Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1906-02-13


Abraham Lincoln has been called the
greatest American, not excepting even
Washington. Washington gave nation
to the world; a weak, puny nation and
one so embroiled in bitter dissensions and
internecine strife and jealousies that 1t
was Gods mercy that it ever held to-
gether. Abraham Lincoln came into the
nation when it had grown to be world
power, and when it was in the gravest
danger which could possibly threaten he
saved it. Washington might have been
able to accomplish the same result UNI
der the same circumstances. Lincoln dld
accomplish it and we have no need to re-
sort to speculation.
Tne circumstances of Abraham Lin
coins birth and early training are tamll-
far to all who know American history
and there is no need to repeat them here'
Instead, let us look at him when ne was
coming upon the threshold Of his polltlcal
career, when his highest ambitions were
bounded by the horizon of the United
States Senate, a tribunal o. the people
which he felt himself ali unworthy to
enter Just think of such a sucker as
me being President" he said one day to
q newspaper man who was following him
in his first senatorial campaign in ILL
nois, the campaign, by the way, in which
he was defeated by his lifelong friend
and political rival, Stephen A. Douglas.
This was a characteristic comment on
the position his wife had taken. Mrs.
Lincoln was more farseeing than he was.
She was more ambitious too, perhaps,
and did not hesitate to build her hopes
much higher Mrs. Lincoln followed her
husbands campaign with the deepest in
terest. bolstering up his failing courage
and distrust in himself, and telling him
that some day he would become President
in spite of himself. She knew the mans
capabilities better than he knew them
himself With her womanly eye of intui-
ton. she 'amed able to see into the flu
ture, and Re did not hesitate to express
her hopes. Just think of such sucker
as me for resident ~ Yet the sucker"
became Pr .ident and his weak outer ma
ture and 6.strust were displaced by his
strong inrrr nature and he COPIED with
and conquered the strongest national
problem ever given to man.
There are still living a considerable
number of persons who attended the
Douglas which took place in that mem
orable senatorial campaign of 1858, and
most of them will say, if not all, that
while Douglas was the more fowery, the
more polished, the more easy on the ros-
trun, Lincoln was the more convincing.
Yet in the sober minds of the men of
the period Lincoln's very plainness was
against him. In appearance he was most
unprepossessing-no the unattractiveness
of ignorance, but the very acme of ply
steal ugliness Lincoln has been called
the homeliest man who ever entered
American public life. He was very tall
and scrawny, with huge bones seeming
almost ready to push out through the
flesh. His features were irregular his
arms long, and ungraccful and he en-
ployed sngularly awkward, almost alb
surd, gestures to give emphasis to his
arguments. Yet the unprecedented per-
son was at once impressed with his sin
cerity Lincoln could not be long in
the presence of any person without MAX
ing the impression that he was singular
ly sincere and truthful and possessed of
the true American spirit.
In the time of Douglas, Lincoln was
crude and undeveloped, yet he rounded
out in his powerful nature so rapidly
when once he made a beginning that soon
he was overlapping them ALL And he
always overtopped them all until his ca
reer was ended by the assassin's bullet.
That memorable campaign was one of
the most trying experiences Lincoln ever
underwent. The mental strain was not
particularly severe, but the physical de-
mands were something terrific. Over cor
duroy roads for hundreds of miles he
rode; through mud, in rain, speaking
day after day in an almost totally ex-
hausted conditions these were a few of
the things he endured on that tour in
Illinois. However, his splendid consti-
tuition brought him through absolutely
untouched of anything except WEAKNESS
Douglas here contracted the seeds of dis
ease which later brought him to the
grave long before his time. Lincoln re-
GREETED the death of Douglas very deep
~. 1t was always his belief that had
Douglas lived until he could have cleared
himself of the entanglements which I'M
fortunately chung to him, he would have
rounded out one of the most brilliant ca
reers in the history of the nation. 1t
was one of the furthest things from the
thoughts of either that two years after
this campaign they would be rivals again
and this time for the highest Office in
the land. Lincoln's triumph was great
aud the things he did showed that in
rejecting Douglas at that time the nation
chose most wisely. Not that Douglas
had not ability to administer the affairs
of the country. but the times demanded
q more rugged nature, more dependable
character. a man whose backbone was
straight and strong and not inclined to
bend at the will of others or to personal
preferences.
In 1859 the fame of Lincoln had spread
far beyond his own limits, and he was
in much demand to spread the doctrines
of the anti-SeceSsion and anti-slavery
movement which was then just coming to
a height. He even went out into Kan
sas and drove miles and miles over the
prairies in ramshackle wagons supplied
by the natives to spread the new gospel.
When once he began to acquire fame his
rise was meteorically rapid.
When Lincoln was elected to the presi-
dency, he was living in the modest two
story dwelling in Springfield, H., which
he always called home" no matter
whether he was in Washington or else
where. After his election to the presi-
dency, he had thousands of visitors there,
and it is characteristic of the man that
it was not necessary for any caller to
rrecede his coming with a card. The
doors were open and whatsoever would
was privileged to enter and speak to him.
1t was during the period between his cleo
ton and going TO Washington that he put
the keen edge on his talent for argument.
Here he had his fill. Men of all kinds
and conditions came to him-rough drov-
ers and farmers who Familiarity called
him ABE !" sharp, sleek commercial
men, who had tidings for him from al
parts of the country and who could swap