Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1904-05-31


keynote to the emancipation procla-
nation, which in after years broke
upon the shore-line of history. But
the wave started far back there in
New Orleans. 1t began as silent
swell out in the ocean of Lincoln's
great heart
THE pen that wrote the procla-
nation was lifted and pointed like a
prophets staff to the constitutional
amendment that gave citizenship and
| franchise to a race that lately wore
chains,' and is still pointing to the un-
] finished legislation that will prevent
4 Mississippi, Louisiana and the Caro-
| linas from depriving the colored men
of the rights to common school edu-
cation.
| While Lincoln won for himself the
title of The Liberator, which of it
! self was enough to make him rank
! highest among the worlds greatest
reformers there was something
grander and nobler in his life than
that: and that was his answering
patriotism and mistaken devotion to
the union of the states and to the per-
petuation of the American constitu-
ton. The people got their first no.
ton of a strong federal government
from the deeds of Washington and the
teaching of Hamilton. But its second
great lesson was acquired from the
life and career of Abraham Lincoln.
/, That thought of a federal constitution
and perpetual union ran through all
, of his debates with Stephen A. Doug
lass; that thought was in his speech,
/ a house divided against it elf cannot
stand for its tenor was That slavery
should be abolished so that the union
might be preserved. But at last he
gave expression to 1T in words that
We're unmistakable, and whose mean
n no ,tt,it,
during the course of the civil war. in
Fthat historic letter to Horace Greeley,
he said My paramount. object in this
struggle is to save the Union.' 1t is
not either to save or to destroy slav-
cry. II / could save the union with
out freeing any slave. Il would do it:
and il l could save it; by freeing all
the slaves, | would do it, and if / could
sayeSit by freeing some and leaving
others alone, would also do that.
What i do about slavery and the COL
ored race l do because l believe it
helps to save the Union; and what
forbear, l forbear because / do not be-
lieve it would help to save the Union
The men who shed their blood on
American battlefields in patriotic de-
votion to their country and the consti-
tuition reached the sublime in action;
but Lincoln stood forth greater than
they, because his heart was so big
and his patriotism so great and his
comprehension so universal that he
was able to minister to the interests of
races. of liberty, of civilization. of
country, and insist that the Union
should be preserved for the Inheritance
of the American people.
ut sometimes happens that great
men give utterance to single SEN
fences which go ringing down through
the corridors of ages, not only as evil
n <Nf hot, <N,,tt.
index to their characters. When we read
that saying of Caesars, 'Veni. vidi,
vici,' we think of his conquering career
| through Germany and Gaul. When
we read of that saying of Napoleon's
| to his troops in the shadow of the
pyramids, Forty centuries look down
upon YOU w ethink of one whose chief
| When we read the words of Daniel
| Webster, Union and liberty one and
| inseparable, now and forever we
! think of the mastery statesman who
fervent hope was that the federal
union might be perpetual. When we
read the words of Abraham Lincoln,
in his second inaugural address, With
1 malice toward none, with charity for
ALL we think of a patriot who would
| first save his country. and whose big
heart would then forgive his erring
| brethren, and who if he We're living to-
| day would stand by with exultiing
| pride when the childre nof those who
Wore the blue and the gray march to-
! sether and battle together in the
cause of their country, under their
country's flag"
/ Mr.. Webster in speaking of the des-
Tiny and growth of the United States
said in part
Sir Charles Dixie has lately written
a book, small in size but rich in
thought entitled The British EmNre.'
| On it's first page is found the startling
with it's colonies and protectorates. and
spheres of influence, has an area of
| nearly four Europes, population of
nearly four hundred millions of people,
and handles one-half Of the sea borne
commerce of the world.
! 80 nation can compare with her in
extent of territory excepting Russia.
No nation can compare with her in
reputation excepting China. No ma
| tiCn can compare with her in wealth
and resources excepting the United
| States
The empire of which Sir Charles
Dixie wrote. had its inception in that
remote antiquity, misty with age and
| fable. when the conquering Caesar
carried Roman civilization to the an
cient Britons.
England has been growing, devel-
| oping. expanding, increasing in
| strength and power until it has reach
! ed the stupendouS proportions of the
| British empire Of Edward the Sixth.
nation evolved out of nineteen CEN
! turtles.
The United States of America,
| young in years scarce covering an
hours space in the calendar of time,
with her rapid and spontaneous
growth. with her universal liberty and