Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-02-09

AEgnAan Lincoln has been called the
greatest American, not excepting even
Washington. Washington gave nation
70 aAe world weak, puny nation ana
one ID eTnbroiled in bitter discussions ana
Enserzeefne strife and jealousies that 1t
agas S5algs mercy that it ever held To-
getkaw. abraham Lincoln came into the
aasi8a when it had grown to be Worlu
2oSe<, aud when it was in the graVest
l8angss which could possibly threaten he
aaveR st. Washington might have been
abe 10 accomplish the same result I'M
der Abe same circumstances. Lincoln dld
1ecrzap2ish it and we have no need TO re-
3eEf 10 speculation.
Tase circumstances of Abraham Lin
eSzp's birth and early training are famli-
sar 80 all who know American history
assB ahere is no need to repeat them mere
hss7eaa, let US look at him when he was
ssaaETag 1p0n the threshold OF his polltlcal
gxraeE, when his highest ambitions were
EsSDxEe3 by the horizon OF the Ohlteu
States Senate, tribunal OF the people
wa9cn he felt himself all unworthy to
szzkgr, Just think of such a sucker as
IA being President" he said one day &c
a newspaper man who was following him
In his first senatorial campaign IN In
assS, the campaign, by the way. IN which
10 was defeated by his lifelong trleno
ma political rival, Stephen A. Douglas
TAfs was characteristic comment on
INA vqsition his wife had taken. Mrs
IAnes9n was more farseeing than he was
,shs gas more ambitious, too, perhaps
ma did not hesitate to build her hopes
mach higher. Mrs. Lincoln followed hel
Pvssfxvsls campaign with the deepest IN
nxrrst. bolstering up his failing courage
Rns5 Ristrust in himself, and telling him
sAaa yzsme day he would become President
Ia sz,ste of himself. She knew the man 5
sssnnsF{ities better than he knew them
Aknsegf. With her womanly eye Of lntui-
Sea. she seemed able to see into the flu
INV sud she did not hesitate to express
as9 hopes Just think of such a sucker
- xoe for President! ~ Yet the sucker
b>szgse President and his weak outer ma
eyzss and tiistrust were displaced by his
ssroagg inner nature and he COPIED WITH
ana conquered the strongest natlona
problem ever given to man.
yfseEe are still living a considerable
r4Eszher of persons who attended the
ssvea Joint debates between Lincoln anc
Esaaelas which took place in that mem
t1msgse senatorial campaign of 1898, ano
yzaas of them will say, if not all, that
ggAs1e Douglas was the more fowery, the
sasze polished, the more easy on the ros
&stxEa, lincoln was the more convincing
Y@ IN the sober minds of the men oil
sEs period Lincoln's very plainness was
sszsass him. In appearance he was most
MISUNDERSTANDING the unattractlvenesS
ID ignorance, but the very acme OF phy
&rxf Rgiiness. Lincoln has been calico
ahs Soxaeliest man who ever entered
American public life. He was very tai
md Sczawny, with huge bones seeming
saAzzest ready to push out through the
ExsA His features were irregular, his
agas a0lg. and ungraceful, and he en-
3lueS Singularly awkward, almost alb
sasraa gestures to give emphasis to his
arguments Yet the unprecedented per
soss wns at once impressed with his sin
qeri, y. Lincoln could not be long III
She sc,asence of any person without max
F1sg sAse Impression that he was singular
By s5zcere and truthful and possessed of
she true American spirit.
ln Tie time of Douglas, Lincoln was
rrassc aud undeveloped, yet he rounded
sat 50 his powerful nature so rapidly
whea aace he made a beginning that soon
hs WAS overlapping them all. And he
alwass oyertopped them all until his ca
reer VAS ended by the assassin's bullet
Ybaf memorable campaign was one OF
ehe most trying experiences Lincoln ever
underwent The mental strain was not
aaRieularly severe, but the physical de-
,naaf2s were something terrific. Over cor
zuroy roads for hundreds of miles he
rode; through mud, in rain, speaking
aay sitter day in an almost totally eX-
5aasasd condition. these were a few of
nhe things he endured on that tour in
Illinois However, his splendid consti-
Sutton brought him through absolutely
uatoaehed of anything except WEAKNESS.
Douglas here contracted the seeds of dis
ease which later brought him to the
crave Bong before his time. Lincoln re-
;xrgats&l the death of Douglas very deep
" Ii was always his belief that had
sacszsEas lived until he could have cleared
aiEcssE Of the entanglcments which I'M
Eeatx1aEefy chung to him, he would have
gsosznGKexf out one of the most brilliant ca
@eeEs IN The history of the nation. 1t
ass oae Of the furthest things from the
aaSnshis of either that two years after
this campaign they would be rivals again
ans ahjs time for the highest Office in
she land Lincoln's triumph was great
ard the things he did showed that in
ss5erssag Douglas at that time the nation
sss0ss most wisely. Not that Douglas
aaa Hs4 ability to administer the affairs
NJ the country. but the times demanded
. aasrs rugged nature more dependable