Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-05-06
Fiu Minutes A Day
With Our Presidents

by JAMES MORGAN.

n~auElFdtlont ana sui others were
aiding away. How to keep more
back TO the Union those in secession
was tho heart-wrackinE problem
which he faced while standing on the
steps of the Capitol to register in
heaven as he said. his vow TO pre-
servo. protect n defend the Consti-
tuition.
When he set down at his desk in tho
White House tho next morning he
found lying on 1t n report that the
loyal garrison OF Fort Sumter had
food enough to last only n few days
more. General Scott assured the new
president that II was impracticable to
lattempt to provision the fort, and all
except one member Of the Cabinet
agreed with the veteran soldier.
When the commanding General rec
commended that still another fort be
igiven up. there came to Lincoln a
I~sleepless night. through which he
watched by his sacred charge. the
Irended Union, in its mortal crisis as
the shadow of dissolution lay upon II.
IThe morning found him fixed in his
determination to ave It. The forts
lshould be defended.
He had kept his own counsel in all
the soul-torturing Struggles OF that
first decisive month of his term.
While the Inner lincoln walked alone
under his awful burden. The outer
Lincoln shuffled along good naturally
Through the daily routine. As Cabinet
and leaders not one OF whom had
known him O year, watched and meas
lured this quaint, sinlple-mannered
man. smiling and joking as no met tho
biggest and hungriest swarm of office
seekers that ever assailed n President,
they were puzzled or ~disheartened.
AFTER four weeks, Seward, the Secre-
IarV Af Gfata h1nnflU nFnnngpn TIM
the new President should leave states
|manship to him and continue to omuse
himself only with handing out jobs.
Without betraying the least resent
'ment, but with a firm hand, Lincoln
put Seward In his place so effectively
that In a little while the Secretary was
writing to his wife. The President is
the best of u.s." AT the first test he
had established his moral supremacy
over the eminent statesman whom he
had defeated for the nomination.
The arrival of the Federal supply
ships al the mouth OF Charleston a
Dor was the signal for the Confed-
crate b~ombardment of Fort Sumter.
The South had struck the first blow
and the people of the North rallied to
the support of the Union.
When Congress met In extra
Iordinary session on July 4, the Presi-
dent already had enrolled 100000
troops. In a few days he
started the first army toward Rich
|mond, the Confederate capital, but
only to see 1t hurled back in wild dis
order from the banks of Bull Run.
Slowly gathering a second army, he
sent II forth under Mcclellan, who was
|repulsed al the very gates of Rich
|mond and driven back in retreat down
the James. Then he launched a third
army southwark under Pope. but 1t
was again stopped at Bull Run.
Emboldened by its successes, the
Southern Army advanced northward,
but Mcclellan stopped Lee In Mary
land. Five days after hat first victory
for the Union at Antietam. Lincoln
met his Cabinet with q humorous
story by Artemus Ward, and then,
suddenly turning from the ridiculous
to the sublime. he grayely
that he had promised God to free the
slaves IL the arms of the Union should
win the battle. T%hereupon he drew
from a drawer the emancipation proc
lamation, whose existence had been
known to no man.
The darkest winter in American his
tory since Valley Forge was yet to
come. a fourth army that lincoln
hurled at Richmond met with disaster
at Fredericksburg and Chancellors-
vile, and the Western Army under
Grant seemed to be h~oundering hope
lessly In the swamps of the Mississippi.
my God! My God!" Lincoln cried
in broken tones, as he held in his hand
the direful message from Chancellors-
willie. what will the country say?
What will the country say2" All that
might he paced the floor of his Office.
when the Clerks came in the morning
they found him eating his simple
breakfast at his desk and beside him
the instructions to the Army of the
Potomac that he had thought out in
the long, silent watches he had kept
alone on the bridge.
Lincoln never became q great ad-
ministrator. Except for a term as
Village postmaster. he came to the
PRESIDENCY wholly without executive
experience, never having had a CLERK
Iunder him.
The greatness of this man is to bt
found only in his simple humanity and
lin his leadership of the people. Ii
1.-THE first year of the conflict, this git
of his had made possible and probable
1.-The ultimate victory by winning to thC
lUnion the States of Delaware, Mary
Hand. West Virginia, Kentucky, Mis-
souri, and the eastern section OF Ten
nessee. Himself born among the peo
lple of that borderland, he knew then
land. with his finger on their pulse, h
had slowly. patiently led them ava!
from the South and into the path o
loyalty to the Union.
The secret of his leadership every
where was the same-his kinship witt
1.-THE people, who never failed him
when statesmen fell away from him
they talked OF forcing him to resigl
latter Chancellorsville-the peopl
lpressed forward with tho shout, "W
lare coming, Father Abraham, 10000
more"
The faith. the spirit, the soul of Lin
Icoln was the fortress of the Unto
! Whose stout walls withstood every as
Isault. Even when he confessed, in tn
/, winter of 1923. that he was nearly q
l~inconsolable as he could be and liv,
Ihe sat down and wrote Il this secre
, lpledge to himself: IT expect to main
! tain this contest until successful or Il
). 1 die or am conquered or my term ez
i. lpires or Congress or the country fol-
lsake me-"
~Sorbonne. He declared that he de
t sired intensively to promote oppoi
tunit.es for young Americans to pur
sue or perfect their studies In Franc
GIVES CREDIT THROUGH II LAM
Beckache. lame and stiff muscl
: and rheumatic pains are often syn
y ptoms of de-anged kidneys. IT hs
weak bladder. bad kidneys al
liver writes Willie Carter. Luxar. P