Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1908-02-08

frOnted by task greater than that OF |
Washington.
His salvation then came from hi: |
early habits. He knew himself, and |
he knew the situation. Those long
land lonely hours devoted to self analy
isis, those years of earnest conSidera
zion of the approaching problems of
government bore fruit and his thor
bUghly trained intellect responded tC
Even the immense demands of those
Frying hours. A GOd-given self-cOnfi
dencc enabled him to often act con
Iinet, sometimes without even consult
ing them at all. ana almost invariably
wisely and with success. His quickly
| formed conclusions We're uniformly
IcOrreCt, those BASED upon reflections
were less so. while his only cohspic
| uous errors were due to following our
side advice. The prCmOtiOn TO the
command of the army of that Other
great man given by our own stqla t.
the union. L. S. Grant was made he
fore Lincoln had ever met him and
without the advice or knowledge OF
4 others. so far as now known.
Up to that time several generals
Mcclellan. Halleck, Burnside and
Hooker, had been tried and found
Awanting but finally, on his own re
IEpOnsibility, Lincoln chose Grant and
Rthe Confederate cause was doomed.
| Earlier and of broader effect was
This course in regard to the Enamel
IpatiOn Proclamation. Regardless Of
Iimportuning friend and foe of this con
Ehis time and when it came he present
led to the cabinet the draft of that
EgrCat document, second in Importance
lonly to the Declaration of Indepen-
tdence. with these words, q do no.
Iwish your advice about the main mat
tier. That l have determined for my.
Iself Upon minor points II shall be
Islad to receive your suggestions" -
| After many gloomy months and
iyears, came Gettysburg and Vicksbura
land the tuning of the tide. Slowly
Reluctantly, bravely the Confederate
lstrength receded. Petersburg and
Richmond were abandoned. Lee sur
rendered and peace was in sight. One
incident of that hour when exultation
| over victory might be excused, indi
| Gates the great heart of this great
man who speaking of Jefferson Davis
said Let us judge not, that we be not
Judged
| few days later he uttered his
Hast recorded words, Enough. lives
) lhaye been sacrificed. We must extin
{ Isuish our resentments.
Sought Relief from Care.
Il We can see him that same night
Iwhen thankful for the dawn of peace
: and the preservation of the union, hi.
4 a,heart filled with sympathy for the fol
/ iiOwers of the lost cause, his mind ac
2 Give with plans for the reconstruction
! Hof the south, he sought at the theate
4 Temporary relief from care In tn,
: midst of the performance there was
l Hshot. cry, man limped across tn
e kstage and disappeared. Abraham Lin
t Hcoln was the victim of an assassin
i UWhcn the morning came that kindI
+ heart was still, and all the nation
IL #mourned.
III Slowly they bore him back to Ill
Vnois and along the way counties
o thousands paid homage to him who's
}. lhirth had been SO humble but who's
: V"orks so glorious. At Springfield, h
# Twas inferred with all due pompt an
j. ceremony but they tell Ime it was nc
h until the next day that the loving con
ii panions of his earlier years came {
: his grave, to weep in silence for thei
Ill friend and neighbor And SO Abr;
a ham Lincoln came home.
r. A satisfactory analysis of Lincoln
=. character would of course be impo
!. sible for me when scholars and hfsto
\. ians are unequal to the task Sprin,
~ ing from humblest environment his, q
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