The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1905-02-10
IN 1853,
His characteristics as q Springfield
Lawyer at That Time Arc
Interesting.

A. the anniversary OF Lincoin's birth
day comes round each year II Is the eus-
tom TO think OF him chiefly Us he wa dur
Ing the four memorable carS Of the war.
Ills greatness a. then manifested Ia most
commonly c%ontrasted with the obscuriy
and uncouthncss OF his y~outh-as rail.
splitter. a postmaster and %storekeepor
hui n nc less Interesting comparison u
that Of Lincoln In his years Of waiting
the years previous 10 1854.
In 1868. 81 years ago, Abraham Lincoln
was u Springfield lawyer OF some Local
note as one u several leaders In Illinois
whie politics. lie Wa a nan Of ~ Years
OF age; a man who. In middle Ito, had
failed 10 secure any OF the prizes that he
really cared for. II Ia . that he mad
served several terms In the legislature,
and had even been to congress for two
years. Hut he had achieved no especial
recognition. had taken part 10 lao impor-
tant political movement. and was simply
n Of many In his opposition to the ex.
tension Of slavery into the new states. AZ
. campaign speaker he was ALREADY we'll
known In the west. His eroli humor. his
relentless logic. his Keen perception OF
approaching political changes, made
him easily chief among the wings. As
citizen OF Springfield. he was living qui.
city. In an unprctentious house-whieb
was. Indeed. all that bis slended means
permitted bringing up hls young chill
dren. The statement sometimes heard
that at Springfield he seldom attended
church has recently been contradictea
BY a citizen OF that place. VINO r.mom
bors that Mr.. Lincoln not merely attend.
ed church regularly. but wa very
prompt In paying his pew rent.
This man OF u little dreamed OF what
lay before him. Al an age when most
men, at least In the preSeat day, are IL
sight OF the career BY Which they arc
afterwards remembered. Lincoln was
simply a plain attorney, a country law
yer. though he happened to live In n city,
With some political ideas and 4 tremen-
dous viii waiting 10 be put 10 the strain.
lie was a good a Just aud kindly. but
a. yet his moral ana religious nature had
no, been stirred to the depths. but for
y years aud more he had been plodding
away at the duties that came 10 him.
sharpening his wits and laying up a 70.
serve OF patience. Of courage, Of know.
ledge OF men. for the crisis which he
knew could not be long postponed.
A year later the hour OF destiny ar
rived, and Lincoln knew his time mad
come. The repeal OF the Missouri com.
promise In 1854. and tho controversy
over the states Of Kansas aud Nebraska.
brought the question OF slavery itself
sharply before the people OF Illinois. Ihe
share which stephen A. Douglas took In
this arair on the side OF popular SOW
treienty." with It's bearing on the extern
lion OF slavery. ave Lincoln bis oppor.
tunity. In those famous debates when
the tall. awkward Springfield lawyer
met the brilliant and famous statesman,
and defeated him on his own ground,
Abraham Lincoln found himself lie
knew then what was TO come. The re.
publican party was formed. Lincoln de-
lib~rately threw away a scnatorship In
order to force the issue Of slavery In the
territories directly before the country,
aud thereby became the logical leader oil
the new platform. "A house divided
agains, itself cannot stand" was The
platform. lie stood upon Il toarlessly,
and faced the future ready TO meet its
unknown crises In whstever position Vi
lSadershlp he might be placed.
How he met the crash Of war. all ~