Staunton spectator and vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1896-1916, 1909-02-19
EULOGIEs ON LINCOLN.

EULOGIES ON LINCOLN.
The "Lincoln Day" storm which
swept the country last Friday, that great
political seismic disturbance which
seized upon that day because it was the
one hundredth anniversary of the birth
day of Abraham Lincoln, has happily
passed, leaving the country in some
what better condition than at the end
Of the "Lincoln War; storm which
swept the country from 1861 to 1865.
The greatness of Mr.. Lincoln is just
now being fully understood, we are
reminded. 1t has increased, we admit,
so rapidly within the last forty years
that if it continues at the same rate
forty years more, most other names will
be crowded Oft the pages of history.
We are not now undertaking to detract
from Mr.. Lincoln's real greatness. He
had lot of it, not all his friends claim,
because last Friday he was sent beyond
the station of humanity, but much
more than many of his contempories,
or those of the days preceding or follow
ing him. To him not above others, but
to him absolutely, is given the credit
of Saving the nation" By many also
he is credited with the abolition of
slavery. We are not denying either.
Most people may hereafter believe he
did both, and to those who so believe,
we would do nothing to shake or break
their faith.
On that natal anniversary President
Roosevelt, Booker T. Washington, and
DR.. Thomas Nelson Page, at different
points, all made addresses.
The President was prompted,
we suppose, partly out of admiration,
and partly by his love of playing to
the grand stand. The Professor ought
to have been prompted by profound
respect and admiration. The prompt
ings Of the Doctor are somewhat mys-
FERROUS and vague, though we believe
he has heretofore given utterance to
the sentiment that it was fortunate
the Confederacy suffered defeat" 1t
is not long step therefore from that
position, to the trumpeting of praises
for Lincoln. A Washington newspa-
per speaking of the eulogies of DR.. Page,
says: 'sThe famous Southern writer
spoke from the standpoint of the peo-
pie of his section" If the newspaper
thought so it has gone astray. DR..
Page may have spoken from his own
and the standpoint of some Southern
ers, but much fewer than most people
suppose. We trust that neither the
newspaper nor DR.. Page supposed he
was speaking from the standpoint of
tho people of the Valley of Virginia.
If so, both are wide of the mark. AS one
of the people of that country devasta-
ted by fire and sword-and we believe
we voice the sentiment of most OF
them-we have not now and never
will love those who did it, nor those
who made it possible. We have never
loved that New England hypocrisy
which looked upon slavery as Gun.
holy" only when they had found il
''unprofiitable." Nor do we admit
that the danger to the Union was Of
Southern origin. The Southern peo
pie had no desire to detroy the Union
but were driven to desperation and
revolution by the course of the North
and the West toward them. They
have SO far as the rank and file go nc
apologies to make, and they have nc
love for those who would have de
stroyed them, only to elevate the n,
gro over them, though they may admit
the genius of some of their prosecutors
They have never seen wherein Lin
ooln was any more their friend thar
Grant or Sheridan or Sherman. Il
they were friends then God save us
from our friends. In all the literature
lust published about Lincoln NOT ONE
WORD, and we challenge contradiction
has been found or reprinted coming
direct from himself, showing that he
was "the friend of the South" On
the other hand, he as President, an6
Commander-in-C Chief of the Armies Of
United States, endorsed all the Acts
passed by Congress and all of the crue
orders issued by Grant, of which the
following are some samples:
getty POINT, July IA, 1864.
"Major General Halleck, Washington
| d. c.:
"If the enemy has left Maryland, as
1 suppose he has, he should have upon
his heels veterans, militiamen, men or
horseback, and everything that can bt
got to follow to eat out Virginia cleal
and clean az far as they go, so thai
crows flying over it for the balance Of
this season will have to carry theil
prevender with them.
"U. S. GRANT,
General"
getty POINT, July Is, 1854.
"Major-G General Halleck, Washington,
| d. c.:
eff Hunter cannot get to Gordons-
Vile and Charlottesville to cut the
railroad, he should make all the valley
south of the Baltimore and Ohio rail