The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1904-02-14


him this question: HAS the territory of
Kansas a right to come into the union
slave state If the people wish?" Lincoln
said. Yes. BY the national law IL has
right which you cannot take away
unless by national legislation you change
that law" In all the hfty-six years Of
Lincoln's life, both as a public office
holder and as a private citizen. you can
not put your finger upon one act where
he was an advocate of violation of the
law He was patient in his belief that
moral right would ultimately become le-
gal right
Followed Path of Recttude.
On the approaching anniversary of this
great Americans birth let us learn one of
the greatest lessons of his life Even
amid the in1ustices and the weaknesses
of the law let us bow before and recog-
nize the majesty Of the law. Because in
some municipalities the citizens may be
terrorized every winter by ''hold-up"
men who walk around at night shooting
down innocent pedestrians in cold blood
that Is no reason why, In order to extir-
pate them, we ourselves should become
criminals. Because Alexander of Servia
was a. bad man. that does not place the
stamp of responsibility upon those who
by regicide proved they were as lawless
as their detested king. Always obey the
law If 1t be wrong, then make the law
right, but never dehle the ma iesty of the
law Though Abraham Lincoln was a
man of positive characteristics, yet he
was patient In the fact that he was ready
to keep step with the march of the COM
mon people He never for one moment
left the path of rectitude and honor. He
was not a foolish color bearer. leaving
! the ranks of his fellow soldiers and
plunging far ahead of the lines, thereby
counting death and humiliation AS the
national standard bearer he was ready
IL necessary, to mark time" so that
the common people could catch up with
him, and all might advance In line.
Man Of Patience.
All things may be lawful, but all things
are not expedient What did he do after
he had delivered his first inaugural adj
dress? Did he do anything to antagonize
the southern leaders and people, as some
rash statesmen would have had him do?
No; that was not his way. He had mail
Ice toward none and charity for ALL" He
bided his time, though In every town. VII
lage and city he was called a coward. If
possible he wanted to win the southern
leaders back by love and kindness. He
knew that hate and billingsgate and club
never won willing subject. He was pa
tient, very patient. His patience was ex-
pressed powerfully in the words he once
spoke to Alexander II. Stephens at the
memorable conference held at Hampton
Roads with the southern commissioners.
Stephens" he said, .let me write Union
at the top of that page, and you may
write below 1t whatever else you please"
To placate the southern leaders was
one reason for delay. But there was still
another reason why he was patient.
There were scores and hundreds and
thousands OF men at the north as well as
the south who believed that as the orig
inal southern states came into the union
Of their own accord they had therefore
the right TO leave of their own accord.
AS Lincoln in his quaint language put
the popular sovereignty idea" They
believed that the big kettle of the United
States government could be squeezed Into
the little kettle OF state rights" Horace
Greeley believed this; Wendell Phillips
believed this; other mighty northern
leaders believed this Had Abraham Lin
coin. on the night of March 4. 1861 start
ed the invasion of the south he might
have had two wars on his hands. War
would have been in the front of him, war
in the rear of him. When he entered the
White House he had two purposes: First.
to do anything and everything that was
honorable to save the union. Secondly,
II there was to be q war then let others
take the responsibility of striking the
first blow
Calm Under Criticism.
But If Lincoln was willing to be patient
with his northern enemies and with the
south how much more was he willing to
be patient with his so-called friends, upon
whose arm he had a right to lean and
a,u,a "moso .ii,,usn se, ne iau nlsnt 70
Lee were attaching hin, IN tho front tho
rancorous Tongues of some who wore his
closest advisers were hroadoasting their
eviI nurno,,rs avarvu,baro
.aUelln COWS aoma bearer .ub,, d,a
ba allow those man ubo wore raarast -
him IN critIcise him. WIN Aid he not do
as ono Of his snrinef,ald friends suggest.
cd. .lxiclt them ont az oefIoa9, " That 1,,es-
finn oannot he answarsd In a hattar mo-,
fban nv ouotIno The words lincoln snoka
when he said. ouietlv that n was eaev
enough n Lic,s a man ont hut not alvvays
co easv 70 .at another man IN All bis
nIaca and 70 do as well nc ha d,d In
those fau u,ords I'VE realize the ras,,I+s ~
Tjnoo,,,s nat,anoa ,,,tb tbosa soroaI,a,,
fr,ands r,ha la,t ,ut,,o,,, cr,tIc,s,na tt,atr
ch,as he o oroa 80 sa 49, 70 Ieonard s,nstt 81
no, NJ haua ,aada &c sreat nras,da,t
&c son,a othar r,en' hut 7 be,,ava 7 ha,,a
80 ~. ,tasauaa..t a,a,x,a.,,s .a,sa4tar
~, - 49,, 49, ao,,,a >, T,,,a hh-ahars
Tgnoo1n ara ,,,a a. frhr,.t,ans uriI,,no -
lei men critie,se ne and And 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 Mcclellan and Thaddeus
Stevens and Greeley and Bennett to help
sova tho ,,pton9