The theocrat. [volume] (Zion City [i.e. Zion], Ill.) 1914-1949, 1916-02-12
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S 10TH ANNI-
VERSARY

Saturday, February II, is the 10th an
niversary Of the birth of Abraham Lin
coin, the 10th president Of the United
States. The future ''saviour Of his
country first saw the light Of day in a
frontier cabin in the wilds of Kentucky
AS boy he was fond Of hunting and fish
ing, and at an early age began to grow
serious, and, Of himself, to develop the
moral training which became so conspicu-
GUS in after-life.
When Abe was years Of age, his par
ents, who were simple, industrious, kindly
people, but with little education, removed
with him to Indiana. About two years
after this his mother died, but 13 months
afterWard his father again married, and
the new wife was a good stepmother to
Abraham and his sister Sarah 1t was to
his stepmother that Lincoln in after years,
so often referred as "saintly'' and an
CANCEL" who first made him feel like a
human being, and whose goodness first
touched his childish heart.
Although his opportunities for attend
ing school were few, he was avidiously
studious, and read everything that he
could get his hands on, the Bible especial
ly being loved by him. His first knowledge
of law, in which he afterwards became
eminent, was obtained through reading the
statutes of Indiana During the short
time he attended school, he was noted as
good speller but more especially for his
abhorrence of cruelty = his earliest com
position being a protest against putting
Goals Of fire on the backs Of captured ter
rapins. His last attendance at school was
when he was II years old. When he was
q his family moved to Macon County,
Illinois,
He first came in contact with slavery con-
ditions while on a trip to New Orleans, IN
1881. and here it was that his sensitive ma
ture was outraged by witnessing the sale
and maItreatment Of negroes. lie served
for short time in the Black Hawk War;
was elected to the Illinois legislature IN
1884. and in 1887 was admitted to the bar,
beginning his law practice at Springfield.
On November 4, 1842, he was married to
Miss Mary Todd, the daughter OF Hon.
Robert S. Todd, Of Lexington, Ky, whose
confessed ambition was to marry some one
who would be president Of the United
States.
Finally, in 1916, he was honored with
election to the House of Representatives,
where he served one term, voting consls-
tently against the slavery party; but 1t was
not until 1854 that he devoted himself III
earnest to the struggle against the exten-
sion Of slavery Two years later occurred
the famous series Of public debates with
Douglas through which the attention OF
the whole country was attracted to Inn
coin, and when the Republican national
convention met in Chicago, on May 16,
1860, he was nominated for president OF
the United States, on strong antl-slavery
platform His victory was an easy one,
although he failed to receive majority OF
the votes
His election was the signal for secession
bv South Carolina, which had long con-
templated the possibility of such step,
if the demands Of the slavery faction were
not needed. The threatened action was
taken the following December, and South
Carolina was followed by the Gulf States,
and within few months by four Others
Lincoln was inaugurated on March 1,
1861, and in memorable address he urged
the people Of all sections to unite IN up
holding the Union. He called to. his cabl-
net all his principal rivals in the Chicago
convention and by every means in his
power he sought to avert civil war, which
seemed inevitable His efforts were In
vain, however, and on April IA, the war
began with the bombardment Of Fort
Sumter.
Throughout the war Lincoln displayed
the same firmness, sagacity and generos-
ity which he had disclosed in his previous