The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1918-05-16
TRIBUI TO LINCOLN
By Minnesota's Grand Old Man. Sen
ator Knute Nelson, in the U. S.
Senate, Feb. 18th, 1918.
The Savior of His Country Depicted
by One Who Wore the Loyal
Blue in Great Struggle.

Mr.. Nelson: Mr.. President, mas
much as this is the birthday Of Abra-
ham Lincoln, will ask the indulgence
of the senate to make few remarks
in reference to his life and character.
The institution of slavery had made
a cleavage among the white people Of
the South and given them a peasant
class such as was not found among the
people Of the North. This peasantry,
though poor, uncultHred, and inlet
tered, was nevertheless in the essen
tial makeup far superior in vigor, and
spirit to its counterpart in the old
world. It was patient, courageous, in
tensely democratic, and in many in
stances charged with a suppressed in
tellectual vigor that on great occa-
sions, even under adverse circum-
stances, would assert itself and be in
the ascendant. From the very loins
of this class and as capitalization
of all the virile force and vigor that
was in it came Abraham Lincoln born
the American peasant, died the Ameri-
can king. His parentage, home, and
surroundings were Of the humblest
kind scarce was there ever a humber.
His moral and intellectual environ
ment was Of the most primitive order
AS primitive as the undeveloped re-
gion in which his early lot was cast.
But the embryo of a great soul and a
brave heart was in him; and so under
inspiration from on high he grew I'M
trammeled in the midst of the bar
renness whence he sprang, as the
straight and lofty pine grows in the
stony cleft of the hoary and craggy
mountain-slowly, surely, irresistibly,
and heavenward.
His development from childhood to
manhood, from backwoodsman to a
statesman, was saga, simple in its
unity, sad and >somber in it's texture,
but inspiring and heroic in it's out
come and results. From Nolin Creek
to the banks of the Sangamon the path
was winding and rough. A mothers
love was given and found in step
mother-the guiding star on a long
and dreary journey. And that love,
with which man loves but once in his
life, was buried in the grave of Anne
Rutledge. From that moment love
claimed and was given less and duty
more, and from that moment he
seemed dedicated and in training for
the great task and mission that was
to be his. Feeble minds assuage grief
| such as was his in the frivolous vani-
ties Of the world; but strong minds
and heroic souls, though tried. and
chastened, seek relief and find rest in
the surging, real, and relentless battle
of life where the turmoil is the fercest
and the strife RACES the hottest.
Lincoln was the true exponent and
the living embodiment of this class,
and at that time there was no moral
or intellectual battle ground SO inter-
esting, grand, and inviting as the field
of political controversy and evolution
in the far west. Gifted and highly
equipped by nature, trained and tenn
pered in the scant school and rude ways
of the frontiersman, and chastened
by the shadows and sorrows that had
come upon him, he entered the arena
trained gladiator, qualified to do bat
tie with giants, and there was no lack
of real and aggressive giants to con-
tend with in those days. But for want
of vital issue the struggle was for a
time mere skirmish at the outposts, a
mere reconnaissance, the remote pre-
lude to the great tragedy Of the cen
tury. From the gloomy shadows and
dark clouds, whence sprang our hero,
came also in battle array the great
anti Christ slavery, defiant and eager
for battle and conquest. Slavery, in
her zeal and quest for vantage, pro-
truded her advance guard into Kansas,
and on it's virgin soil was fought a
veritable ssInkerman"-a battle OF
fierce, stubborn, and isolated Skin
mishes. And soon along the entire line
from Kansas to the Ohio, and thence
to the Potomac, there was marshal
ing Of forces, skirmish fire, and a
reconnaissance in force, that betokened
a momentous and prolonged struggle.
In these preliminary conflicts there
were many able leaders; and Lincoln
though one Of them, was not at first
regarded as the foremost. But on the tn
4 eve Of the, great battle none dis
puted his chieftainship Of the e"@ mighty
\ hosts of the north. He was the heart
4 and soul of all our people, imbued with
| faith in them, in himself, in the cause
and in God.
i Sad and serious we're those days te
all of us, but most of all to him, anc
81 made him more serious and sad thar