Ottumwa tri-weekly courier., 1909-10-05

to preserve the CONSTITUTIONS, II 10 Save
slavery, or any other minor matters,
should permit the wreck of govern
ment, country and constitution alto
gether. When early in the war General
Fremont attempted emancipation, |
forbade it, because did not then
think it an indispensable necessity;
when a little later General Cameron,
then secretary of war, suggested the
arming of the blacks, | objected, be-
cause did not think it an indispensa-
BILE necessity. When still later General
Hunter attempted military emancipa-
ton, again forbade it, because / did
not yet think it an indispensab leneces-
sity had come When in March and
May and July, 1862, made earnest
and successive appeals to the border
states to favor comparative emanci-
patton ] believed the indispensable nee,
fessity for military emancipation and
arming the blacks would come unless
averted by that measure. They de-
clined the proposition and was in my
best Judgment driven to the alterna-
tive of either surrendering the union
and with 1t the constitution, or of lay
ing strong hand upon the colored ele-
ment | chose the latter. In choosing
it, | hoped for greater gain than loss,
but of this / was not entirely conf
dent. More than year of trial shows
no loss by it in our foreign relations,
none in our home popular sentiment,
none in our white military force, no
loss by it anyhow or anywhere. On
the contrary, it shows a gain of quite
one hundred and thirty thousand sol
diers, seamen and laborers. Those
are palpabIe facts, about which, as
facts, there can be no cavilling. We
have the men and we could not have
had them without the measure. And
now let any man who complains Of
the measure test himself by writing
down in one line that he is for subdu-
ing the rebellion by force of arms and
in the next, that he is for taking one
hundred and thirty thousand men
from the union side and placing them
where they would be but for the
measure he condemns.
...If he cannot face his case as SO
stated, it is only because he cannot
face the truth. add a word which
was not in the verbal conversation.
In telling this tale attempt no COM
pliment to my own sagacity. claim
not to, have controlled events, but
confess plainly that events have con-
trolled me- Now at the end of three
years struggle, the nations condition
is not what either party, or any man
devised or expected! God alone can
claim it. Whittier it Is tending seems
plain. If God now Wills the removal
lof a great wrong and wills also that
we of the north and you of the south
shall pay fairly for our completely in
that wrong, impartial history will
find therein new cause to attest and
revere the justice and goodness of
God.
"tYours truly,
GA. Lincoln
| "The Kentuckians had evidently
been laboring with Mr.. Lincoln in be
half of the Shareholders of that state
and he made the foregoing statement
in defense of his action. How over
whelmingly he confounds his oppon
ents. This is one of the numerous vic
/! tries he gained during that
great contest repeat that
lie any man would learn Of
( Mr.. Lincoln let him take the story
1 from his own lips and pen, story sc
cheeringly beautiful and grandly i'm
pressive that it is no wonder 1t is
sought to put a rich excerpt from it
1 in endearing bronze for the study o1
/ the rising generations.
HIn closing, just word as to the
religion of Mr.. Lincoln as interpret
him in this regard. He seemed to me
to humbly and reverently lay bare
I his heart to drink in Of the righteous
ness of his God, wherewith to adorr
his life, like as the budding rose opens
and unfolds its beauty and its fra
GRANGE in the glory of the sum"