Extract from Gettysburg ode Page Bayard Taylor. 225 Extract from the last annual message—December 6, 1864 226 Laus Deo! The "second inaugural" -London Spectator, April 25 and May 2, 1891 Last public address—April 11, 1865 Walt Whitman. Extract from commemoration ode. James Russell Lowell. 250 This book is not a biography, nor was it intended to be. Its main purpose is to put within the reach of our youth a collection of Lincoln's words which, in themselves, will be a source of inspiration to all that read them and will serve as models of good English to the 'schools, and to make known his words as they ought to be known by all good Americans. It is impossible to lay too much stress upon these qualities of Lincoln's words: their inspiring power, their terseness and vigor, and their worthiness to be studied and known by his countrymen. The editor, therefore, asks the special attention of the readers of 'this book to what has been said upon this matter by the writers quoted. A second purpose of the book is to gather together into such form as will make them easily accessible to the young, those speeches, letters and state paper; of Mr. Lincoln that most clearly reveal what sort of patriot, statesman and man he was. It has in it, th refore, no connected or detailed account of Mr. Lince'n's 'boyhood or early manhood. It begins with him where his national life may be said to begin, in the middl of the year 1858, giving some of his deeds and words fiom that time to his death. What he did and said before 1858, though important as a preparation for his lai ger work, were almost entirely local in their character, und -have, therefore, a limited interest to the young people |