The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1908-02-20


~vaatafx NJ Lincoln saa Il ail aud
said 10 wauid sccelt ~ his wlfe would
rouseni nuI his wife REFUSED 70 DO
~a.v and time has shown thai shc was
rlEhi, IN she usually was when q came
10 question u practical politics
PROM ihc time o. hls rctiwment from
congress 10 1854. when the rvpcsi ~
fhr Misfonfi compromise and the Kan
sas Nebraska hin hroke the hollow
tguce 81 1850, which Mr. Clay and his
camnecrs fondly wTanicd ss = peace,
Mr. ilncolB's NE was one of compare
tive political inactivity lie aid not lie
lleFe that The sectional agitatious could
~ permanently slilled by the devices
whlch thcs seemed effeciual 10 the
foremost statesmen Of either party aud
81 both sections. Hut he was not dis
posed 20 be forward IN the renewal Of
them He probably hoped against con
vlciion that time would allay the ami
mosltics which endangered at once the
Union and the principles OF free gov
enment. which had thus far preserved
precarious existence among the
North American states.
Coming home TO Springfield from the
fremont court In 1850 In company
with Mr.. Stuart. he said: "The time
win come when We must NIL be Dem
ocrnts or Abolitlonists. When tina,
time comes. my mind IL made up. The
slavery question can't be compromis
Ell. so Is my mind made up re.
piled his equally firm companion, and
nt that moment neither doubted on
which side he would find the other
when the great struggle took place.
The Wing party everywhere In con.
sress and IN their conventions, local
aud acknowledgement the compromise
" 1850 under the leadership OF Mr.
Clay and Mr.. Webster, Mr.. Lincoln
did the same, for from the hour that
party lines were distinctly and closely
drawn IN his state he was an unswerv'
Ing party man. But, although he said
nothing against those measures and
much In favor OF them, II is clear that
he accepted the result with reluctance,
He spoke out his disapproyal OF the
fugitive slave law as II was passed
believing and declaring wherever he
went that negro man apprebended ns
n slave should have the privilege OF n
trial by Jury instead Of the summary
processes provided by the law.
"Mr. Lincoln and ! were going TO
Petersburg IN 1850 think" says Mr.
Herndon. "The political world was
dead. The compromises OF 1850 seem
ed TO settle the negro's fate. Things
we're stagnant, and all hope for prog
ress IN the line OF freedom seemed TO
be crushed out. Lincoln was speculat'
Ing with me about the deafness OF
things and the despair which arose out
OF II and deeply regretting that his
human strength and power were limit
ed by his nature 10 rouse and stir UP
the world. He said gloomily, despair
lngly, sadly: How hard, OH how hard
II Is 70 die and leave ones country no
better than If one had never lived for
Il! The world Is dead TO hope, deaf TO
It's own death struggle, made known
by universal cry. What is to be
done? Is anything to be donef Who
ran do anything, and how Is II TO be
done? Did you ever think OF these
thingsF"
In 1850 Mr.. Lincoln again declined
TO be a candidate for congress, and q
newspaper called the Tazewell Mirror
persistlng In naming him for the place
he published letter refusing most
emphatcally to be considered a candl-
date. The concluding sentence alleged
that there were many men among the
wings of the district who would he as
likely as he TO bring "the district right
side up"
Until the death of bis excellent step
mother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, Mr. Lin
coin never considered himself free for
a moment from the obligation to look
after and care for her family. She
had made herself his mother, and he
regarded her and her children ms near
relatiyes-m nearer than any OF the
Hankses.
Death Of Lincoln's Father.
The limit of Thomas Lincoln's life
was rapidly approaching. Mrs. Chap
man, his stepdaughter, wrote Mr.. Lin.
coin TO that effect, and so did John
Johnston He began to fear that the
straitened circumstances OF the house.
hold might make them think twice be-
fore they sent for n doctor or procur-
ed other comforts for the poor old
man, which he needed perhaps more
than drugs He was too busy to visit
the dying man, but sent him kind
message and directed the family TO get
whatever was wanted upon his credit:
Springfield, Jan, u, 1851.
Dear Brother-On the day before yes
terday received letter from Harriet
written at Greenup She says she has
lust returned from your house ana that
father is very low and will hardly re-
cover She also says that you have writ
ten me two letters and that. although you
do not expect me to come now, you won
der that | do not write. ] received both
your letters. and, although have not
anwered them II Ia not because nave
forgotten them or not been Interested
about them, but because II appeared 10
me ] could write nothing which could do
any good You already know ! desire
that neither father nor mother shall be
I'm want OF any comfort either In health
Or siekneas while they live and ! feel