The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1915-04-23
TRIBUTE TO LINCOLN
HISTORY is RECALLED
from Monday's Daily.

death Of Abraham Lincoln, inst fifty
years before, q special service was
held last night nj the Congregational
church under the direction of the
pastor. Rev. Edward Constant The
pastor said such a memorial service
as this was not To reawaken old war
feelings but 10 do fitting honor to one
OF the nations greatest and most
original men. lie observed that every
Christian church devoutly honored all
who suffered martyrdom. lie re-
marked that Lincoln was killed on
Good Friday the memorial day OF
Chrlst's own death.
Rev. Constant presented Judge
Iorln Cray as the principal speaker
Of the evening. The pastor remarked
that Il was especially fitting on such
an occasion as this to hear an adj
dress by one who was himself en-
gagged in the great struggle through
which the martyred emancipation per-
formed his mighty work.
Address BY Judge Cray.
Judge Cray addressed gathering as
follows:
Fifty years ago last Thursday ! was
journ In 4 hospital I'm a large south
ern city and was awakened in the
quiet early morning by the tolling of
bells all over the city. and when
inquired the cause was told that Lin
coin had been assassinated the night
DcRore. and had died that morning.
A man In the bed next 10 mine said
That means four more years of war.
We had heard OF the capture of
Richmond and Petersburg and the
surrender of Lee. To he sure. but
many reports that VIC had heard were
so unreliable that We felt not at all
certain that the var was drawing To
close. and felt that Iincoln's death
might renew the hostilities. This ex-
rerience. with some others. have in
duced the following lines on Lincoln.
as commander In -chief I'm the War OF
the Rebellion:
Abraham Lincoln was born Feb
ruary l2. 1909. Much has been writ
ten about his early life. about him as
a pioneer. and as a statesman. but
some of US may not have carefully
considered his life and character as q
military man or commander. The con
etitution OF the United States provides
that the president shall be the COM
mander-in chief OF the army and the
navy. When Lincoln was inaugurated
president in March. 1861. war be-
tween the states had been actually
declared and practically begun. For
many years there had been no neces-
sity for. and no commander in chief
who assumed TO discharge the duties
OF that. important Office.
Lincoln had had no previous mill
tary training. he had never wheeled
q battalion, placed a squadron. or
planted a battery. He had been a cap
tain I'm the Blackhawk war. TO be sure.
but that was a mere uprising Of hos
tile Indians, not arising 10 the dignity
of a war. and called upon Lincoln 10
displa' no military genius whatever.
Must Organize An Army.
When the war OF the rebellion he
gan. Il became necessary for Lincoln
TO organize his army and appoint his
commanding generals. The conditions
which confronted him were very en-
barrassing and grave.
Nearly all OF the trained military
officers OF our small regular army. the
West Point graduates. graduates from
the only military school in the United
States Of any Importance ut that time.
were southern born. and when war
was declared they went south and
cast their lots with the Confederacy.
There was Robert f.. Lee. the two
Johnstons, Stonewall Jackson, Hall,
Longstreet, Beauregard. Early. Kirby.
Ewell, Bragg. Hood. F'itz Hugh Lee,
and many others. who abandoned our
army and went with the south, and all
OF whom became renowned military
leaders. Nearly all of the schOolcd
military officers who remained failed
10 win any distinction as military men
In time OF war.
Looked TO the Civilians.
"Incoln was compelled TO look 10
the civilians OF the north for his mil
itary leaders. In the appointment of
Ills generals he was subjected 10
political influence. party prejudice
and public clamor And while he made
mistakes and met with bitter disap-
pointments. like Mcclellan. Pope. Me-
Dowell, Burnside and others, yet with
q forensic eye he saw Grant, Sher-
man. Sheridan, Thomas and many
others. who led the Union army 40
final victory.
Perhaps the most important and
oxacting military Office in time OF war
Is that Of chief of. staff. IL requires
scholarship. tact. military and engine
ering training. quick action, exactness,
and above all. undying courage. For
this Office Mr.. Lincoln looked TO his
trained officers. but he looked I'm vain.
With his qnick conception and great
KNOWLEDGE OF human nature, he saw
and called from civil life Rawlins and
Garfield. They have made their his
tory; Won have read il. I need not
dwell upon IL here No president had
ever been a military strategist and
Lincoln did not foresee that he would
ever be called upon to act as such.
80. Disaster az Bull Run.
But after the first lamentable and
disastrous battle of Bull Run. when
the enemies of the Country I'm the
North were crying out that the war
was a failure. and demanding peace
at any price. and he saw that the
country was looking 10 him after that
deplorable vdefeat he spent an entire
night alone. nnaided, and unadvised.
tracing his maps and studying the
military situation. And what did
he find? The national capitol stood
at the very outer edge of Union ter
rftory. very perilous situation in
deed.