Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-13

creeps back to the hearts that were
hurt. But to Lincoln was given this
supreme vision.
"He did not hate the man from
whom he differed. Weakness was as
foreign as wickedness to his strong,
gentle nature; but his courage was of
a quality so high that 1t needed no
bolstering of dark passion. He saw
clearly that the same high qualities.
the same courage and willingness for
self-sacrifice, and devotion to the right
as 1t was given them to see right, be-
longed both to the men of the North
and to the men of the South AS the
years roll by and as all of us, wher-
ever we dwell, grow to feel an equal
pride in the valor and self-devotion.
alike of the men who wore the blue
and the men who wore the gray so
this whole nation will grow to feel a
peculiar sense of pride in the might.
est of the mighty men who mastered
! the mighty days; the lover of his
country and of all mankind; the man
whose blood was shed for the union
4 of his people and for the freedom Of
race, Abraham Lincoln"
General Wright Deplores Slavery.
In his address delivered today at
Lincoln farm, the spot where Abra-
/ ham Lincoln was born exactly 100
years ago, General Luke E. Wright,
/ Secretary of War. speaking at the
exercises held in connection with the
| centenary of the War Presidents
| birth, paid high tribute to the fame
and name of Lincoln.
Secretary Wright declared that Alb
ramam believed that slavery was a
-, -,
believing thus he added "he was
right" After speaking of the humble
origin and poor opportunities which
4 Lincoln had, he went on to refer to
the question of the right of state con-
cession, declaring that ut would be
unfair to say that there was COM
plete unarimity of sentiment upon
this subject on either side of Mason
and Dixon's line" Secretary Wright
said that slavery was not alone the
sin Of the South although its expia-
ton fell heaviest upon her people"
In speaking of the work of Mr.. Lin
coin, he said that through it all he ut
tered no word of III will or malice to-
ward the southern people; that when
Lincoln saw victory resting upon the
Northern arms he showed no feeling of
exultation; that if he had lived there
would have been a speedy union of
hearts between the north and the
south; and trat TeCoIStTuCllOn uia
more to postpone reconciliation than
did the war itself"
His Efforts to Prevent War.
Alas" exclaimed the secretary Of
war, referring to Lincoln's first in
auglrral address, that the still small
voice of moderation and reason was
drowned in the angry cries of deter
mined men marshalling for a conflict,
the magnitude of which few, If any,
appreciated and the consequences Of
which few, If any. forsaw. And yet
of thousands Of men who felt the
sweet reasonableness of his dispas-
; sionate statement, whose hearts were
touched by his pathetic cry for peace,
and yet who, caueht up in the rising
excitement of the time, aligned them
, selves under the stress Of crcum-
stances on the one side or the other,
tens of thousands of men on both
sides deploring war. yet when war
seemed inevitable. ranging themselves
(, with their neighbors. 1t seemed the
2 very irony Of fate that SO gentle g
! spirit SO sympathetic and kindly a
nature should be forced by the stern
logic of events over which he had no
control and for which he was in no
way responsible, to assume the role OF
commander n-chef in a sanguinary
civil war between men of the same
DlOOd and the same TRADITIONS.
The South's Sorrow.
The years of war and destruction
during which he was president, whilst
they plowed deep lines of care and grief
!, upon his rugged face and wrung his
:. gentle heart provoked no expressions
: of bitterness from his lips. His many
: acts of personal kindness to southern
, prisoners and southern sympathizer!
!, demonstrated how free from the spirit
l of malice or vengeance he was. AS In
9 the progress Of time 1t became evident
I the Union arms would triumph, he
S evinced no feeling of exultation OF
! sense of personal triumph, but only
;, an anxious desire to restore the south
ern states to their former place in the
u union and to heal the wounds of civil
4 strife. That he would have succeeded
e in carrying with him great majority
s of the people Of the north in his ben
!, eficent purposes, does not, to my mind
:, admit of doubt: and that there would
have followed speedily the union o
J. hearts is equally certain. 1t was, in.
t deed. cruel, that at the moment wher
/, he had reached the point for which hi
t had striven he should have died at the
: hands of hair-brained actor who wa
:. in no way identified with the south OF
y with her people. Still more cruel wa.
Q fate to the southern people. The!
{ shuddered both at the dastardly &c
troTs consequences to themselve
:. which they knew would follow. TIL
. dies irae Of reconstruction was the in
$ evitable result and reconstruction dit
e more to postpone reconciliation thai
u did the war itself 1t was direful in it
II results to both sections, and to tn
negroes in greater measure IL POSSIBLE
> than to the whites"
Says Lincoln Was Right.
6 In referrinf to the public utterance
|: Of Lincoln during the period of discus
e sion preceding the war; Secretar
I. Wright say that nothing had impress
. ed him more than the singular clear
!. ness of Lincoln's perception that tn
u responsibility for slavery rested upo
e all our people and was burden whicl
IF should be borne by all alike. Their
|. was a temperance of statement, re
4 spect for the opposite point Of view
), and a moderation in his positions
u which. when the excitement Of TIL
r time IS considered Is most extraordin
l. airy and must command our admira