LINCOLN AT THE TIME OF DEBATE WITH DOUGLASFrom an Ambrotype taken at Beardstown, Ill., 1858Hisfriends advised Lincoln to press his opponent on the Dred Scott decision (of the United States Supreme Court permitting slavery in the Territories), as Douglas would accept it, but argue for nullifying it by anti-slavery legislation in the territorial assemblies, and this would satisfy the people of Illinois, and elect him Senator. "All right," said Lincoln, "then that kills him in 1860. I am gunning for larger game."topElizabeth Stuart Phelpswas born in Andover, Massachusetts, on August 13, 1844. Educated at Andover. Her literary career began at the age of thirteen with contributions to the newspapers. The earlier years of her life were devoted to Christian labors among the poor families in Andover, but failing health finally prevented her from carrying on her labors along that line, and kept her within her study, but her sympathy was always enlisted in the reformatory questions of the day.The Gates Ajarproved very popular, as did also her many juvenile books. She wrote this poem for the Lincoln Memorial Album in 1882. She died January 29, 1911.THE THOUGHTS OF LINCOLNTheangels of your thoughts are climbing stillThe shining ladder of his fame,And have not reached the top, nor ever will,While this low life pronounces his high name.But yonder, where they dream, or dare, or do,The "good" or "great" beyond our reach,To talk of him must make old language newIn heavenly, as it did in human, speech.topTHE LINCOLN LIFE-MASKBy Leonard W. VolkMr. Lincolnwas engaged in trying a case in the United States Court at Chicago, Illinois, in April, 1860, and Leonard W. Volk, the sculptor, called upon him and said: "I would like to have you sit to me for your bust." "I will, Mr. Volk," replied Lincoln. This was the first time that Lincoln sat to an artist for the reproduction of his physique in this manner. Previous to this he had posed only for daguerreotypes or for photographs.topRichard Watson Gilderwas born in Bordentown, New Jersey, February 8, 1844, and was educated at his father's school. He enlisted in Landis' Philadelphia Battery for the emergency call in the campaign of 1863, when the Confederate forces invaded Pennsylvania. Later he was editor of a number of magazines and upon the death of J. G. Holland he was made associate editor of theCentury.At the age of twenty-six he had attained high literary standing. His poems are published in five volumes. He rendered valuable service in tenement-house reform over the country. He died on the 18th day of November, 1909.ON THE LIFE-MASK OF ABRAHAM LINCOLNThisbronze doth keep the very form and moldOf our great martyr's face. Yes, this is he:That brow all wisdom, all benignity;That human, humorous mouth; those cheeks that holdLike some harsh landscape all the summer's gold;That spirit fit for sorrow, as the seaFor storms to beat on; the lone agonyThose silent, patient lips too well foretold.Yes, this is he who ruled a world of menAs might some prophet of the elderday—Brooding above the tempest and the frayWith deep-eyed thought and more than mortal ken.A power was his beyond the touch of artOr armed strength—his pure and mighty heart.topTHE HAND OF LINCOLNTheSaturday after the nomination of Mr. Lincoln for President of the United States, the Committee appointed to inform him of the said nomination arrived in Springfield and performed this duty in the evening at his home.The cast of his hand was made the next morning by Mr. Leonard W. Volk. While the sculptor was making the cast of his left hand, Lincoln called his attention to a scar on his thumb. "You have heard me called the 'rail-splitter' haven't you?" he said, "Well, I used to split rails when I was a young man, and one day, while sharpening a wedge on a log, the axe glanced and nearly took off my thumb."topEdmund Clarence Stedmanwas born in Hartford, Connecticut, on the 8th of October, 1833. He entered Yale College at the age of sixteen and distinguished himself in Greek and English Composition. He was the editor of several papers in Connecticut and in 1856 removed to New York City—a larger field for his literary abilities. He was a contributor toVanity Fair,Putnam's Monthly,Harper's Magazineand other periodicals. His poems:The Diamond Wedding,How Old John Brown Took Harper's Ferry,The Ballad of Lager-Bier,gave him some reputation. He was war-correspondent for theWorldduring the early campaigns of the Army of the Potomac from the Headquarters of General Irwin McDowell and General B. McClellan. He died in 1908.THE HAND OF LINCOLNLookon this cast, and know the handThat bore a nation in its hold;From this mute witness understandWhat Lincoln was—how large of mold.The man who sped the woodman's team,And deepest sunk the plowman's share,And pushed the laden raft astream,Of fate before him unaware.This was the hand that knew to swingThe axe—since thus would Freedom trainHer son—and made the forest ring,And drove the wedge and toiled amain.Firm hand that loftier office took,A conscious leader's will obeyed,And, when men sought his word and look,With steadfast might the gathering swayed.topNo courtier's, toying with a sword,Nor minstrel's, laid across a lute;Chiefs, uplifted to the LordWhen all the kings of earth are mute!The hand of Anak, sinewed strong,The fingers that on greatness clutch,Yet lo! the marks their lines alongOf one who strove and suffered much.For here in mottled cord and veinI trace the varying chart of years,I know the troubled heart, the strain,The weight of Atlas—and the tears.Again I see the patient browThat palm erewhile was wont to press;And now 'tis furrowed deep, and nowMade smooth with hope and tenderness.For something of a formless graceThis molded outline plays about;A pitying flame, beyond our trace,Breathes like a spirit, in andout—The love that casts an aureoleRound one who, longer to endure,Called mirth to cease his ceaseless dole,Yet kept his nobler purpose sure.Lo, as I gaze, the statured man,Built up from yon large hand, appears;A type that nature wills to planBut once in all a people's years.What better than this voiceless castTo tell of such a one as he,Since through its living semblance passedThe thought that bade a race be free?topHON. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY, 1860Painted by Hicks; lithograph by L. Grozelier; published by W. Schaus, New York, 1860; printed by J. H. Bufford, BostontopTHE "WIGWAM"Convention Hall, at Chicago, 1860, in which Lincoln was nominatedTheRepublicans of Chicago had erected a huge temporary building for the use of the Convention. The "Wigwam," as it was called, covered a space of 600 feet by 180, and the height was between 50 and 60 feet. The building would hold about 10,000 persons, and was divided into platform, ground-floor and gallery. The stage upon which the delegates and members of the press were seated, held about 1,800 persons; the ground-floor and galleries, about 8,000. A large gallery was reserved for ladies, which was filled every day to overflowing. The Convention met on June 16, 1860.topEdmund Clarence Stedmanis the author of this poem, and it was published in thePress and Tribuneof Chicago, and inWeekly Illinois State Journal,June 13, 1860. It was sung to the air of the "Star Spangled Banner" throughout the campaign.HONEST ABE OF THE WESTO Hark! from the pine-crested hills of old Maine,Where the splendor first falls from the wings of the morning,And away in the West, over river and plain,Rings out the grand anthem of Liberty's warning!From green-rolling prairie it swells to the sea,For the people have risen, victorious and free,They have chosen their leaders, and bravest and