ABRAHAM LINCOLN, ILLIOIS.

(1809-1865.)

Sixteenth President of the United States. Born in Hardin county, Kentucky, February 12, 1809; died in Washington, April 15, 1865, aged fifty-six. Born in extremest poverty, wholly unaided by parents-his father being unable to read or write; only a year in any school, never for a day master of his own time till twenty-one, yet made his way to the Legislature of Illinois at twenty-five; to the law at twenty-seven; to Congress at thirty-seven; to the Presidency at fifty. A many-sided man, he was successively boatman, axeman, hired laborer, clerk, surveyor, captain, legislator, lawyer, postmaster, orator, politician, statesman, President. In his youth he read many times and partially transcribed "Aesop," "Crusoe," "Pilgrim's Progress," a "United States History," and "Weem's Washington." He also read deeply philosophy, science, and literature especially Shakespeare. Was a master of style, and a commanding orator-his twominute Gettysburg oration of two hundred and seventy-two words, being an enduring classic,

"Though a natural born lawyer," says Washburne, “he had yet studied profoundly the principles of the common law." Studied his cases so thoroughly, and was so uniformly successful, that he was regarded as unequaled, being in every important case in his circuit. No man in Illinois had such power before a jury. This consisted in perfect lucidity of statement; great fairness—often appearing to concede away his case and skill to convey a common mind to his own conclusions. Disregarded custom, and when neces sary was "hurtful in denunciation and merciless in castigation." Was for years attorney for the Illinois Central, and received a $5,000 fee for successfully defending the McLean county tax case in the lower and Supreme Courts. The clearing of William Armstrong of murder, and the McCormick reaper patent case were important trials. "In all the elements," says Judge David Davis, "that constitute a great lawyer, he had few equals." Adds Bishop Fowler, "He gave liberty to one race, and security to another, and, measured by results, is the grandest man in history for six thousand years."

Government of People.

"That this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that Government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." From speech at Gettysburg, November 19, 1863, which consists of 272 words, and has been pronounced "the most classic and most enduring of American orations." Edward Everett said of it in a letter to Lincoln: "I should be glad if I came as near the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes."

Malice Toward None.

"With malice towards none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right.”—Second inaugural address.

People's Verdict.

"The verdict of the people can always be trusted when they have had a fair chance to hear the evidence."

Fooling the People.

"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you can't fool all of the people all of the time.”

Deliberation.

"Nothing valuable can be lost by taking time."

From first inaugural speech.

Mother.

"All that I am, or hope to be, I owe to my angel mother-blessings on her memory."-Holland's Life of Lincoln, p. 23.

Union Predicted.

"The mystic cords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriot grave to every living heart and hearthstone all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be by the better angels. of our nature."-From first inaugural speech, March 4, 1861.

Secession.

"The principle of secession is one of disintegration, and one upon which no government can possibly endure."-Message to Congress, July, 1861.

Union and Slavery.

"If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time save slavery, I do not agree with them. If there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing

some and leaving others alone, I would also do that. What I do about slavery and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do believe it would help to save the Union."-His rejoinder to Horace Greeley, which words are inscribed on the base of Lincoln's statue in Chicago.

Brevity in Speech.

Brevity in speech and writing was one of his marked characteristics. "He had the capacity of patience beyond any precedent on record."-Morse's Life of Lincoln, p. 242.

Lincoln's Four Youthful Books.

Lincoln in his boyhood had access to four books, the Bible, "Pilgrim's Progress," which taught him to use figurative language, "Burns' Poems," which developed his fancy and imagination, and "Weem's Life of Washington," which inspired him with the noble spirit of Washington.

Favorite Poem.

His favorite poem was, "Oh! Why Should the Spirit of Mortal Be Proud?" He was in the habit of reciting it often.

No Stimulants.

Used no stimulants, and never indulged in profanity.