The Liberal democrat. [volume] (Liberal, Kan.) 1911-1924, 1916-02-11

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INA N1lEM as neaVy as tnOSe WHICH
Hin NIIN Abraham Lincoln bore
IIVA on his great, patient
lNIIuVA shoulders. Despite his
WWNHBu reputation as teller OF
~ENW humorous stories and his
keen appreciation OF the
ludicrOus in persons and situations
that bore the outward appearance OF
utmost dignity and funereal solemnity.
the martyred president was melan-
choly man The whole course OF his
life had made him so.
In childhood he endured the most
rigorous hardship in the wilds OF
southern Indiana and central Illinois
His father was q sort of ne'er-do-weli
who somehow couldn't seem to gather
any of this worlds goods together. His
mother was patient, God-fearing toll
er who held no hope of reward in
mortal life. This mother encouraged
his efforts at learning when he was a
little fellow, and just when mother
and son were getting to be chummy
and have their times of reading aloud
together she died-after only weeks
illness. The sons grief was lasting.
When he was twenty-five. Lincoln
fell in love with little Ann Rutledge.
who was wearing her heart out in
grief for faithless lover After a
time Lincoln won little AIMS regard
and they planned to marry-though he
was desperately poor. Came a streak
OF good luck; he went to the legisla-
ture at Springfield and she went to
Jacksonville, ILL.,. to a young ladies
academy. Presently Lincoln got word
that she was i'll. One week later she
was dead This sorrow Lincoln added
to his early grief
Years later, the tall. awkward coun-
try lawyer was elected president of
the United States-an honor unsur-
passable. But with it came the
CHASTITY tragedy of civil strife. And to
his sorrow and his grief of old he
added this load Of sadness. Four years
and more Lincoln plodded slowly
along under the burden, a national
mourner. Then through the clouds
came ray of sunshine. The war was
nearing an end. The president saw
peace ahead. He planned to bind
nations wounds-North and South
alike. He became happier-rather, he
became less unhappy. for his spirit
was expanding.
But once again the glittering lance
of malignant fate shot out. This time
1t brought down the victim it had
played with for half century-A.
Lincoln!
The following telegram. one of the
many instances of his works of mercy
and compassion, was sent by Abraham
Lincoln from the White House on his
last birthday alive. 1t typifies the spir-
it OF the man in the last days of his
life and is exemplary Of the attitude he
took, not only towards individuals but
toward the peoples and the states who
were opposed in arms to the Union.
Major General Hooker. Cincinnati,
Ohio:
is 1t Lieut.. Samuel d. Davis whose
death sentence is committed. II not
done, let it be done. Is there not an
associate of his also in trouble? Please
answer. A. LINCOLN"
The military rigors of the closing
days of the war compelled harsh meas
ures, not only in dealing with the enc
my but in dealing with those within
the forces of the North who were gull
ty of desertion, neglect or treachery.
and the columns of the daily papers
of the time were replete with para
graphs headed, as a rule, Execution
of the Conspirators," The Spies Shot"
or Execution of -- Deserters."
A perusal of his papers during the
weeks preceding and following his