Pagé Four
THE UNITED AMERICAN
Aprii 1£26
Abraham Lincoln
[The following narrative of the life
of Abraham Lincoln, ably written by
Martin Phillip Rindlaub, Sr., who knew
Lincoln and well remembers the storms
of public opinion that were breaking in
America during the days when the name
of Lincoln became indelibly written
into the history of this nation, is so
replete in its setting, furnished from
Mr. Rindlaub’s memoires, that it almost
makes an old story new. In reprinting
the story from the Kiwanis Magazine,
we feel that it will serve an added pur
pose of furnishing many of the new
citizens of America, who are readers of
the United American, a delightful close
up of this great American whose life
and simple philosophy of human Equali
ty, Justice and Liberty have become the
beacon lights to the spiritual harbor of
American citizenship. The author of the
story was a newspaper reporter at the
Lincoln-Douglas debate at Freeport,
Illinois, in 1858 and at the Wigwam
Convention in Chicago in 1860. Mr.
Rindlaub, Sr., who lives at Platteville,
Wisconsin, had been the publisher
and editor of “The Grant County
Witness". at Platteville, from 1867
till 1003.
—The Editor.]
PREPARING this article I have in
I of N Abraham
tentionally passed over the early life
Lincoln, including his bio
graphy and that of his ancestors. Nor
shall I give anything in any way of a
eulogy, but shall rather confine myself
to his political history, giving facts and
incidents with which I was personally
conversant. I shall also allude to some
of the causes which lead up to the War
of the Rebellion, and the part taken by
the two principal parties which existed
at that time; and particularly the part
taken by Abraham Lincoln and Stephen
A. Douglas in that memorable discussion
which occured during the United States
Senatorial canvass of 1858.
The two names that stand out as
great beacon lights in the history of
Our country are those of. Washington
and Lincoln. Washington created the
Republic, and rose by statecraft to the
highest position in the gift of the people.
Lincoln saved the Union and lifted the
causé of liberty higher than ever before.
Washington was born and reared amid
the blighting influence of slavery and
grew up with the idea that it was a
divine institution. Lincoln was bom in
Kentucky, which was then a slave state,
but his parents moved to Illinois when
he was only six years old. His parents
were humble but honorable people, and
they early instilled into their son that
all men were born free and equal be
fore the law, and that slavery was a ter
rible. evil which must sooner or later
be eradicated.
It is an inspiration to turn to a
character and a career that loom up
more and more as the years go by. In
the large sense of example and influence
Lincoln still lives and will always live.
The story of what he said and did is an
inspiration to every citizen of this Re
public who studies it. He guided this
country through its worst storm to a
safe harbor, and never once lost his
temper or calm balance of judgment.
His mighty character has grown in the
esteem of mankind by the searching
analysis it has attracted for more than
sixty years. There is no career just
like it — in the humility of its beginning,
and its comparatively sudden develop
ment in problems of vast concern not
only to this country but to all humanity.
Never before in the history of the
world was there a leader of men so en
tirely and so consistently his natural
self. He was homely and ungainly and
he recognized and spoke jokingly about
it. He was ambitious and frankly ad
mitted it. He was so modest, so honest,
and so “easy" that not a few men set
him down as absolutely simple-minded.
But after he was tested and tried it
was found that he was unqualifiedly a
“Master of Men.” Douglas, to whom
he put the question, at Freeport, that
saved the United States, came to know
him as his master, and held his hat for
him while he took the oath of office as
President. Fremont, the “soldier states
man," whom Lincoln made and unmade,
learned the same lesson. So did Seward,
who went into the Cabinet prepared and
expecting to take the reins of govern
ment. So did Chase, the indispensable
man, who resigned once too often, and
who, thanks to Lincoln’s magnanimity,
administered to him the second oath of
office. Even Stanton, that imperturb
able Titan of the Cabinet, who had been
in the habit of referring to Lincoln as
the “original gorilla" and who prophe
sied that Jeff Davis would be in the
White House within six months, and
who believed himself called into the
cabinet for the express purpose of hold
ing up the hands of the impotent
Lincoln — even Stanton learned this
lesson; and when Lincoln drew his last
breath Stanton said:* “There lies the
most perfect ruler of men that the world
has ever seen."
The statement is sometimes made
that Lincoln sprang suddenly before the
world and manifested his genius in
guiding us through one of the most gi
gantic internecine struggles in history.
But a careful study of his life will re
veal the fact that he had prepared him
self, by many years of study, for the
active duties before him. At twenty-
one, he was performing the duties of
County Surveyor, at the age of twenty-
five he was elected to the State Legis
lature, and at about the same time he
began to study law. While he was in
the legislature he made a speech that
at once placed him among the great
orators of the State. It was here, also,
that he first met Stephen A. Douglas,
who afterward became United States
Senator, and was one of the candidates
running against him for the Presidency
when Lincoln was elected the first time.
It is told of President Lincoln that
once, when he had an important ques
tion to decide, he called his Cabinet to
gether, and forcibly expressed his views,
and the conclusion he had reached.
“What do you think of it, Mr. Sec
retary of State?" he asked of Mr.
Seward.
The Secretary set forth views dia
metrically opposite to those of his chief.
All the other members of the Cabinet
agreed with Mr. Seward.
“Well," said Lincoln, slowly, “let us
put the matter to a vote. All in favor
of my views will say aye."
“Aye," announced Mr. Lincoln grave
ly. No one else spoke.
“All opposed will say nay."
All the members of the Cabinet
voted no.
“Gentlemen," said Mr. Lincoln, “there
is one ays; and there are six nays." He
paused; and then with a twinkle of his
eye, he said “The ayes have it.”
♦
* * *
It is very hard in this day to realize
the state of affairs that existed, for a
number of years before the war, between
the people of the North and the South.
Anti-slavery sentiment predominated in
the North and while there were many
abolitionists they were regarded as dis
turbers and cranks. I was born and
reared at Gettysburg, within ten miles
of the Maryland border, and I know
that a northern man was always looked
upon with suspicion by the people of the
South, and it was not safe for an oppo
nent of slavery to give utterance to his
sentiments south of Mason and Dixon’s
line. Particularly was this the case in
the Houses of Congress at Washington.
The members were about equally divided
on the slavery question. The fiery
southern element did not hesitate to utter
their disunion sentiments, and the mem
bers of both parties usually went armed
so as to be prepared for any emergency.
It was during those days that in the
Senate chamber 'Senator Sumner was
beaten into insensibility by his fellow
Senator Brooks; and it will be remem
bered that Brooks’ friends presented
him with a gold-headed cane to show
their appreciation of his brutal act! It
was also during this time that one of
the Wisconsin representatives, John F.
Potter, was challenged by Roger A.
Pryor, because of some irritating anti
slavery remarks. Notwithstanding Mr.
Potter was opposed to the code he
promptly accepted the challenge, and
having the choice of weapons, chose
bowie knives. But Pryor declined on the
grpund that the bowie knife was not a
civilized weapon, and Mr. Potter soon
found that he had become a hero, and
that the people of the entire country
were in ecstacies over his bravery. It
was also about this time that Represen
tative Burlingame, after he had de
nounced the assault committed by Brooks
upon Senator Sumner, was challenged.
Burlingame accepted, and named rifles
as the weapons to be usedj and Navy
Island, just above Niagara Falls, as the
place of meeting. Brooks declined, ,al-
(Continued on Page Thirteen.)
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