The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-11

pie was shaken in that summer
of despair. He doubted if they
would go on longer beneath the
crushing burden. A shudder of
horror ran through the land at the
frightful slaughter under Grant in
the Wilderness. Il cannot bear it,"
the president said, as he turned his
saddened face away from a long
line of ambu,ances. Nevertheless
he did not finch in the midst of
his campaign for reelection from
making the staggering demand for
100000 more recruits. A confeder-
ate army bodily advanced within
sight of The capital A gold dol
lar was worth in July S2.S5 in
greenbacks.
Under the thickening clouds in
August, Lincoln sat down and
wrote and sealed forecast of his
own defeat in the November cleo
tions and also his resolve to CO.
operate with Mcclellan. the Demo-
cratic candidate, as soon as the
latter should have been elected
Equally certain that the president
was in a losing fight, the Demo-
Gratis adopted a platform which de-
clared the war a 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 Of Win
chester.
The war was not a failure. and
Lincoln was a success. Carrying
all but three of the states that took
part in the election, he could yet
say in truth to the serenaders at
the White house. 1T is no pleasure
to me to triumph over anyone"
Victory in the war was to call
out the noblest qualities in the
man. No sooner was lie assured
that the union was saved than
peace and forgiveness became his
ruling passion. In the hour of as
sured victory he did not hesitate
for the sake of stopping the blood
shed, to go inc the conference at
Hampton Roads with the leaders OF
hte doomed confederacy. After his
return firm. that fruitless paTley he
wrote a message to congress, pro-
posing to pay the Shareholders
I $500 100000 for their slaves if the
south would only cease fighting.
/ All the cabinet Directing, with a
| sigh he put the message IN his
drawer.
with malice toward none, with
charity for ALL" came forth from
! Lincoln's soul like a chant at his
second Inauguration. As the cur
tain was lifted in the spring for
the closing scene Of the great trag-
edy, the voice that never had fal-
tered in the dark days Of the war
pleaded at Grants headquarters,
Cant this last bloody battle be
avoided"
Richmond fell. and the conquer
or who had hurled so many armies
against the Stubborn defenses en-
tered the conquered capital afoot.
Leading Tad by the hand. He had
not come to triumph over a van
quished foe, and as he sat in the
White house of the confederacy'
from which Jefferson Davis had
fled So hours before, he said to a
man who cried out for vengeance
against the fugitive chieftain OF the
south, Judge not that ye may not
be judged"
AS the presidential boat returned
to Washington, and the white dome
of the capitol swan into the hori-
J zon, the haunting shadow OF dread
revisited Mrs. Lincoln's face. "lna'
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 = at
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