was as a Egypt on that
night. when there was a great cry
because there was not a house in
which there was not one dead"
The imprecations grew louder and
louder around the devoted man. but
he held on his steady way. More and
more Mr.. Lincoln's SOU shone out.
he trusted in God and the solid masses
of the republic trusted him.
He did not know it, but as the peo-
| pie watched Farragut on the sea.
Thomas in the field. n Lincoln in
the white house. all southern born,
the thought in millions Of northern
hearts was: 1--WE will never give up
the southland where such men are
born"
At last the time was ripe. and Mr..
Lincoln struck the chains from the
wrists of the slaves, and then the
storm roared louder and louder around
him.
Later came a day when 1t was prop
ground on which has been fought the
greater battle of modern times.
The most brilliant orator in the ma
ton delivered the grafton. For three
hours the thousands who hung upon
his words listened. Then the care-op-
pressed president arose and spoke for
six minutes. When his words went
to the country, the people realized that
the speech was but a photograph OF
the sou of the immortal man. 1t Is
still and always will be. the wonder
and admiration of scholars and sages
everywhere. 1t has been translated
into a dozen foreign tongues; men
| compare it with all the ancient and
modern classics, and admit that in its
place, it stands alone. and unapproach-
able. 1t is filled with the Hastings OF
a sovereign genius, and still contains
such touches of tenderness and pat
riotism, that it seems when read aloud
to be in literature what in art would
be a photograph of Justice and Mercy
taken on the same negative.
A little later came Mr.. Lincoln's
second inaugural address. So near
was he then to life's other shore. that
something of the radiance Of h Be-
yond seemed to shine through the al
ready opening doors of Death, and IL
Illuminate the words.
After that the end came quickly, and
then the people understood. thai as
Washington was the Father Of his
Country, it was Lincoln who had
watched over. and steadied the nation
through the anguish, the faintness
and the fear of its second birth.
900
In the estimation of men. at first.
Mr.. Lincoln was altogether of the
earth. earthly. He passed through q
cruicible of fire, n emerged pure
gold. BY some subtle chemistry. the
lustreless carbon is by nature con
verted into the blazing and indestruct-
ible diamond. We know not the pro
cess. but we know that the particles
are ever-changing. and finally the
transformation is wrought. Such a
change came to Mr.. Lincoln.
Not since the birth in the manger
at Bethlehem has God served so d.
rect a notice on men that, no matter
what their accomplishment NAV be.