Evening star., 1932-02-12

rotunda Of the State House at Indian
apolis. For hours and hours there was
steady procession of men and women
passing through the building to gaze
for a moment on the Great Martyr
During all those hours an orchestra g
placed in one Of the galleries and a
chorus of voices in the one opposite
alternated in rendering funeral dirges
and anthems. 1t was memorable
scene, one never to be forgotten.
AS ! gazed on that lifeless form. my
mind flashed back to a scene which.
occurred only six short weeks before,
when that form stood erect on the east
portico of the Capitol in Washington
1t was at this time he announced to a
great throng of citizens the creed which I.
was to guide him in the days to come.
He had been reviled and ridiculed more
than any of his predecessors. Because
of his homely features he had been
called an ape, baboon, a gorilla.
For four years the enemies of the
Union, which he loved and had sworn
to defend, had endeavored to destroy
it and had filed the land With widows
and orphans. He stood there proclaim
ing that in his heart there was no
malice no enmity against any of them
nothing but love. Who can forget
those words, with malice toward nore,
with charity for all l thought how
he had taken that great audience and
made them one with himself in this
creed, when he added the words. Let
us go on"
When I emerged from the building
Judge Joseph z. Mcdonald, Demo-
cratic leader Of the State and the party
candidate for Governor the year previ-
Gus, was standing few PAGES away. AS
nhad him 7 HE Hllp6
with tears. He greeted me with the ex-
PLANTATION: What heart, what soul!
There lies the best, trueSt, wisest friend
the South ever had in America, and
they have not realized it He said
that Mr.. Lincoln was the only one who
could have carried the country through
the great crisis.
AS we walked together down the
street, Judge Mcdonald related 10 me
the incidents connected with a visit ne
paid to President Lincoln in Washing
ton At one time during the War
troup of cavalry was sent to IndianapO-
lis, into an adjoining county, TO cap
ture some deserters reported to be hid
ing there. They were ambuShed and
fired on by group Of men and some
of the soldiers wounded. Several OF
those engaged in the attack were cap
tured and taken to indianapolis, where
they were tried and convicted, heavy
penalties being assessed against them.
Pleads for Dcserters.
Judge Mcdonald acted as the attor-
ney for some of them, and in their in
terest went to Washington to inter-
cede with the President for them. He
said the President patiently listened TO
him while he related all the circum-
stances connected with the occurrence.
When he had closed his statement the
President said to him
Judge Mcdonald. if you were Prest-
dent of the United States as l am. with
all the responsibility upon you and you
had personal knowledge OF all the iactS
connected with this occurrence and
personally knew the men engaged in It,
what would YOU do? What would you
think it right TO dO?'
The Judge said he replied that he
would grant the relief asked for IN the
petition he held in his hand. he would
regard such an act as being Justlf1anle
and for the best interest OF all con-
cerned The President took the petl-
ton and called one of his secretaries
and instructed him to prepare the nee
essarv papers. The Judge added: "As I
was bidding him good-by I said to hlrst
Mr.. President. you are not the blood
thirsty man you have the reputation
for being The President looked at me
a moment or two with his great eyes
and then replied. Judge Mcdonald. If
were the only butcher in America the
people would go long, long time With
out meat.
This ended the recital Of the incident
told by Judge Mcdonald. He paused
moment and then said: Abraham Lin
coin the President is dead. Abraham
Lincoln the man is immortal"
This was more than threescore years
ago. How is it today? On every annual
return of the 18th of February. in
every civilized land on the globe there
are those who remember the day and
recall him to mind and pay tribute to
his memory Hundreds will repeat those
wonderful words:
With malice toward none. with
charity for all, with firmness in the
right, as God gives us to see the right,
let us strive on to finish the work we
are in. to bind up the Nations wounds,
to care for him who shall have borne
the heat of the battle, and for his
widow and his orphan"