bestOf them all is Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!The spirit that fought for the patriots of oldHas swept through the land and aroused us forever;In the pure air of heaven a standard unfoldFit to marshal us on to the sacred endeavor!Proudly the banner of freemen we bear;Noble the hopes that encircle it there!And where battle is thickest we follow the crestOf gallant Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!There's a triumph in urging a glorious cause,Though the hosts of the foe for a while may be stronger,Pushing on for just rules and holier laws,Till their lessening columns oppose us no longer.But ours the loud pæan of men who have passedThrough the struggles of years, and are victors at last;So forward the flag! Leave to Heaven the rest,And trust in Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!topLINCOLN AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENTFrom an Ambrotype taken at Springfield, Illinois, August 13, 1860topWilliam Henry Burleigh, born at Woodstock, Connecticut, February 2, 1812. In early manhood became an advocate of reforms then unpopular, and an acceptable lecturer on behalf of temperance and the anti-slavery cause. He removed to Pittsburgh in 1837, where he published theChristian Witness,and afterwards theTemperance Banner.As a writer, speaker, editor, poet, reformer, friend and associate, it was the universal testimony of those who knew him best and esteemed him most truly, that he stood in the forefront of his generation. His poetry, animated by deep love of nature and a profound desire to uphold truth and justice, gives him a place with our first minor poets.PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN, 1860Upagain for the conflict! Our banner fling out,And rally around it with song and with shout!Stout of heart, firm of hand, should the gallant boys be,Who bear to the battle the Flag of the Free!Like our fathers, when Liberty called to the strife,They should pledge to her cause fortune, honor, and life!And follow wherever she beckons them on,Till Freedom results in a victory won!They came from the hillside, they came from theglen—From the streets thronged with traffic and surging with men,From loom and from ledger, from workshop and farm,The fearless of heart, and the mighty of arm.As the mountain-born torrents exultingly leapWhen their ice-fetters melt, to the breast of the deep;As the winds of the prairie, the waves of the sea,They are coming—are coming—the Sons of the Free!topOur Leader is one who, with conquerless will,Has climbed from the base to the brow of the hill;Undaunted in peril, unwavering in strife,He has fought a good fight in the Battle of Life,And we trust as one who—come woe or come weal,Is as firm as the rock and as true as the steel.Right loyal and brave, with no stain on his breast,Then, hurrah, boys, for honest "Old Abe of the West!"top"HONEST ABE"A Campaign Cartoon of 1860topMadison Caweinwas born at Louisville, Kentucky, on the 23rd of March, 1865. Was educated in the city and country schools about Louisville and New Albany, Indiana. Graduated from the Male High School, Louisville, in 1886, and the following year published his first volume, calledBlooms of the Berry.Since then he published some thirty-odd volumes of prose and poetry, both in the United States and England. He died in 1915.LINCOLN, 1809—FEBRUARY 12, 1909Read for the first time at the Lincoln centenary celebration, Temple Adath Israel, Louisville, Ky.Yea, this is he, whose name is synonymOf all that's noble, though but lowly born;Who took command upon a stormy mornWhen few had hope. Although uncouth of limb,Homely of face and gaunt, but never grim,Beautiful he was with that which none mayscorn—With love of God and man and things forlorn,And freedom mighty as the soul in him.Large at the helm of state he leans and loomsWith the grave, kindly look of those who dieDoing their duty. Stanch, unswervinglyOnward he steers beneath portentous glooms,And overwhelming thunders of the sky,Till, safe in port, he sees a people free.Safe from the storm; the harbor-lights of PeaceBefore his eyes; the burden of dark fearsCast from him like a cloak; and in his earsThe heart-beat music of a great release;Captain and pilot, back upon the seas,Whose wrath he'd weathered, back he looks with tears,topSeeing no shadow of the Death that nears,Stealthy and sure, with sudden agonies.So let him stand, brother to every man,Ready for toil or battle; he who heldA Nation's destinies within his hand;Type of our greatness; first American,By whom the hearts of all men are compelled,And with whose name Freedom unites our land.He needs no praise of us, who wrought so well,Who has the Master's praise; who at his postStood to the last. Yet, now, from coast to coast,Let memory of him peal like some great bell,Of him as woodsman, workman, let it tell!Of him as lawyer, statesman, without boast!And for what qualities we love him most,And recollections that no time can quell.He needs no praise of us, yet let us praise,Albeit his simple soul we may offend,That liked not praise, being most diffident;Still let us praise him, praise him in such waysAs his were, and in words that shall transcendMarble, and outlast any monument.topLINCOLN AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENTPhotograph by Hesler, Chicago, Illinois, 1860topIsaac Bassett Choate, born at South Otis Field, Maine, July 12, 1833. Bachelor of Arts, Bowdoin College, 1862. Author ofWild Birds and Flowers,1895;Wells of English,1892;Obeyed the Camel Driver,1899;Apollo's Guest,1907.By special invitation from the faculty of the Alumni Association of said College he read the following poem at their annual banquet held on the centenary of Lincoln's birth, 1909:THE MATCHLESS LINCOLNFromout the ranks of common men herose—Himself of common elements, yetfine—As in a wood of different species growsAbove all other trees the lordly pine,Upon whose branches rest the winter snows,Upon whose head warm beams of summer shine;His was the heart to feel the people's woesAnd his the hand to hold the builder's line;Strong, patient, wise and great,Born ruler of the State.Among a mountain group one sovereign peakWill tower aloft unto commanding heightAs if more distant view abroad toseek—First one to hail, last one to speed the light;Those granite sides will snows of winter streakE'en in the summer with their purestwhite;—Silent, serene, that summit yet will speakOf loftiest grandeur to the enraptured sight;So Lincoln's greatness shoneSupreme, unmatched, alone.topLINCOLN AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENTPhotograph, Springfield, Ill., 1860topCharlotte Beckerwas born and has always lived in Buffalo, New York. She was educated in private schools and in Europe, and has written poems forHarper's Magazine,The Metropolitan,The American,Life,etc., besides a number of songs which have been set to music by Amy Woodfords-Finden, C. B. Hawley, Whitney Coombs and others.LINCOLNGaunt, rough-hewn face, that bore the furrowed signsOf days of conflict, nights of agony,And still could soften to the gentler linesOf one whose tenderness and truth went freeBeyond the pale of any small confinesTo understand and help humanity.Wise, steadfast mind, that grasped a people's need,Counting nor pain nor sacrifice too greatTo keep the noble purpose of his creedStrong against all buffeting of Fate,Though no least solace sprang of work or deedFor him, since triumph came at last—too late.Brave, weary heart, that beat uncomfortedBeneath its heavy load of grief and care;That tears of blood for every battle shed,Yet called on mirth to help his comrades bearThe waiting hours of anguish, and that