New-York tribune., 1909-02-13
LINCOLN In NEW YORK
Continued from frst psss

is .right?" and by that test insisting that all
political questions should be determined
Various stories are told-Sorne historical. so me
legendary-to illustrate Abraham Lincoln > Ialtn
in prayer offered to a God efficient IN tne az
fairs OF this world. The first expression OF sucn
faith that I can find from Mr. Lincoln nir1seI
is in his address to his fellow citizens OF Spring
field as he starts on his eastward journey 10
his first Inauguration:
II now leave. not knowing when or whether
ever 1 may return with task oeIors me
greater than that which rested upon Wasnlns-
ton. Without the assistance Of that DIVINE
Being who ever attended him cannot succeed
With that assistance cannot fail trusting IN
Him who go with and remain WIN you
and be everywhere for good, let US connoeIIlly
hope that ali will yet be well. To His care COM
mending you. as L hope in your prayers you win
commend me. bid you an afrectionats farewell
PLACED TRUST IN GOD.
From this simple faith in the God who watches
over nations as over individuals he never de-
deepen and strengthen it. But in his earlier
life. before burdens too heavy for him TO bear
alone had driven MIN TO iook Tor nep DostiC no the
He wrote in his youth essay against Chris
tanity which. fortunately for his reputation,
the only indication of an anti-Christian faith
there is no indication in his youth Of any re-
ligious faith Christian or other. Says Mr.. Hern-
don: 'Afr. Lincoln had faith. In order TO
believe he must and feel and thrust ms mana
into the place He must taste smell and handle
before he had faith even belief. MI Hern-
don's estimate is confirmed by that of Iincoins
wife. Mr. Lincoln. she says. had no faith and
He never joined church; but still. as believe,
he religious man by nature he
first seemed to think about the subject Wneh our
Willie died. and then more than ever at the tlfne
be went to Gettysburg: but it was a kind OF
poetry in his nature and he was never a 1ech-
nical Christian
What is meant by technical Christian l am
not quite But If Mr.. Lincoln had in the
early part of his life faith and no hope, 1t is
certain that from his earliest years he had a
conscience. Whether II was inherited from MS
mother. or acquired by his education,
oai1r FI-a cay1f{f la soul mVSfe
rious Being in whom have our life, 1t Ger
tainly dominated his whole nature and con-
troIled his whole conduct. From his youth up
he known among his rough companions as
to him their controversies. and accept his arbit-
raTnent generally without question
LOVE LETTERS OF LINCOLN.
If ever there is a time IN the life Of man
when his conscience takes the second place
and his passion comes to the front II Is when
he is in love I think Abraham Lincons let
ter to Mary Owens in 1887 IS unique speci-
in love literature of lovemakins by con-
science:
ticulsrly with women I want at this par
ticular time. than anything else. TO 90
right with you; and if knew IT would be doing
right. as rather suspect II would be- TO lei you
alone. would do it. and for the purpose OF max
ing the matter as plain as possible now say
that you now drop the subject. dismiss your
thoughts Of you had any from me for
ever and leave this letter unanswered. without
calling forth one accusing murmur from me-
Nothing would make me more miserable
than to believe you misera ble-nothing more
happy than TO know you were SO. -,
He was a Of eager professional anbl-
tions but his notes, prepared for law lecture
in 1850 which was. so far as know. never qe-
livered, show that in his innermost Thought nus
professional ambitions were subordinated 10 ms
conscience. There is" he says. "a vague popu-
lar belief that lawyers are necessarily dls-
honest. I say vague because when We con
slider 10 what extent confidence and honors are
reposed in and conferred upon lawyers by the
people. il appears improbable that their mn
NJ dishonesty
yet the impression is common. almost unlNeF-
sal Let no young man using the law for
calling for a moment WELD 10 the popular be-
lief-resolve to be honest at all events. and II
in your own Judgment you cannot be an honest
LAWYER resolve to be honest without being
LAWYER Choose some other occupation rather
than one in the choosing OF which you DO in
advance consent TO be a knave.
HIS POLITICAL AMBITIONS.
He was man of strong political ambitions
but from the outset OF his life his political am
billions were subordinated to his sense Of public
righteousness. In 1886 he was running for the
first time for Office His defeat then would prob
ably have been a permanent end to his political
hopes Mr.. Robert Allen has said that he was
in nossess,on of facts which II known TO the
IN, III pe o,,,S 80 NJ tncolr's prosnects
but through favor TO Mr. Lincoln ha would not
divulge those facts Mr.. Lincoln writes him:
NO one has needed favors more than ! and
generally few have been less unwilling to accept
them; but in this case favor TO me would be IN
your pardon for declining II" And then he
adds: The candid statement Of facts on your
par4 however low IT may sink me, shall never
break the tie Of personal friendship between us
A wear later. at twenty-eight years or age.
Lincoln delivers 1yceum address in Spring
field He the young men TO whom he
speaks of impending national peril. He fears no
attack OF foreign foe. AS a nation OF freemen.
he saws I'VE must live through all time or die
by suicide" The domestic peril which he fears
is not intemperance. gambling, nor even
slavery but lack Of conscience, disregard
OF Justice. the growing disposition 70 substi-
tute the wild and furious passions in lieu OF the
sober judgments of courts and the worse than
savage mobs for the executive ministers Of jus
tice."
HIS SPEECH OF ACCEPTANCE
He is nominated by the Republicans Of Illi-
nois against Stephen A Douglas TO be United
states Senator. He prepares with care his
speech of acceptance and reads II to his friends.
1t opens with these pregnant sentences, since
become famous in the political history Of
America: "A house divided against itself can
not stand. / believe this government cannot
endure permanently half slave. half free. do
not expect the Union to be dissolved. but do
expect IL will to be divided II will be-
come all one thing all the other"
His cautious friends protest One calls II
fool utterance. Another says 1t is ahead OF the
times third argues that il would drive away
a good many voters fresh from the Democratic
ranks. Even his abolition friend. aerndon,
doubts it's wisdom. This thing replies Lin
coin has been retarded long enough The time
has come when these sentences should be heard.
and If it is decreed that should go down be-
cause of this speech. then let me go down linked
10 the truth Let me die In the advocacy OF
z,bat IS lust end right" In his subsequent de
hate with Douglas he nails this nag to the mast
and keeps IL flying there: The real issue Is
whether slavery is right or wrong That is the
iesue that will continue in this country when
these poor tongues of Judge Douglas and my
self shall be silent II is the eternal struggle
between two principles right and wrong
throughout the world They the two prin-
cinJes which have stood face 10 face from the
beginning Of time and viii ever continue to