Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-04
Fiue Minutes A Day
With Our Presidents
Awnkcned to ms Lifc Mission.
Rr LANES MORGAN.

Awakened to His Life Mission.
The iron-throated cannot OF the
Washington Navy Yard, breaking the
stiffness of a March dawn in 1854 with
Its 100 cXultant yer the repeal
of the Missouri Compromise. awaken
ed Lincoln to the great mission for
which his whole life had been an I'M
.conscious preparation. After a single
term in Congress where his criticism
Of the Mexican Wal in tho midst of
that conflict had left him unavailable
for a second term and after %providen-
italy failing to obtain the snug berth
'of Commissioner Of the General Land
.Onlce, he had retired to his dingy law
office in Springfield.
The wlping out of the dead line
against The spread of slavery aroused
him from his indifference to political
Questions and drew him from his re-
Itlrement. Il know there Is a God
and that lie hates injustice and
slavery" he said simply to a friend. II
see the storm coming. 1 kno His
hand is in it,. IL he a a place and
work for mc-and | think He has, L
believe l am ready"
The cannon that called Lincoln to
his duty also was the signal that her
aided the birth of the Republican
Joining the new party. he be-
came at once its leader in Illinois; TO
his own surprise the second man in
the balloting for its candidate for
Vice-President in 1856 and It's candi-
date for Senator in 1858 against
stephen \ Douglas. the author Of the
repeal.
While Lincoln made ready for that
campaign. as always in every hour of
decision, he retilcd within himself. Hc
consulted no ono and gave no hint OF
his line of attack until he called to-
- - FXsAaIa nvW1 rnnd RI
them his opening speech. which began
with those immortal words: "A house
divided against itself cannot stand. l
believe that this Government cannot
endure permanently half slave n
half free. rNIt will become all II
thing or all the other
Every man in the little group worn
ed him that if he delivered the speech
it would defeat him for the Senate
"If I had to draw n pen across my
record and erase my whole life from
he quietly replied. land l IA
one poor gift or choice left as to what
/ should save from the wreck, l would
choose that speech and leave it to the
world INCREASED"
The Lincoln-Douglas debate is the
old story over again of David and
Goliath. Although physically Lincoln
lowered above the Little Giant" who
was. hardly five feet, four. Douglas a
all but forgotten The country lawyer
that lie had left so far behind in his
swift climb up the steps of fame, n
the brilliant Senator patronizingly DIS
missed his antagonist now as a kind
hearted. amiable gentleman, a right
good fellow. etc. etc"
Lincoln modestly admitted h a he
had been 4 fiat failure in the race or
ambition on which the two men had
started in Springfield 20 years before.
Il affect no contempt" he added, Tor
the high eminence he has reached. So
reached that the the oppressed of my
species might have shared with me the
elevation I would rather stand on that
eminence than wear the richest crown
that ever pressed a monarch's brow"
Lincoln was TRANSPORTED by the
great issue that had taken possession
Iof him. Forgetting in his earnest
ness stage manners and platform
tricks, his gestures were as simple rs
the words that he spoke in his high
tenor voice. which sometimes ran al
most into a piping falsetto or again
softened into music.
Douglas carried a few more Legis-
'lative districts and vas reelected, but
Lincoln led In the aggregate popular
vote. As the defeated candidate was
iabout to lose his footing and, in his
lsuperstitious vein, he drew from the
incident an omen: at is a slip not a
fall"
Lincoln had met his Bunker Hill.
1.-THE great unknown who had dared to
cross swords with the foremost cham
pion OF the repeal, piqued the curiosity
of the country. Accounting an invita-
ltion to speak in New York, his Cooper
IUnion address established-his intel
|%lectual and moral right to lead the
Nation.
Nevertheless, when jealous neigh
,bors had first entered him as a eandi-
idate for President. he protested that
he was not ht for the place. Until the
convention of 1850 actually met In
lChicago, his name seldom was men,
toned for the honor outside his owl
State. T~wo-thirds Of the delegates
really favored the nomination of vii
liam II. Seward, but, as so often hap
ipens in politics, the very pre-emfnenc'
of the New York Senator made hin
unavailable. In the end Lincoln wa
nominated largely because he was thu
least known man on the list Of candi
dates.
AS they reluctantly turned from
Seward to east their ballots for Lin
lcoln, some of the delegates actuall
shed tears for the great man that ha'
fallen. Few dreamed a greater NAL
had risen.