The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1930-04-04

as an egg. In this unusual rig-out, he
looked SO uncomfortable that it was
quite pathetic. Matters were even
worse when he reached the platform
for he did not know what on earth to
do with his hat and his stick. There
he stood, target for thousands of
eyes, holding these two encumbrances,
the image OF hopeless perplexity.
To that Ludwig adds this com
ment: There he stands burdened
with things which his fashionable wife
must have forced upon him, too ele-
gantly attired, lest he should look like
a backwOodsman-a man used to
wearing hiss,yclothes just anyhow,
stick, transformed into a comedy fig
ure and all the more a mark of silent
sarcasm. There he stands for the first
time he is to speak to the nation as
whole, for he Is embarrassed by this
fine new stick with a gold knob, and
the terribly shiny top hat. What is
he to do2 Dreadful moments, but fate
has sent him his longtime enemy, who,
as If in irony. is watching his plight
at close hand. Douglas it is who
comes to his rescue; Douglas as a
valet, Douglas who stretches out his
short arm to take the hat and hold it
for half an hour, like footman, till
all is over, and the new President can
take it back from the senator with
friendly nod"
The story of what Lincoln endured
during the first two years of the war
his struggle to secure the cooperation
Of wranglfng, discordant cabinet, his
repeated disappointments in his gen.
erals who either wouldn't fight or who
fought only to be defeated disastrous
ly and all the other factors which
thwarted him at every turns
matched as a record of despair only
by what followed
For when he issued the Emancipa-
ton Proclamation 1.-The effect was
catastrophe. Confusion was wide
spread throughout the North, there
was a OA AAC SlOSA CACuduRG
the elections were adverse; the Demo-
Gratis declared that thousands of
whites were being forced to give their
blood in order that their fellow coun-
trymen might be Illegally deprived Of
property. -. When congress was
sitting in December, the Presidents
unceasing personal struggle on two
fronts, the near approach of the mo-
mentous date fixed for the enforce
ment of the proclamation. the varying
and for the most part unfavorable for
tunes of war, the skepticism of friends
regarding the new measure and the
scorn in which it was held by enemies.
made him weary and dispirited as
WELL"
An unforgettable picture Of the Lin
coin of this period is given by an old
friend who had not seen him for six
years and whose description of him
is cited by Ludwig as follows: "The
change !. was simply appalling
His whiskers had grown and had given
additional righteousness to his
face. The light seemed to
have gone out of his eyes, which were
sunken far under his enormous brows.
=. There was over his whole face
an expression Of sadness. and a far
away look in his eyes, which were ut
terly unlike the Lincoln Of former
days."
The wonder is that the war Presi-
dent did not break under the strain.
For, says Ludwig. For him, private
life had ceased to exist. Work. agita-
tions, enemies at home. reverses
abroad, danger threatening to undo
the work done by the fathers OF the
country and to Illustrate the activities
Of his own career such had been his