spedWith loyal haste each breath of balm to share.Only his people's griefs were his; no partHad he within their joy; nor his the tollTo know the love that made rebellion start,Spurred hosts unnumbered to a higher goal;That his great soul should cleanse a nation's heart,His martyred heart awake a nation's soul.topCABIN OF LINCOLN'S PARENTSon Goose-Nest Prairie, IllinoistopThelast home of the parents of Lincoln. Built by his father, Thomas, in 1831, near Farmington, Coles Co., Ill. The father died here in 1851 and the step-mother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, in 1869. After Lincoln was elected President in 1860, and before leaving for Washington to be inaugurated, he visited his mother in this cabin for the last time. As he was leaving her, she made a prediction of his tragic death. With arms about his neck, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she declared it was the last time she would ever see him alive, and it proved to be so.Lincoln once said, "I was told that I never would make a lawyer if I did not understand what 'demonstrate' means. I left my situation in Springfield, went to my father's house, and stayed there till I could give any proposition in the six books of Euclid at sight. I there found out what demonstrate means."topLINCOLN HOMESTEAD, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIStopOnMonday, February 11, 1861, Mr. Lincoln and family in company with a party left Springfield, Illinois, for Washington, D. C. A light rain mixed with snow was falling at the time which made the occasion a somewhat gloomy one. Mr. Lincoln appeared on the rear platform of the car where he bade farewell to his neighbors in the following address:"My friends, no one not in my position can appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. To this people I owe all that I am. Here I have lived more than a quarter of a century. Here my children were born, and here one of them lies buried."I know not how soon I shall see you again. A duty devolves upon me which is greater, perhaps, than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days of Washington. He never would have succeeded except for the aid of divine Providence, upon which he at all times relied."I feel that I cannot succeed without the same divine aid which sustained him; and on the same Almighty Being I place my reliance for support, and I hope you, my friends, will pray that I may receive the divine assistance, without which I cannot succeed, but with which success is certain. Again, I bid you an affectionate farewell."Mr. Lincoln thought that there is a time to joke and pray; and if, as his detractors affirm, he joked all the way to Washington, if he did not pray also (as we believe he did, and fervently, too) he at least desired the prayers of others, as the circumstances recorded in the following poem will show. It is from the pen of a lady of Philadelphia, Mrs. Anna Bache.topLINCOLN AT SPRINGFIELD, 1861“Myfriends,—elected by your choice,From the long-cherished home I go,Endeared by Heaven-permitted joys,Sacred by Heaven-permitted woe,I go, to take the helm of State,While loud the waves of faction roar,And by His aid, supremely great,Upon whose will all tempests wait,I hope to steer the bark to shore.Not since the days when WashingtonTo battle led our patriots on,Have clouds so dark above us met,Have dangers dire so close beset.Andhehad never saved the landBy deeds in human wisdom planned,But that with Christian faith he soughtGuidance and blessing, where he ought.Like him, I seek for aid divine,His faith, his hope, his trust, are mine.Pray for me, friends, that God may makeMy judgment clear, my duty plain;For if the Lord no wardship take,The watchmen mount the towers in vain."He ceased; and many a manly breastPanted with strong emotion's swell,And many a lip the sob suppressed,And tears from manly eyelids fell.And hats came off, and heads were bowed,As Lincoln slowly moved away;And then, heart-spoken, from the crowd,In accents earnest, clear, and loud,Came one brief sentence, "Wewillpray!"topPRESIDENT LINCOLN AND HIS SECRETARIES, JOHN G. NICOLAY AND JOHN HAYPhotographed at Springfield, Illinois, in 1861topOnthe 22nd of February, 1861, Washington's birthday, on his journey to Washington, to assume the Presidency, Mr. Lincoln raised a new flag over Independence Hall, then went inside and spoke asfollows:—"I am filled with deep emotion at finding myself standing in this place, where were collected together the wisdom, the patriotism, the devotion to principle from which sprang the institutions under which we live. You have kindly suggested to me that in my hands is the task of restoring peace to our distracted country. I can say in return, sirs, that all the political sentiments I entertain have been drawn, so far as I have been able to draw them, from the sentiments which originated in and were given to the world from this hall. I have never had a feeling, politically, that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence. I have often pondered over the dangers which were incurred by the men who assembled here and framed and adopted that Declaration. I have pondered over the toils that were endured by the officers and soldiers of the army who achieved that independence. I have often inquired of myself what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long together. It was not the mere matter of separation of the colonies from the motherland, but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but hope to all the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men and that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in the Declaration of Independence."Now, my friends, can this country be saved on that basis? If it can, I will consider myself one of the happiest men in the world if I can help to save it. But if this country cannot be saved without giving up that principle, I was about to say I would rather be assassinated on this spot than surrender it."Four years and two months later, April 22, 1865, his body lay, assassinated, on the very spot where he had made the above remarks, then being taken to Springfield, Illinois, for burial.topINDEPENDENCE HALL, PHILADELPHIAtopHenry Wilson Clendenin, born at Schellsburg, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1837; educated in private schools and by tutors. Married Mary E. Morey of Monmouth, Illinois, October 23, 1877; to them were born five children, four of whom survive: George M., managerIllinois State Register;Clarence R., Deputy Internal Revenue Collector, Springfield, Illinois; Harry F., proofreader,Illinois State Register,and Marie, Assistant Instructor Physical Education, State Normal University, Normal, Illinois. He was a private of Company I, Twentieth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War. Began newspaper work onBurlington(Iowa)Hawkeye.Afterwards telegraph editorPeoria Transcript,1858; telegraph editorBurlington Gazette,1863, and editor and proprietor,Keokuk Daily Constitution,1876-1881; since that year was editor and president of theIllinois State Register.Postmaster, Springfield 1886-90. Member Illinois State Historical Society, The Jefferson Association, Grand Army of the Republic and Sons of the American Revolution. Director of Lincoln Library at Springfield, Illinois, for ten years. Member of the First Congregational Church of that city.This sonnet was written by Mr. Clendenin, in Philadelphia, February 22, 1861, after witnessing Lincoln hoist the flag over Independence Hall.LINCOLN CALLED TO THE PRESIDENCYHarkto the sound that speedeth o'er the land!Behold the sword in fratricidal hand!'Tis duty calls thee, Lincoln, and thy