Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-08
Fiue Minutes A Day
With Our Presidents
Lincoln In Victory.
BY JAMES MORGAN.

Lincoln In Victory.
The country lawyer in the White
House, who never had set a squadron
in the field, turned at last the tide Of
battle when 1t had been running for
two years against the Union. AS Lees
army swept northward, after smash
ing the Federal forces at Chancellors-
Vile. General Hooker. the Union COM
msnder, proposed to stay behind and
take Richmond. Lincoln's common
sense rejected hat absurd plan and he
ordered the army to follow Lee. But
after beating the C~onfederates at
Gettysburg, II let them retreat in
safety, n the President impatiently
exclaimed, IF I had gone there. 1
could have whipped them myself"
The next day after Gettysburg,
Grant took Vickshurg, and that was
another victory which Lincoln made
possible. He had stood by Grant,
whom he never had seen. when that
general had hardly another supporter
in Washington. Il cannot spare his
man; he fights" The President ex-
pressed in these few words the great
significance of the fall Of V~icksburg:
The Father of Waters again goes
.unvexed to the sea-" A few months
of the whole mighty struggle into the
.few simple sentences Of his noble
Gettysburg address.
After more victories by Grant
around Chattanooga, the victorious
General was brought east, and, under
his command Lincoln started his fifth
drive on Richmond. Then came the
darkness before the dawn of the final
triumph, and 1854 was In some re-
spects the most trying e of the war.
A Presidential election was at hand,
and leading Republican politicians
were for anybody but Lincoln
Some were for Grant. IF he takes
Richmond, let him have it." said the
Above the whisperings and plots of
the politicians, the voice of the peo-
pie rose in a chorus for the renomina-
ton of Lincoln. Finding themselves
without followers when the Republic
can convention met the leaders
only for the chance to sec
ond the popular motion. The Presi-
dent modestly accepted the uprising
for him as simply an evidence that
people did not believe 1t best to
horses while crossing the river"
Even Lincoln's faith in the people
al shaken in that summer OF des-
pair. He doubted II they would go on
longer beneath the crushing burden.
shudder of horror ran through the
land at the frightful slaughter under
Grant in the Wilderness. II cannot
bear It," the President said, as he
his saddened face away from
4 long line of ambulances. Neverthe-
less he did not finch In the midst Of
his campaign for reelection from max
ing the staggering demand for 100000
more recruits. A Confederate army
boldly advanced within sight Of the
A gold dollar was worth In
July S2.S5 in greenbacks.
Under the thickening clouds in Au>l
gust, Lincoln sat down. and wrote and
sealed a forecast of his own defeat in
the November elections and also his
to cooperate with Mcclellan,
Democratic candidate. as soon as
he latter should lave been elected.
Equally certain tina the President was
n a losing fight h Democrats adopt
I'd a platform which declared the war
/ failure and which called for peace
by negotiation. But in two days more
Sherman was In Atlanta and in two
weeks more Sheridan won the battle
II Winchester. |
The war was not a failure, and Lin :.
,oln was a success. Carrying all but
hree of the States that took part in
he election, he could yet say in truth ,
o the ~serenaders at the White House,
1T is no pleasure to me TO triumph
over anyone"
lCtoI III III wal 10 ~ u 0oS
noblest qualities in the man. No
was he assured that the Union
vas saved than peace n forgiveness
became his ruling passion. In the hour
If assured victory he did not hesitate,
or the sake of stopping the blo~odshed,
o go into conference at Hampton
Roads with the leaders of the doomed
Confederacy. After his return from
hat fruitless parley he wrote a mes
'age TO Congress, proposing to a the
$500. 600, 600 for their
slaves If the South would only cease
All the Cabinet Directing.
a sigh he put h message in his
witt malice toward none, with
for ALL" came forth from Lin
soul like a chant at his econd
ed in the spring for the closing scene
of the great tragedy the voice
that never had faltered In the dark
days of the war pleaded at Grants
Cant this last bloody
be av~oided?"
Richmond fell, and the conqueror
had hurled so many armies
against the stubborn defenses entered
the conquered capital afoot. leading
Tad by the hand. He had not come to
triumph over a vanquished foe, and as
he sat In the white House of the Con-
f~ederacy," from which Jefferson Davis
had fled sc hours before. he said to a
man who cried out for vengeance
against the fugitive chieftain of the
South, Judge not, hat We may not
be judged"
AS the Presidential BOAT returned to
Washington. and the white dome of
the capitol swam into the horizon. the
haunting shadow of dread revisited
Mrs. Lincoln's face. That city is filled
with our enemies she said.
"Enemies," Lincoln protested, as If
the word had no place in the new era
of peace. I'VE must never speak of
that"