The Washington herald., 1909-02-07
BY HORACE WHITE.


Copyright; Ias. By the Chioaso TribuneJ
/ The critical period in the life Of Abra-
ham Lincoln and in the history OF the
I United States vas embraced in the four
months succeeding his election as Presi-
ident. Il IS the commonly accepted belief
that in this interval he was the chief bar
rier against any surrender Of the prin-
ciples upon which he had been elected.
/ This belief is well founded. II he vas a
/ barrier at all he must have been the
I principal one. because he alone could
/ keep ali the ether barriers erect and firm,
while II he failed none Of the others
would have been OF any avail whatever
At Springfield. H.. on November 20
+ 1850, there was celebration OF the cleo
I tion OF Lincoln and Hamlin, at which
1 speeches were made by Senator Trum-
bull. John NJ Palmer. and Richard
Yates. Mr.. Lincoln had been urged 10
say something at this meeting that would
tend TO quiet the rising surges Of dis
union at the South. but he thought that
the time for him 70 speak had not yet
come. He. wished 20 let his record speak
for him, and 20 see whether the commo-
ton IN the siave-hoIding States would
increase or subside. Meanwhile he de-
sired that the influence Of this public
meeting at his home should be peace
ful and not irritating To this end he
wrote the following words and privately
handed them 10 Trumbull. and asked
him to make them part OF his own
speech:
Il have lsbored in and for the Repub-
lican organization with entire confidence
that whenever il shall be in power each
and al Of the States viii be left in as
complete control Of their own affairs. re-
spectively, and at as perfect liberty TO
choose and employ their own means Of
protecting property and preserving peace
and order within their respective limits
as they have ever been under any ad-
ministratiOn- Those who have voted for
Mr. Lincoln have expected and still ex-
peCt this. and they would not have voted
for him had they expected otherwise. I
regard IL as extremely fortunate for the
peace Of the whole country that this
point upon which the Rt pubiicans have
been so long and so persistently misrepre-
sented. is nov brought 70 a practical test
and placed beyond the possibility Of
doubt. Disunionists per Sc are now IN
hot haste 20 get out OF the Union, pre-
cisely because they perceive they cannot
much longer maintain an apprehension
among the Southern people that their
homes and firesides and lives are TO be
endangered by the action Of the Federal
government With such Now or Never
is the maxim. l am glad OF the mill
tary preparations in the South Il will
enable the people the more easily to SUD-
press any uprisings there which those
misrepresentation Of purposes may have
encouraged These words were incor-
poTsted in Mr. TrImbuITs speech and
we're printed in the newspa pers, and the
manuscript in LincOla's handwriting is
still preserved.
Letters to TrumbulI.
The following letters from Lincoln
throw light on the attitude toward com
promise after the election:
PRIVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL,
Springfield, H. Dec o. ls5o-Hou. l. Trunn-
bulL-Aiy Dear Sir: Let there he no compromise
IN the question Of extending slavery IF there be
al our labor Is lost. and loug must be done
over again. The dangerous g-ound-that into
which some Of our friends have hsnkering to
un-is DoDsOT. Have none Of il. Stand fm /
The tug has 70 cone; and better nov than any
time hereafter. Yours as eTe4.
A. LINCOLN. Ms.
CONFIDENTIAL
Springfield. IL. Dec. T. Is5e-Hon. Lvra1
TrrnhulL-My Desr Sir: Tours inclosing Mr. I
Wsdss letter. which herewith return. il re- 4
ceired. II any Of our friends do rrore false and /
tx up compTomiSe on the territorial question. 4
am for fighting agzin-thst IS all It IS but repe-