trustDemands that all thy acts be wise and just.No idle task to thee has been assigned,But work that's worthy of a giantmind—And on the issue hangs the nation's fametopAs a free people who deserve the name.So, walk thou in the way the fathers trod;Be true to freedom, country, and to God;Then truth will triumph, treason be undone,And thou be hailed the second Washington.The first, the Father of his country—thou,Its Saviour. Bind the laurel on thy brow.LINCOLN IN 1858From a photograph by S. M. Fassett of ChicagotopAnact of Congress July 9, 1790, established the District of Columbia as the National Capital, and provided that prior to the first Monday of December, 1800, the Commissioners should have finished a suitable building for the sessions of Congress. The site of the Capitol was included in L'Enfant's plan for the city. The cornerstone was laid September 18, 1793, with Masonic rites, George Washington officiating. The wings of the central building were completed in 1811, and were partially burned by the British, in 1814. The entire central building was finished in 1827. The cornerstone of the extension was laid by President Fillmore, July 4, 1851. The extensions were first occupied by Congress 1857 and 1859. Up to that time the Senate Chamber was the present Supreme Court Room, and the Hall of Representatives was the present National Statuary Hall. The dome was finished during the administration of President Lincoln. The total cost of the Capitol building and grounds was about thirty million dollars. The remains of President Lincoln were escorted from the White House to the Capitol at three o'clockP.M., on the 19th of April, 1865. The number in the procession was estimated at forty thousand, and that many more were spectators along the route. The burial service was conducted by Dr. Gurley. The special train bearing the remains left at 8A.M., Friday, April 21, for Springfield, Illinois, stopping at Baltimore, Maryland; Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Albany and Buffalo, New York; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois, reaching Springfield, Illinois, the 3d of May, and was buried the following day. The body lay in state in all of the above cities.top
LINCOLN AT THE TIME OF DEBATE WITH DOUGLASFrom an Ambrotype taken at Beardstown, Ill., 1858
Hisfriends advised Lincoln to press his opponent on the Dred Scott decision (of the United States Supreme Court permitting slavery in the Territories), as Douglas would accept it, but argue for nullifying it by anti-slavery legislation in the territorial assemblies, and this would satisfy the people of Illinois, and elect him Senator. "All right," said Lincoln, "then that kills him in 1860. I am gunning for larger game."
top
Elizabeth Stuart Phelpswas born in Andover, Massachusetts, on August 13, 1844. Educated at Andover. Her literary career began at the age of thirteen with contributions to the newspapers. The earlier years of her life were devoted to Christian labors among the poor families in Andover, but failing health finally prevented her from carrying on her labors along that line, and kept her within her study, but her sympathy was always enlisted in the reformatory questions of the day.The Gates Ajarproved very popular, as did also her many juvenile books. She wrote this poem for the Lincoln Memorial Album in 1882. She died January 29, 1911.
Theangels of your thoughts are climbing stillThe shining ladder of his fame,And have not reached the top, nor ever will,While this low life pronounces his high name.
Theangels of your thoughts are climbing still
The shining ladder of his fame,
And have not reached the top, nor ever will,
While this low life pronounces his high name.
But yonder, where they dream, or dare, or do,The "good" or "great" beyond our reach,To talk of him must make old language newIn heavenly, as it did in human, speech.
But yonder, where they dream, or dare, or do,
The "good" or "great" beyond our reach,
To talk of him must make old language new
In heavenly, as it did in human, speech.
top
THE LINCOLN LIFE-MASKBy Leonard W. Volk
Mr. Lincolnwas engaged in trying a case in the United States Court at Chicago, Illinois, in April, 1860, and Leonard W. Volk, the sculptor, called upon him and said: "I would like to have you sit to me for your bust." "I will, Mr. Volk," replied Lincoln. This was the first time that Lincoln sat to an artist for the reproduction of his physique in this manner. Previous to this he had posed only for daguerreotypes or for photographs.
top
Richard Watson Gilderwas born in Bordentown, New Jersey, February 8, 1844, and was educated at his father's school. He enlisted in Landis' Philadelphia Battery for the emergency call in the campaign of 1863, when the Confederate forces invaded Pennsylvania. Later he was editor of a number of magazines and upon the death of J. G. Holland he was made associate editor of theCentury.At the age of twenty-six he had attained high literary standing. His poems are published in five volumes. He rendered valuable service in tenement-house reform over the country. He died on the 18th day of November, 1909.
Thisbronze doth keep the very form and moldOf our great martyr's face. Yes, this is he:That brow all wisdom, all benignity;That human, humorous mouth; those cheeks that holdLike some harsh landscape all the summer's gold;That spirit fit for sorrow, as the seaFor storms to beat on; the lone agonyThose silent, patient lips too well foretold.Yes, this is he who ruled a world of menAs might some prophet of the elderday—Brooding above the tempest and the frayWith deep-eyed thought and more than mortal ken.A power was his beyond the touch of artOr armed strength—his pure and mighty heart.
Thisbronze doth keep the very form and mold
Of our great martyr's face. Yes, this is he:
That brow all wisdom, all benignity;
That human, humorous mouth; those cheeks that hold
Like some harsh landscape all the summer's gold;
That spirit fit for sorrow, as the sea
For storms to beat on; the lone agony
Those silent, patient lips too well foretold.
Yes, this is he who ruled a world of men
As might some prophet of the elderday—
Brooding above the tempest and the fray
With deep-eyed thought and more than mortal ken.
A power was his beyond the touch of art
Or armed strength—his pure and mighty heart.
top
THE HAND OF LINCOLN
TheSaturday after the nomination of Mr. Lincoln for President of the United States, the Committee appointed to inform him of the said nomination arrived in Springfield and performed this duty in the evening at his home.
The cast of his hand was made the next morning by Mr. Leonard W. Volk. While the sculptor was making the cast of his left hand, Lincoln called his attention to a scar on his thumb. "You have heard me called the 'rail-splitter' haven't you?" he said, "Well, I used to split rails when I was a young man, and one day, while sharpening a wedge on a log, the axe glanced and nearly took off my thumb."
top
Edmund Clarence Stedmanwas born in Hartford, Connecticut, on the 8th of October, 1833. He entered Yale College at the age of sixteen and distinguished himself in Greek and English Composition. He was the editor of several papers in Connecticut and in 1856 removed to New York City—a larger field for his literary abilities. He was a contributor toVanity Fair,Putnam's Monthly,Harper's Magazineand other periodicals. His poems:The Diamond Wedding,How Old John Brown Took Harper's Ferry,The Ballad of Lager-Bier,gave him some reputation. He was war-correspondent for theWorldduring the early campaigns of the Army of the Potomac from the Headquarters of General Irwin McDowell and General B. McClellan. He died in 1908.
