The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-05-08
BIZ JAMES MOl.GAy

ter. The south had struck the first
blow, and the people of the north
rallied to the support Of the MON.
When congress met in extraor-
binary session on July 4. the pres.
ident already had enrolled 100000
volunteer troops. In a few DAYS
he started the first army toward
Richmond, the confederate capital
but only to see it hurled back in
wild disorder from the banks Of
Bull Run. Slowly gathering a sec.
ond army, he sent it forth under
Mcclellan, who was repulsed at
the very gates of Richmond and
driven back in retreat down the
James. Then he launched a third
army southwark under Pope, but
it was stopped again at Bull Run
Emboldened by its success, the
southern army advanced north
ward, but Mcclellan stopped Lee
in Maryland. Five days after that
first victory for the union at Ante
tam. Lincoln met his cabinet with
humorous story by Artemus
Ward. and then. suddenly turning
from the ridiculous TO The sublime,
he gravely announced that he had
promised God to free the slaves II
the arms Of the union should win
the battle. Thereupon he drew
from a drawer the emancipation
proclamation. whose existence had
been known to no man.
The darkest winter in American
history since Valley Forge was yet
to come. A fourth army that Lin
coin hurled at Richmond met with
disaster at Fredericksburg and
Charlottesville. ard the western
army under Grant seemed TO De
foundering hopelessly i'll the
swamps of the Mississippi.
My God, My Cod" Lincoln
cried in broken tones, as he held in
his hands a direful message from
charlottesville. What will the
| country say? What will the coun-
try say?" All that night he paced
! the floor of his Office. When the
clerks came in the morning they
found him eating his simple break
fast 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 a great al
ministrator. Except for term as
village postmaster, he came to the
| presidency wholly without execu,
tive experience, never having haa
a clerk under him
The greatness Of this man IS 10
be found only in his simple nu.
mainly and in his leadership o.
the people. In the first dark yea,
of the conflict, this gift Of his naa
made possible and probable the u
innate victory by winning 10 the
union the states Of Delaware, mary
land. West Virginia. kenlucks,
Missouri and the eastern section Oh
! Tennessee. Himself born among
| the people of that borderland, AZ
knew them, and, with his nngef Oh
their pulse, he had slowly, patient.
" led them away from the souh
and into the path of loyalty to lle
union.
The secret OF his leadership e'-
erywhere was the same-his XII
ship with the people. who neHeL
failed him. When statesmen new
away from -him-they tslhea "
forcing him to resign after Cnah-
cellorsville-the people pressed i0I-
ward with the shout, I'VE are eohi /,
| ing. Father Abraham. 100000 more. :,
The faith. the spirit, the SOU =.
Lincoln was the fortress OF .hs
union whose stout walls Wltns'ooa
| every assault. Even when ne cvn,
| fessed, in the general gloom OF lns
winter of lS62-63, that ne VIZ
nearly as inconsclable as ne cou,.
! be and live. he sat down and wfg 1s.
out this secret pledge to hlnlsen..
i"I expect to maintain this COMES.
until successful or till ! die OF az
| conquered or nv term expires y.
congress or the country iofsaA'
me-
/: published BY special arrangement