The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1913-02-11
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

So Ion@ as this governm emit prevails
HE nazrs Of Abraham Lincoln will be
honored and respected. He was one
of the greatest men the world has
produced. He was great in his hui
mainly. IN the quality OF his religious
Bp4ra&. In his nagnanimity. in his faith
I'M the ed people. in the strength
lDf hig pa0Dnetfc soul. and as the pre-
Dsrver OF a nation.
Iris reliance upon the common man
was not In vain. In his message Of
JuEy. 1861 he said, speaking Of the
great conflict:
s'Th1s is essentially + a peoples
contest. On the side Of the I'M
ION, it Is a struggle for maintains
ing in the world that form and
subseanca Of government whose
1uadane object is to elevate the <
condition of men: to life artificial
weights from all shoulders; to
o1snr the paths OF 1atdable pur-
sua< t. ans to A1eord AL an nnfet=
sxed start and a fair chance in
the race. Of life.
sI am most happy to believe
that the plain people understand
ana appreciate this. It is worthy
of note that while in this the Gov
ernmen4's hour Of triaIIa NUM-
bers of those In the sTxny and
navy II ID ais3a <as sesas with :.
the of4icgs have Resigned and +
proved false to the hand which
had pampered them, not one COM
L.
known to have deserted his hag.''
This trust and faith which Lincoln
had in the people was never shaken.
He carried it to the grave, and his
confidence was justified.
Much there was brought against
him with respect to prop ertyal rights.
Looking backward it is now to be seen
that he was the best friend the prop
erty right in slaves ever had.
He could not deny the right of the
slave to- be free. He could not see
in slavery aught save an injury 60
free labor, and to free country.
But he admitted that the slave was
property and that by generations of
custom certain men had attained and
held property rights in slaves.
Thus he proposed an issue of bonds
under allti1orifg aor the Federal gov
eminent. by which slave owners
would release their property, recetv-
ing compensation for the value there-
of. while at the same time the black
man, who was the property. would be
free.
One of the most eloquent. and log
zeal doeuments that ever pToceeded
from the pen Of man was the message
in which the great president pleaded
of adjusting the great quarrel. but ali
in vain.
The war was fought the blood was
shed. the ltyea were lpst, the billions
were expended -
How small sum does it now seem.
which would have been required. un-
der Lincoln's plan to pay for the
slaves, compared with the sums that
were spent upon the war; the interest
that has been paid upon the debt
created by the war; the moneys. that
have. been discussed in pensions to
heroes of the war; the economic loss
occasioned by the withdrawal for "a
term of years of hundreds of thous-
ands Of men from the usual pursuits
of peace >
Lonco1n was right. He was a
prophet
There is a lesson to be drawn. To-
day men, not of the common people,
contend for property rights that are
founded on national wrongs. These
men deny the authority of the people
and consume the substance of the PEG
pie. Let them consider the future. Let
them inquire if the property. which
they defend has a sounder title than
the property in slaves once had. Let
these men inquire if they would not
better seek the ways of righteousness
and justice before it is too late. Let
them inquire if it is likely that the
people, having shaken off black s1av-
cry, will submit to IN ensIavement of
universal poverty. created by monop-
ply and it's usurious dem aHds.