Lookon this cast, and know the handThat bore a nation in its hold;From this mute witness understandWhat Lincoln was—how large of mold.
Lookon this cast, and know the hand
That bore a nation in its hold;
From this mute witness understand
What Lincoln was—how large of mold.
The man who sped the woodman's team,And deepest sunk the plowman's share,And pushed the laden raft astream,Of fate before him unaware.
The man who sped the woodman's team,
And deepest sunk the plowman's share,
And pushed the laden raft astream,
Of fate before him unaware.
This was the hand that knew to swingThe axe—since thus would Freedom trainHer son—and made the forest ring,And drove the wedge and toiled amain.
This was the hand that knew to swing
The axe—since thus would Freedom train
Her son—and made the forest ring,
And drove the wedge and toiled amain.
Firm hand that loftier office took,A conscious leader's will obeyed,And, when men sought his word and look,With steadfast might the gathering swayed.top
Firm hand that loftier office took,
A conscious leader's will obeyed,
And, when men sought his word and look,
With steadfast might the gathering swayed.
No courtier's, toying with a sword,Nor minstrel's, laid across a lute;Chiefs, uplifted to the LordWhen all the kings of earth are mute!
No courtier's, toying with a sword,
Nor minstrel's, laid across a lute;
Chiefs, uplifted to the Lord
When all the kings of earth are mute!
The hand of Anak, sinewed strong,The fingers that on greatness clutch,Yet lo! the marks their lines alongOf one who strove and suffered much.
The hand of Anak, sinewed strong,
The fingers that on greatness clutch,
Yet lo! the marks their lines along
Of one who strove and suffered much.
For here in mottled cord and veinI trace the varying chart of years,I know the troubled heart, the strain,The weight of Atlas—and the tears.
For here in mottled cord and vein
I trace the varying chart of years,
I know the troubled heart, the strain,
The weight of Atlas—and the tears.
Again I see the patient browThat palm erewhile was wont to press;And now 'tis furrowed deep, and nowMade smooth with hope and tenderness.
Again I see the patient brow
That palm erewhile was wont to press;
And now 'tis furrowed deep, and now
Made smooth with hope and tenderness.
For something of a formless graceThis molded outline plays about;A pitying flame, beyond our trace,Breathes like a spirit, in andout—
For something of a formless grace
This molded outline plays about;
A pitying flame, beyond our trace,
Breathes like a spirit, in andout—
The love that casts an aureoleRound one who, longer to endure,Called mirth to cease his ceaseless dole,Yet kept his nobler purpose sure.
The love that casts an aureole
Round one who, longer to endure,
Called mirth to cease his ceaseless dole,
Yet kept his nobler purpose sure.
Lo, as I gaze, the statured man,Built up from yon large hand, appears;A type that nature wills to planBut once in all a people's years.
Lo, as I gaze, the statured man,
Built up from yon large hand, appears;
A type that nature wills to plan
But once in all a people's years.
What better than this voiceless castTo tell of such a one as he,Since through its living semblance passedThe thought that bade a race be free?
What better than this voiceless cast
To tell of such a one as he,
Since through its living semblance passed
The thought that bade a race be free?
top
HON. ABRAHAM LINCOLN, REPUBLICAN CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY, 1860Painted by Hicks; lithograph by L. Grozelier; published by W. Schaus, New York, 1860; printed by J. H. Bufford, Boston
top
THE "WIGWAM"Convention Hall, at Chicago, 1860, in which Lincoln was nominated
TheRepublicans of Chicago had erected a huge temporary building for the use of the Convention. The "Wigwam," as it was called, covered a space of 600 feet by 180, and the height was between 50 and 60 feet. The building would hold about 10,000 persons, and was divided into platform, ground-floor and gallery. The stage upon which the delegates and members of the press were seated, held about 1,800 persons; the ground-floor and galleries, about 8,000. A large gallery was reserved for ladies, which was filled every day to overflowing. The Convention met on June 16, 1860.
top
Edmund Clarence Stedmanis the author of this poem, and it was published in thePress and Tribuneof Chicago, and inWeekly Illinois State Journal,June 13, 1860. It was sung to the air of the "Star Spangled Banner" throughout the campaign.
O Hark! from the pine-crested hills of old Maine,Where the splendor first falls from the wings of the morning,And away in the West, over river and plain,Rings out the grand anthem of Liberty's warning!From green-rolling prairie it swells to the sea,For the people have risen, victorious and free,They have chosen their leaders, and bravest and bestOf them all is Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!
O Hark! from the pine-crested hills of old Maine,
Where the splendor first falls from the wings of the morning,
And away in the West, over river and plain,
Rings out the grand anthem of Liberty's warning!
From green-rolling prairie it swells to the sea,
For the people have risen, victorious and free,
They have chosen their leaders, and bravest and best
Of them all is Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!
The spirit that fought for the patriots of oldHas swept through the land and aroused us forever;In the pure air of heaven a standard unfoldFit to marshal us on to the sacred endeavor!Proudly the banner of freemen we bear;Noble the hopes that encircle it there!And where battle is thickest we follow the crestOf gallant Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!
The spirit that fought for the patriots of old
Has swept through the land and aroused us forever;
In the pure air of heaven a standard unfold
Fit to marshal us on to the sacred endeavor!
Proudly the banner of freemen we bear;
Noble the hopes that encircle it there!
And where battle is thickest we follow the crest
Of gallant Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!
There's a triumph in urging a glorious cause,Though the hosts of the foe for a while may be stronger,Pushing on for just rules and holier laws,Till their lessening columns oppose us no longer.But ours the loud pæan of men who have passedThrough the struggles of years, and are victors at last;So forward the flag! Leave to Heaven the rest,And trust in Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!
There's a triumph in urging a glorious cause,
Though the hosts of the foe for a while may be stronger,
Pushing on for just rules and holier laws,
Till their lessening columns oppose us no longer.
But ours the loud pæan of men who have passed
Through the struggles of years, and are victors at last;
So forward the flag! Leave to Heaven the rest,
And trust in Old Abe, Honest Abe of the West!
top
LINCOLN AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENTFrom an Ambrotype taken at Springfield, Illinois, August 13, 1860
top
William Henry Burleigh, born at Woodstock, Connecticut, February 2, 1812. In early manhood became an advocate of reforms then unpopular, and an acceptable lecturer on behalf of temperance and the anti-slavery cause. He removed to Pittsburgh in 1837, where he published theChristian Witness,and afterwards theTemperance Banner.As a writer, speaker, editor, poet, reformer, friend and associate, it was the universal testimony of those who knew him best and esteemed him most truly, that he stood in the forefront of his generation. His poetry, animated by deep love of nature and a profound desire to uphold truth and justice, gives him a place with our first minor poets.
