The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-04-23

Wtnt NnEhtd uuu MthSOuffs thun NJ
fording protection to the loyal peo-
pie there. and securing their much
needed aid thereafter. The invasion
OF Tennessee. The opening OF the
Mississippi river to the gulf. thus cut
ting In two the enemies territory
These things all came To pass. Some
OF them very slowly. TO be sure, and
at fearful cost. But they all came q
pass. To conduct the campaign In
front of the capitol. and to clear the
disputed territory there. Mr.. Lincoln
relied most largely upon General Nc
Clellan, only To meet with the most
bitter disappointment.
while he urged and ordered n gen
eral advance. and the people clarnor
ed why don't the army move" the
army quietly rested on It's arms. And
when the president felt compelled "a
remove Mcclellan from his command
the very earth seemed TO tremble nm
der his feet.
| Men Worshiped Mcclellan.
THE Army OF the Potomac fairly
worshiped, Mcclellan. He was hand
some he was kind and gentle. he was
popular with his men. they had beer
having an easy and restfnl time
while the president had again and
again ordered a forward movement
Mcclellan was lovable character
but he was no warrior tn lead his men
To battle. More considerate or his mer
by far than Caesar or Napoleon. but
no commander 10 win battles in Wig
/ orous warfare.
i Dat nh hs
men loudly protested. and the seces
sion element In the north. encouraged
by McClellan's friends. again cried
out Failure A man less courageous
and firm than Lincoln would have
fallen in his tracks.
Stood BY His Guns.
! But Lincoln was the commander
In chief. and like the soldier that he
was. he stood by his guns. stimulated
and encouraged by voices from the
far distant north: We are coming
father Abraham six hundred thousand
strong
The commander in chief OF n mil
lion OF men. all actively engaged In
vigorous warfare. beseiped by day and
! by night by scheming politicians, and
by voluntary advisors. some in good
; faith, some the reverse, importuned by
military men fer promotion and pref
erence. implored by broken hearted
mothers 10 save their sons from pun
| ishment for military offenses. time ahd
again called upon to decide whether
| he must hazard the destruction of an
army because a soldier boy had fallen
asleep on his picket post. and thus
exposed the army to surprise and al =
tack. or whether he must enforce mill
tary discipline. call firing squad. and
open n pathway from n mothers cot =
/ tage on a northern hillside, to a little
green mound i'm sunny southern
/ valley. the grasses along which would
be for years thereafter watered with
bitter human tears: Mr.. Lincoln, list =
, ened to all OF these patiently and
thoughtfully. and disposed of them
honestly and fairly. and with a prayer
on his lips that he might he guided
! Alright.
Nature Had Gifted Him.
Nature had gifted him. lIiety had
inspired him.. anu the genins that
smouldcd I'm him I'm civil life burst out
when his country called. Tho warriors
OF earth have made their history. Able
and honest historians have written.
not always in praise and commenda-
ton OF the military career of Jul
, ius Caesar. OF Hannibal and of Pom
pey. OF Napoleon Bonaparte and Well
inston. OF Bismark and Won Moltke:
yes, and OF Washington and Jackson.
but Abraham Lincoln by his remark
able planning and conduct of the cam
paigns during the four long years OF
the war OF the rebellion, by his cour-
age and yet his kindness. by his firm :
ness and yet his sympathy. by his de-
termination To save the Union al all
hazards, and nj no matter what cost,
and yet his magnanimous treatment
or fallen, foe. excited the admiration
and applause OF The civilized world.
Was Not a Conquering Hero.
Al the close OF the Franco prus-
sian war. Won Moltke marched his
c0nquering army through the arch of
triumph In Paris. for no other pur-
pose on the green earth than 10 hum
bile and degrade the proud people of
France. Lincoln. ut the close of the
War OF the Rebellion, counselled
Grant and Sherman at City Point. IN
give the conquered Confederates their
horses and send them TO their homes
I'M peace. His was not the act of n
conqnering hero dealing with a down .
fallen foe. but rather n calling back
10 the fold of an erring wanderer. BY
that act he sealed the perpetuity of
The Federal Union forever, and made
u easy for n Confederate veteran In
clasp the hand OF northern soldier
and call him comrade and brother. as
Is being done today. He could rejoice
over n dearly bought victory in the
conntrys cause. lie could offer his
sympathy to the afflicted. the sick and
the wounded. lie could shed his tears
over the dead. lie answered his coun-
try's call for the preservation of the
Union. He lived for IT, He endured for
IL. lie Inundated himself for II. He
sacrificed all or his personal interests
Tor u. And as ? last act. browning his
heroic devotion, he died for ID. This
was Abraham Lincoln. the COM
mander-in -chier"
Lincoln As a Christian"
Rev. Constant announced that Mrs.
NJ. ID Fritz was TO have read ma
per that evening on Lincoln as n
christian" but as she was unable to
attend ON account OF illness. be sub
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