The Penn's Grove record., 1909-02-12
His Principles and Prophecy

American wfo became President and
served the country SUCCESSFULLY dur
ing the great crisis of the Civil
War. Being killed soon after its close
made him a more popular hero than if
he had lived.
No other President has had his praises
sung in song and story by partisan ad-
mirers, as Lincoln has. 1t is beitting
that the event be celebrated because the
advanced step in self government con-
sumated during his administration,
While giving him full credit for all the
virtues he had or helped put into law,
yet the wrongs that men do often live
after them.
1t is due to his memory that his pri-
vate morality, civic virtues and political
t,iumphs as a partisan hero and pOliti-
cal martyr he recited even tho the law
was broken, the constitution trampled
upon and the decisions as tie Su-
preme Court annulled by military pow
er us an answer to his ''faith that right
made might" and might made right.
On the money and tariff questions he
believed in the Wing and latter day
Republican doctrine. He gained his
nomination over Seward, because he had
never been amember of nor Endorsed the
American Party. AS a candidate for
President his platform reads to-day
more like a Democratic platform and he
appealed to the people in the name OF
| Jefferson and his declaration of indie
pendence and not in the name of Alex,
ander Hamilton.
While he is extolled for the moral
principle of emancipating the slaves
which is imbedded in the laws of the
land, he never appealed to the "higher
law" like MI. Seward, nor signed the
proclamation from a high moral sense
of duty as the abolitionists wishes, but
solely as a military act of last resort to
confiscate the property of an enemy
in arms. His appeal was to save the
Union, with or without slavery, yet his
refusal to send Mcdowell to assist Nc
! Clelland on the peninsula showed that
he was not willing TO bring the war to
a speedy close unless he could see a way
to perpetuate his party in power.
yNhila Ia Iio1 Tho fronia Iooth ~ -
martyr iii a theatre, the sacrifice of $50
600 lives after the failure of McClelland,
for need of expected support must be
overlooked in the triumphal march ola
successful hero.
The sentimental effervescence of his
enthusiastic PARTISAN admirers would
c%anonize him as a saint and many are
placing him along with Christ as pro
proper subject for sermon on Christian
Goodness, although he was never a
member of any Christian Church, never
made a confession of faith, and was Kill
led in a theatre where he had gone for
pleasurer.
Lincoln was religious, believed in and
appealed in his speeches to God.
When we consider that most evangel-
cal preaching not only n-Christianizes,
but un-churcles many who have made a
confession of faith aud live consistent
lives, when they do not pre- claim a pub
lie manifestation of e~motionalism; also
those who attend theatres, the ~inconsist-
ency OF canonizing Abraham Lincoln as a
model Christian saint and salvador.
His good qualities were many and
worthy Of high praises and emulation.
His motto of "Malice toward none, chart
ty for alp should be printed on the tab
lets of every mind, but when we delve in
to all the cold facts OF history Lincoln de-
serves no halo. Yet he was great. The o.
casion made him great. Great in words.
deeds and prophecy, as will be seen below.
LINcoLN's PRoPHECY
On November 81, 1862, Abraham Lin
coin wrote TO VIM. F. Elkins as follows:
(Shibley, page 2S2.)
eyes, We may all congratulate our
selves that this cruel war is nearing its
close. 1t has cost a vast amount of trea-
sure and blood. The best blood OF the
flower OF American youth has been freely
offered upon our country's altar that the |
nation might live. 1t has heen indeed a
trying hour for the republic. but | see in |
the near future a crisis approaching that |
unnerves me and causes me to tremble
for the safety of my country.
"As a result of the war, corporations |
have been enthroned and an era OF cor
ruption iii high places will follow, and the |
money power of the country will endeav-
or to prolong its reign by working upon
the ~prejudices OF the people until all
wealth is aggregated in a few hands, and
the Republic is destroyed. l feel at this
moment more anxiety for the safety of
my country than ever before, even in the
midst of war. God grant that my sus-
piclons may prove groundless."
According TO Llncoln's own words the |
public evils in our body polite to-day had
their reinforcement" under his admin
istration and it was by his official acts
that the nation was first pawned to the
money power Ia foreign money power)
which at this very time controls the peo.
pie by their "prejudices." If he f~elt"anx-
iety," at the incipience of corporations.
what would he think of the gigantic
Standard Oil trust, the Steel trust. the
Beef Trust the Railroad Trust as pictured
the fourth page of this paper, and
other trusts.
Where is there a man in the public eve
to-day with all the morality of Lincoln.
Where is there a man in the public eve
to-day unsulied by the incorporate and
money power which Lincoln e~nthroned?. |
Where is there a man in the public eve
to-day with the true Christian faith, be- |
ljefs and virtues which surpass Lincoln?
Was it Mckinley? Is it Roosevelt?
Does anybody see it in Taft?
Echo answers, "Where?'
II M