Upagain for the conflict! Our banner fling out,And rally around it with song and with shout!Stout of heart, firm of hand, should the gallant boys be,Who bear to the battle the Flag of the Free!Like our fathers, when Liberty called to the strife,They should pledge to her cause fortune, honor, and life!And follow wherever she beckons them on,Till Freedom results in a victory won!
Upagain for the conflict! Our banner fling out,
And rally around it with song and with shout!
Stout of heart, firm of hand, should the gallant boys be,
Who bear to the battle the Flag of the Free!
Like our fathers, when Liberty called to the strife,
They should pledge to her cause fortune, honor, and life!
And follow wherever she beckons them on,
Till Freedom results in a victory won!
They came from the hillside, they came from theglen—From the streets thronged with traffic and surging with men,From loom and from ledger, from workshop and farm,The fearless of heart, and the mighty of arm.As the mountain-born torrents exultingly leapWhen their ice-fetters melt, to the breast of the deep;As the winds of the prairie, the waves of the sea,They are coming—are coming—the Sons of the Free!top
They came from the hillside, they came from theglen—
From the streets thronged with traffic and surging with men,
From loom and from ledger, from workshop and farm,
The fearless of heart, and the mighty of arm.
As the mountain-born torrents exultingly leap
When their ice-fetters melt, to the breast of the deep;
As the winds of the prairie, the waves of the sea,
They are coming—are coming—the Sons of the Free!
Our Leader is one who, with conquerless will,Has climbed from the base to the brow of the hill;Undaunted in peril, unwavering in strife,He has fought a good fight in the Battle of Life,And we trust as one who—come woe or come weal,Is as firm as the rock and as true as the steel.Right loyal and brave, with no stain on his breast,Then, hurrah, boys, for honest "Old Abe of the West!"
Our Leader is one who, with conquerless will,
Has climbed from the base to the brow of the hill;
Undaunted in peril, unwavering in strife,
He has fought a good fight in the Battle of Life,
And we trust as one who—come woe or come weal,
Is as firm as the rock and as true as the steel.
Right loyal and brave, with no stain on his breast,
Then, hurrah, boys, for honest "Old Abe of the West!"
top
"HONEST ABE"A Campaign Cartoon of 1860
top
Madison Caweinwas born at Louisville, Kentucky, on the 23rd of March, 1865. Was educated in the city and country schools about Louisville and New Albany, Indiana. Graduated from the Male High School, Louisville, in 1886, and the following year published his first volume, calledBlooms of the Berry.Since then he published some thirty-odd volumes of prose and poetry, both in the United States and England. He died in 1915.
Read for the first time at the Lincoln centenary celebration, Temple Adath Israel, Louisville, Ky.
Yea, this is he, whose name is synonymOf all that's noble, though but lowly born;Who took command upon a stormy mornWhen few had hope. Although uncouth of limb,Homely of face and gaunt, but never grim,Beautiful he was with that which none mayscorn—With love of God and man and things forlorn,And freedom mighty as the soul in him.Large at the helm of state he leans and loomsWith the grave, kindly look of those who dieDoing their duty. Stanch, unswervinglyOnward he steers beneath portentous glooms,And overwhelming thunders of the sky,Till, safe in port, he sees a people free.
Yea, this is he, whose name is synonym
Of all that's noble, though but lowly born;
Who took command upon a stormy morn
When few had hope. Although uncouth of limb,
Homely of face and gaunt, but never grim,
Beautiful he was with that which none mayscorn—
With love of God and man and things forlorn,
And freedom mighty as the soul in him.
Large at the helm of state he leans and looms
With the grave, kindly look of those who die
Doing their duty. Stanch, unswervingly
Onward he steers beneath portentous glooms,
And overwhelming thunders of the sky,
Till, safe in port, he sees a people free.
Safe from the storm; the harbor-lights of PeaceBefore his eyes; the burden of dark fearsCast from him like a cloak; and in his earsThe heart-beat music of a great release;Captain and pilot, back upon the seas,Whose wrath he'd weathered, back he looks with tears,topSeeing no shadow of the Death that nears,Stealthy and sure, with sudden agonies.So let him stand, brother to every man,Ready for toil or battle; he who heldA Nation's destinies within his hand;Type of our greatness; first American,By whom the hearts of all men are compelled,And with whose name Freedom unites our land.
Safe from the storm; the harbor-lights of Peace
Before his eyes; the burden of dark fears
Cast from him like a cloak; and in his ears
The heart-beat music of a great release;
Captain and pilot, back upon the seas,
Whose wrath he'd weathered, back he looks with tears,
Seeing no shadow of the Death that nears,
Stealthy and sure, with sudden agonies.
So let him stand, brother to every man,
Ready for toil or battle; he who held
A Nation's destinies within his hand;
Type of our greatness; first American,
By whom the hearts of all men are compelled,
And with whose name Freedom unites our land.
He needs no praise of us, who wrought so well,Who has the Master's praise; who at his postStood to the last. Yet, now, from coast to coast,Let memory of him peal like some great bell,Of him as woodsman, workman, let it tell!Of him as lawyer, statesman, without boast!And for what qualities we love him most,And recollections that no time can quell.He needs no praise of us, yet let us praise,Albeit his simple soul we may offend,That liked not praise, being most diffident;Still let us praise him, praise him in such waysAs his were, and in words that shall transcendMarble, and outlast any monument.
He needs no praise of us, who wrought so well,
Who has the Master's praise; who at his post
Stood to the last. Yet, now, from coast to coast,
Let memory of him peal like some great bell,
Of him as woodsman, workman, let it tell!
Of him as lawyer, statesman, without boast!
And for what qualities we love him most,
And recollections that no time can quell.
He needs no praise of us, yet let us praise,
Albeit his simple soul we may offend,
That liked not praise, being most diffident;
Still let us praise him, praise him in such ways
As his were, and in words that shall transcend
Marble, and outlast any monument.
top
LINCOLN AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENTPhotograph by Hesler, Chicago, Illinois, 1860
top
Isaac Bassett Choate, born at South Otis Field, Maine, July 12, 1833. Bachelor of Arts, Bowdoin College, 1862. Author ofWild Birds and Flowers,1895;Wells of English,1892;Obeyed the Camel Driver,1899;Apollo's Guest,1907.
By special invitation from the faculty of the Alumni Association of said College he read the following poem at their annual banquet held on the centenary of Lincoln's birth, 1909:
Fromout the ranks of common men herose—Himself of common elements, yetfine—As in a wood of different species growsAbove all other trees the lordly pine,Upon whose branches rest the winter snows,Upon whose head warm beams of summer shine;His was the heart to feel the people's woesAnd his the hand to hold the builder's line;Strong, patient, wise and great,Born ruler of the State.
