Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1905-02-09
ABR AHAM LINCOLN
Born eb. 12, 1909: Assinated April IA, 1865.

Born Feb 12, 1909: Assinated April IA 1865.
@ S @ nas n 5 Ea sa e s its
rhs the remarkable poem in which May 1865
Oh confessed its having four ampooned Lin
with pencil and with pen1
You lay a wreath on murdered Lincoln's bier
You who with moekng pencil wont to trace
His length of stumbling limb, his furrowed face.
His gaunt gnarled hands, unkempt, bristling hair
His lack of all we prize debonair,
OF power or will to shine of art to please
You whose pen backed up the pencils laugh,
Judging each step, as though the were plain:
Reckless, so it could point paragraph
or Chiefs perpleXity, or peoples pain
Beside this corpse that bears for winding sheet
The Stars and Stripes he lived to anew,
Between the mourners at his head and feet
Say, scurrtjester is there room for you?
Yes, he had lived shame from my sheer,
To lame my pencil and confute my
To make this hind of princes
This railsplitter a true born king of men
My shallow judgment had learnt to rue,
Noting how to occasions height he
How his quaint wit made hometruth seem more true,
How, ronlike his temper grew by blows
How humble yet hopeful he could be:
How in good fortune and in i'll the same:
Nor bitter in success, boastful he,
Thirsty for gold, feverish for fame
He went about his work-such work as few
Ever had laid hand
who knows where there's task to do.
Mans honest will must Heavens good grace command
Who trusts the strength will burden grow.
That God makes instruments to work his WILL
If but that will we arrive to know,
Nor tamper with the weights of good and ILL.,
So he went forth to battle on the side
That he felt clear was Lbertys and Rights,
AS in his peasant boyhood he had piled
His warfare with rude natures thwartng nights
The unceared forest the unbroken SOIL
he laborerS
The rapid that oerbears the boatmans toll
The prairie hiding the mazed wanderers tracks.
The ambushed Indian, the prowlng bear
Rough culture-but such trees large fruit may bear,
If but their stocks be of right grh and grain
grew up, a destined work do
And lived to do it, four ongsuffering years
Illfate, iEforune l-report, lived through,
And then he heard the bisses change to cheers,
The taunts to tribute the abuse to praise
And took both with the same unwavering mood
Till, as he on light from darkling days,
And seemed to touch the goal from where he stood,
A felon hand between he goal him,
Reached behind his back trigger prest
And those perplexed and patient were dim,
Those gaunt, longlaboring limbs were laid to rest!
The words of mercy were upon his lips
Forgiveness in his heart and on his
When this vile murderer brought swift eclipse
To thoughts of peace on earth, goodwill TO men
The Old World and the New from sea-
Utter voice of sympathy and shame!
Sore heart, stopped when 1t at last beat high
Sad le cut short just as its triumph came.
A deed accurst! Strokes have been struck before
BY the assassn's hand, whereof men doubt
If more of horror disgrace they bore
But thy foul crime like Gains, stands darkly out
Vile hand that brandest murder a strife,
Whate'er its grounds, stouty and nobly strven
And with the martyrs crown crownest life
With much to praise little to be forgiven!