New Ulm review., 1909-02-24

.
pared the proclamation long before it J,
was given out, being held back at the
advice of Seward. Above all else, Liz !
coin was on the ground and knew !
what was needed. 1t is hardly fair to
judge him at 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 determfna-
tion to liberate the slaves, made the
| first years of the war veritable Geth-
] semane That he long contemplated
/ emancipation as soon as the eroper
1 hour arrived was shown by interviews
with various friends. 1t is suggested
| that the defeats and 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 were
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 she'll Its spirit, which
was breathed into 1t by the Confeder-
acy's hope, died on that field.
The attitude of both Lincoln and
Seward in the Mason and SliiieH affair
was statesmanlike in the highest de.
gree It won the golden opinions moi
only of Englishmen, but of all Euro
peans. 1t was assumed in the face OF
universal c1amor. An act OF that sort
shows the highest courage. The franE
admission of the wrong done and the
real principle involved, that of thu
, right of search, which we ourselves
had denied, made the act unique in di
plomacy, shining example Tor othe
, lands TO follow
Iincoln's manner OF conducting hi
? campaign for a second term consisted
In making no campaign at all. III
knew Secretary Chase was candi
date and yet did not resent it, no
would he ask for Chase's resignation
There Is no doubt that lincoln want
ed the yindication Of renOminat tiol
and reelection There is no question
that there were times when he fel
doubtful OF the outcome, though usual
II buoyed up by a serene faith. Ye
he did little or nothing for himself an,
let his enemies conspire against hin
unchecked That he won out show
once more that the Invisible mora
forces have more to do with runnin
this world than they get credit for.
After all, however, the best part o
lincoln rests ON such sentiments a
are shown in his Gettysburg speech
his second inaugural address, with it
Charity for all and malice towart
none,'' in his pardons for military pris
oners and in his large heartedness re
vealed In a thousand different ways
His tenderness for the weak, his sym
pathy for distress, his patience ant
accomplishing endurance, his lack o
censure for others-all these thing
have touched the worlds heart ant
have engendered feeling of persona
love for Lincoln such as has seldom
been witnessed in modern times
The Gettysburg address and secon(
inaugural We're President Lincoln's chic
contributions to the literature Of tht
world. In many respects they art
alike. Both came near the end Of hi:
life, when his great and trying wort
was almost at an end Both are ex
tremely brief, the briefest great ora
ttOns on record. Both are exceedingly
simple, stating fundamental and pri
mary propositions that everybody
knew and yet giving them meaning
so true and so final that it must be-
come the verdict of the ages
The Gettysburg address laid dowr
tnS oAAiApiC VI i1iSlpsS tudt tue Ddtlle OC
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 It 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-
prfyed of their own The crownins
glory OF the second inaugural. how