Fromout the ranks of common men herose—
Himself of common elements, yetfine—
As in a wood of different species grows
Above all other trees the lordly pine,
Upon whose branches rest the winter snows,
Upon whose head warm beams of summer shine;
His was the heart to feel the people's woes
And his the hand to hold the builder's line;
Strong, patient, wise and great,
Born ruler of the State.
Among a mountain group one sovereign peakWill tower aloft unto commanding heightAs if more distant view abroad toseek—First one to hail, last one to speed the light;Those granite sides will snows of winter streakE'en in the summer with their purestwhite;—Silent, serene, that summit yet will speakOf loftiest grandeur to the enraptured sight;So Lincoln's greatness shoneSupreme, unmatched, alone.
Among a mountain group one sovereign peak
Will tower aloft unto commanding height
As if more distant view abroad toseek—
First one to hail, last one to speed the light;
Those granite sides will snows of winter streak
E'en in the summer with their purestwhite;—
Silent, serene, that summit yet will speak
Of loftiest grandeur to the enraptured sight;
So Lincoln's greatness shone
Supreme, unmatched, alone.
top
LINCOLN AS CANDIDATE FOR PRESIDENTPhotograph, Springfield, Ill., 1860
top
Charlotte Beckerwas born and has always lived in Buffalo, New York. She was educated in private schools and in Europe, and has written poems forHarper's Magazine,The Metropolitan,The American,Life,etc., besides a number of songs which have been set to music by Amy Woodfords-Finden, C. B. Hawley, Whitney Coombs and others.
Gaunt, rough-hewn face, that bore the furrowed signsOf days of conflict, nights of agony,And still could soften to the gentler linesOf one whose tenderness and truth went freeBeyond the pale of any small confinesTo understand and help humanity.
Gaunt, rough-hewn face, that bore the furrowed signs
Of days of conflict, nights of agony,
And still could soften to the gentler lines
Of one whose tenderness and truth went free
Beyond the pale of any small confines
To understand and help humanity.
Wise, steadfast mind, that grasped a people's need,Counting nor pain nor sacrifice too greatTo keep the noble purpose of his creedStrong against all buffeting of Fate,Though no least solace sprang of work or deedFor him, since triumph came at last—too late.
Wise, steadfast mind, that grasped a people's need,
Counting nor pain nor sacrifice too great
To keep the noble purpose of his creed
Strong against all buffeting of Fate,
Though no least solace sprang of work or deed
For him, since triumph came at last—too late.
Brave, weary heart, that beat uncomfortedBeneath its heavy load of grief and care;That tears of blood for every battle shed,Yet called on mirth to help his comrades bearThe waiting hours of anguish, and that spedWith loyal haste each breath of balm to share.
Brave, weary heart, that beat uncomforted
Beneath its heavy load of grief and care;
That tears of blood for every battle shed,
Yet called on mirth to help his comrades bear
The waiting hours of anguish, and that sped
With loyal haste each breath of balm to share.
Only his people's griefs were his; no partHad he within their joy; nor his the tollTo know the love that made rebellion start,Spurred hosts unnumbered to a higher goal;That his great soul should cleanse a nation's heart,His martyred heart awake a nation's soul.
Only his people's griefs were his; no part
Had he within their joy; nor his the toll
To know the love that made rebellion start,
Spurred hosts unnumbered to a higher goal;
That his great soul should cleanse a nation's heart,
His martyred heart awake a nation's soul.
top
CABIN OF LINCOLN'S PARENTSon Goose-Nest Prairie, Illinois
top
Thelast home of the parents of Lincoln. Built by his father, Thomas, in 1831, near Farmington, Coles Co., Ill. The father died here in 1851 and the step-mother, Sarah Bush Lincoln, in 1869. After Lincoln was elected President in 1860, and before leaving for Washington to be inaugurated, he visited his mother in this cabin for the last time. As he was leaving her, she made a prediction of his tragic death. With arms about his neck, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she declared it was the last time she would ever see him alive, and it proved to be so.
Lincoln once said, "I was told that I never would make a lawyer if I did not understand what 'demonstrate' means. I left my situation in Springfield, went to my father's house, and stayed there till I could give any proposition in the six books of Euclid at sight. I there found out what demonstrate means."
top
LINCOLN HOMESTEAD, SPRINGFIELD, ILLINOIS
top
OnMonday, February 11, 1861, Mr. Lincoln and family in company with a party left Springfield, Illinois, for Washington, D. C. A light rain mixed with snow was falling at the time which made the occasion a somewhat gloomy one. Mr. Lincoln appeared on the rear platform of the car where he bade farewell to his neighbors in the following address:
"My friends, no one not in my position can appreciate the sadness I feel at this parting. To this people I owe all that I am. Here I have lived more than a quarter of a century. Here my children were born, and here one of them lies buried.
"I know not how soon I shall see you again. A duty devolves upon me which is greater, perhaps, than that which has devolved upon any other man since the days of Washington. He never would have succeeded except for the aid of divine Providence, upon which he at all times relied.
"I feel that I cannot succeed without the same divine aid which sustained him; and on the same Almighty Being I place my reliance for support, and I hope you, my friends, will pray that I may receive the divine assistance, without which I cannot succeed, but with which success is certain. Again, I bid you an affectionate farewell."
Mr. Lincoln thought that there is a time to joke and pray; and if, as his detractors affirm, he joked all the way to Washington, if he did not pray also (as we believe he did, and fervently, too) he at least desired the prayers of others, as the circumstances recorded in the following poem will show. It is from the pen of a lady of Philadelphia, Mrs. Anna Bache.
top
“Myfriends,—elected by your choice,From the long-cherished home I go,Endeared by Heaven-permitted joys,Sacred by Heaven-permitted woe,I go, to take the helm of State,While loud the waves of faction roar,And by His aid, supremely great,Upon whose will all tempests wait,I hope to steer the bark to shore.Not since the days when WashingtonTo battle led our patriots on,Have clouds so dark above us met,Have dangers dire so close beset.Andhehad never saved the landBy deeds in human wisdom planned,But that with Christian faith he soughtGuidance and blessing, where he ought.Like him, I seek for aid divine,His faith, his hope, his trust, are mine.Pray for me, friends, that God may makeMy judgment clear, my duty plain;For if the Lord no wardship take,The watchmen mount the towers in vain."
“Myfriends,—elected by your choice,
From the long-cherished home I go,
Endeared by Heaven-permitted joys,
Sacred by Heaven-permitted woe,
I go, to take the helm of State,
While loud the waves of faction roar,
And by His aid, supremely great,
Upon whose will all tempests wait,
I hope to steer the bark to shore.
