The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-10-02
LINC0LN'S SELF-C0NTR0L
Industry Marked His Young Life; For
giveness His Mature Years.


The keynote of the President IS
young life had been persevering indus
try: That of his mature years WAS
SELF control and generous forgiveness.
ana surely his remark on the night
or his second election for President,
that he did not think resentment
paid and that no man had time TO
spend half his life in quarrels, was
well borne out by the fruit of his ac-
tions. 1t as this spirit alone which
made possible much that he was able
to accomplish. His rule of conduct
toward all men is summed up in let
Ter OF reprimand that 1t became his
duty, while he was President, to send
to one Young officer accused OF quar-
rcllng with another. 1t deserves to be
written in letters of gold on the walls
OF every school and college throughout
the land
"The advice of n father to his son,
beware OF entrance to q quarrel, but
being in, bear it that the opposed NAV
beware of thee, is good, but not the
best. Quarrel not at all. No man re-
solved to make the most Of himself can
spare tune for personal contention. Still
less can he afford to take all the con-
sequences, including the vitiating of
his temper, and the loss OF self control.
Yield larger things TO which you can
show more than equal right; and yield
lesser ones though clearly your own.
Better give your path to dog than
be bitten by him in contesting for the
right, Even killing the dog would not
cure the bite''
1t was this willingness of his to give
up the "lesser things" and even the
things to which he could claim an equal
right, which kept peace in his cabinet,
made up of men of strong wills and
connecting natures Their devotion to
the Union, great rs it was, would not
have sufficed in such strangely as
sorted Official family; but his unfailing
Kindness and good sense led him TO
overlook many things that another man
might have regarded as deliberate in
suits; while his treat tact and knowl.
edge OF human nature enabled him TO
bring out the best in people about him,
and at times to turn their very weak
nesses into sources of strength 1t
made 1t possible for him To keep the
regard of every one of them Before
he had been In Office n month IL had
transformed Secretary Seward from his
rival into his lasting friend 1t made
a warm friend out of the blunt, posi-
tive, hot-tempered Edwin NJ Stanton.
who became Secretary of War in place
Of Mr.. Cameron. He was man of
strong will and great endurance, and
gave MS department record Tor hard
and effective work that it would be
difficult to equal. Many stories are
told of the disrespect he showed the
President, and the crosspurposes at
which they labored. The truth is, that
they understood each other perfectly
on all important matters, and worked
through three busy, trying years with
eyer-increasing affection and regard.
The President IS kindly humor forgave
his Secretary many blunt speeches.
Stanton says I am a fool7" he is re-
ported TO have asked busybody who
came fleet-footed TO tell him Of the
Secretary s hasty comment on an order
Of little moment. "Stanton says / am
a fool7 Well with a whimsical
glance at his Informant ''then /. sup
pose I must be, Stanton is nearly
always right Knowing that stanton
was NEARLY always right it made
little difference to his chief what he
might say In the heat of momentary
Nicholas