The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-02-05

counselors. Even as 1t was, he pre-
pared the proclamation long before 1t
| was given out, being held back at the
advice of Seward. Above all else, Lin
! coin was on the ground and knew
what was needed. 1t is hardly fair to
Judge him IT this distance.
Here is sober truth however. Up to
| the time the emancipation proclama-
ton went into effect the Union victo-
ries had been few and slight. Within
Eight months thereafter occurred the
twin successes at Vicksburg and Get
/ tysburg, which decided the fate of the
war. After ALL the invisible moral
! forces rule the world
The long and agonizing struggles
| through which President Lincoln pass
! ed in the early defeats of the war, in
the death of his little son, in the mis-
understandings and abuse from the
/ abolitionists and others on his own
! side of the struggle. and his own men,
! tai conflict in arriving at determine
Jon to liberate the slaves, made the
first years of the war a veritable Geth-
Bemane. That he long contemplated
! emancipation as soon as the proper
hour arrived was shown by interviews
with various friends, 1t is suggested
! that the defeats ard his private grief
! had much TO do with forcing him to
! take this supreme step. Through the
wilderness of sorrow God leads us to
many promised lands.
! When emancipation came the fears
of the timid concerning its disastrous
! effects on the northern cause We're
seen to be groundless. Events went
| on as before. But on the 4th of July
! following came the events which
wrote this latest decree of freedom
into the permanent law forever. The
/ war dragged on after Gettysburg, but
! it was only a shell. It's spirit, which
was breathed into it by the Confeder-
, acy's hope, died on that field.
! The attitude of both Lincoln and
! was statesmanlike in the highest de-
| gree 1t won the golden opinions not
! only of Englishmen, but of all Euro
| peans. 1t was assumed in the face Of
universal clamor. An act of that sort
/ shows the highest courage. The frank
admission of the wrong done and the
real principle involved, that Of the
right of search, which we ourselves
had denied, made the act unique in di-
plomacy, shining example for other
lands TO follow.
Lincolns manner of conducting his
campaign for a second term consisted
In making no campaign at all. He
! knew Secretary Chase was q cand1-
date and yet did not resent it, nor
would he ask for Chase's resignation.
| There is no doubt that Lincoln want
ed the vindication of "a denomination
and reelection. There is no question
that there were times when he felt
doubtful of the outcome, though usual
ly buoyed up by serene faith Yet
he did little or nothing for himself and
let his enemies conspire against him
unchecked. That he won out shows
once more that the invisible moral
forces have more to do with running
this world than they get credit for.
After all, however, the best part Of
Lincoln rests on such sentiments as
are shown in his Gettysburg speech
! his second inaugural address, with it's
! charity for all and malice toward
none," in his pardons for military pris-
oners and in his large heartedness re-
vealed in q thousand different ways
His tenderness for the weak, his SYM
pathy for distress, his patience and
| accomplishing endurance, his lack of
censure for others-all these things
have touched the worlds heart and
/ have engendered a feeling of personal
love for Lincoln such as has seldom
! been witnessed in modern times.
The Gettysburg address and second
! inaugural were President Lincoln's chief
contributions to the literature of the
world. In many respects they are
| alike. Both came near the end of his
| life, when his great and trying work
| was almost at an end. Both are eX-
tremely brief, the briefest great ora
lions on record. Both are exceedingly
! simple, stating fundamental and pri-
mary propositions that everybody
! knew and yet giving them a meaning
so true and so final that it must be-
come the verdict of the ages.
The Gettysburg address laid down
the simple principle that the battle &C.
curing on that field had been fought
| for the preservation of human equal
ity and popular government. Gettys-
! burg was one more triumph for the
Declaration of Independence. The Sec
ond inaugural took up another phase
! of the same theme. The war had
come because of slavery. Liberty had
won the victory. 1t was In Gods pur-
pose that one man should no longer
! eat his bread in the sweat of another
! mans face If Lincoln was right and
| Gods purpose remains now as 1t was
then. we have some more reckonings
on that score for there is still tyranny.
and those who produce are yet de-
/ prived of their own. The browning
! glory of the second inaugural, how
ever. is its magnanimity. The battle
having been won, there was nothing
| but mercy for the conquered. The
| spirit of the Gettysburg address is
| democracy: that of the second inau-
J gural is love.
One of the war presidents most
marked characteristics was lack Of lit