Not since the days when Washington
To battle led our patriots on,
Have clouds so dark above us met,
Have dangers dire so close beset.
Andhehad never saved the land
By deeds in human wisdom planned,
But that with Christian faith he sought
Guidance and blessing, where he ought.
Like him, I seek for aid divine,
His faith, his hope, his trust, are mine.
Pray for me, friends, that God may make
My judgment clear, my duty plain;
For if the Lord no wardship take,
The watchmen mount the towers in vain."
He ceased; and many a manly breastPanted with strong emotion's swell,And many a lip the sob suppressed,And tears from manly eyelids fell.And hats came off, and heads were bowed,As Lincoln slowly moved away;And then, heart-spoken, from the crowd,In accents earnest, clear, and loud,Came one brief sentence, "Wewillpray!"
He ceased; and many a manly breast
Panted with strong emotion's swell,
And many a lip the sob suppressed,
And tears from manly eyelids fell.
And hats came off, and heads were bowed,
As Lincoln slowly moved away;
And then, heart-spoken, from the crowd,
In accents earnest, clear, and loud,
Came one brief sentence, "Wewillpray!"
top
PRESIDENT LINCOLN AND HIS SECRETARIES, JOHN G. NICOLAY AND JOHN HAYPhotographed at Springfield, Illinois, in 1861
top
Onthe 22nd of February, 1861, Washington's birthday, on his journey to Washington, to assume the Presidency, Mr. Lincoln raised a new flag over Independence Hall, then went inside and spoke asfollows:—
"I am filled with deep emotion at finding myself standing in this place, where were collected together the wisdom, the patriotism, the devotion to principle from which sprang the institutions under which we live. You have kindly suggested to me that in my hands is the task of restoring peace to our distracted country. I can say in return, sirs, that all the political sentiments I entertain have been drawn, so far as I have been able to draw them, from the sentiments which originated in and were given to the world from this hall. I have never had a feeling, politically, that did not spring from the sentiments embodied in the Declaration of Independence. I have often pondered over the dangers which were incurred by the men who assembled here and framed and adopted that Declaration. I have pondered over the toils that were endured by the officers and soldiers of the army who achieved that independence. I have often inquired of myself what great principle or idea it was that kept this Confederacy so long together. It was not the mere matter of separation of the colonies from the motherland, but that sentiment in the Declaration of Independence which gave liberty, not alone to the people of this country, but hope to all the world, for all future time. It was that which gave promise that in due time the weight would be lifted from the shoulders of all men and that all should have an equal chance. This is the sentiment embodied in the Declaration of Independence.
"Now, my friends, can this country be saved on that basis? If it can, I will consider myself one of the happiest men in the world if I can help to save it. But if this country cannot be saved without giving up that principle, I was about to say I would rather be assassinated on this spot than surrender it."
Four years and two months later, April 22, 1865, his body lay, assassinated, on the very spot where he had made the above remarks, then being taken to Springfield, Illinois, for burial.
top
INDEPENDENCE HALL, PHILADELPHIA
top
Henry Wilson Clendenin, born at Schellsburg, Pennsylvania, August 1, 1837; educated in private schools and by tutors. Married Mary E. Morey of Monmouth, Illinois, October 23, 1877; to them were born five children, four of whom survive: George M., managerIllinois State Register;Clarence R., Deputy Internal Revenue Collector, Springfield, Illinois; Harry F., proofreader,Illinois State Register,and Marie, Assistant Instructor Physical Education, State Normal University, Normal, Illinois. He was a private of Company I, Twentieth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, in the Civil War. Began newspaper work onBurlington(Iowa)Hawkeye.Afterwards telegraph editorPeoria Transcript,1858; telegraph editorBurlington Gazette,1863, and editor and proprietor,Keokuk Daily Constitution,1876-1881; since that year was editor and president of theIllinois State Register.Postmaster, Springfield 1886-90. Member Illinois State Historical Society, The Jefferson Association, Grand Army of the Republic and Sons of the American Revolution. Director of Lincoln Library at Springfield, Illinois, for ten years. Member of the First Congregational Church of that city.
This sonnet was written by Mr. Clendenin, in Philadelphia, February 22, 1861, after witnessing Lincoln hoist the flag over Independence Hall.
Harkto the sound that speedeth o'er the land!Behold the sword in fratricidal hand!'Tis duty calls thee, Lincoln, and thy trustDemands that all thy acts be wise and just.No idle task to thee has been assigned,But work that's worthy of a giantmind—And on the issue hangs the nation's fametopAs a free people who deserve the name.So, walk thou in the way the fathers trod;Be true to freedom, country, and to God;Then truth will triumph, treason be undone,And thou be hailed the second Washington.The first, the Father of his country—thou,Its Saviour. Bind the laurel on thy brow.
Harkto the sound that speedeth o'er the land!
Behold the sword in fratricidal hand!
'Tis duty calls thee, Lincoln, and thy trust
Demands that all thy acts be wise and just.
No idle task to thee has been assigned,
But work that's worthy of a giantmind—
And on the issue hangs the nation's fame
As a free people who deserve the name.
So, walk thou in the way the fathers trod;
Be true to freedom, country, and to God;
Then truth will triumph, treason be undone,
And thou be hailed the second Washington.
The first, the Father of his country—thou,
Its Saviour. Bind the laurel on thy brow.
LINCOLN IN 1858From a photograph by S. M. Fassett of Chicago
top
Anact of Congress July 9, 1790, established the District of Columbia as the National Capital, and provided that prior to the first Monday of December, 1800, the Commissioners should have finished a suitable building for the sessions of Congress. The site of the Capitol was included in L'Enfant's plan for the city. The cornerstone was laid September 18, 1793, with Masonic rites, George Washington officiating. The wings of the central building were completed in 1811, and were partially burned by the British, in 1814. The entire central building was finished in 1827. The cornerstone of the extension was laid by President Fillmore, July 4, 1851. The extensions were first occupied by Congress 1857 and 1859. Up to that time the Senate Chamber was the present Supreme Court Room, and the Hall of Representatives was the present National Statuary Hall. The dome was finished during the administration of President Lincoln. The total cost of the Capitol building and grounds was about thirty million dollars. The remains of President Lincoln were escorted from the White House to the Capitol at three o'clockP.M., on the 19th of April, 1865. The number in the procession was estimated at forty thousand, and that many more were spectators along the route. The burial service was conducted by Dr. Gurley. The special train bearing the remains left at 8A.M., Friday, April 21, for Springfield, Illinois, stopping at Baltimore, Maryland; Harrisburg and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Albany and Buffalo, New York; Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis, Indiana; Chicago, Illinois, reaching Springfield, Illinois, the 3d of May, and was buried the following day. The body lay in state in all of the above cities.
top