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THE LOYALTY OF LINCOLN TO HIS LIFE WORK

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HERE is a halfway point in life where every man hesitates, where he is undecided whether to go ahead or turn back. It is one of the most difficult moments in life, when, not knowing the distance before him, but knowing the distance behind him, he abandons hope with success just around the next turn in the road.

Lincoln never abandoned hope; if he had there would be no United States of America today. "If I go down," he said, "I will go with my colors flying!" But a thousand men with hearts less stout lost hope and appealed to him to turn back, until, in 1864, the whole American people stood at the point of hesitancy. Lincoln had reached the end of the four years' administration to which he had been elected years of carnage and terror, of death and famine. But the talons of war still clutched the people, tearing their hearts and hopes. Politicians protested that he had been given his opportunity and that he had failed to fulfill his promises. The new Republican party declared that he had wrecked it. His cabinet ministers wavered; one of them offered himself to the people; while Lincoln's friends appealed to him to give up the struggle.

"I have pledged myself," he replied, "to save the Union!"

The radicals in the Republican party met in convention and nominated one of Lincoln's generals in the army for President. The Democrats were pledged to nominate another of Lincoln's generals to succeed him; both appealed to the people with the declaration that "the war is a failure," and promised to end the terrible slaughter.

Lincoln answered them with but one appeal: "I believe that the people will give me a chance to finish the work that I have begun." The sense of fair play always surges through the masses. "Give Lincoln a chance," came back the response from the plain people. The sentiment passed through the country.

When Lincoln heard of his re-nomination as the standard bearer of the National Union League, he felt that the American people were still with him, although he knew that the political powers would conspire to overwhelm and defeat their purpose.

"I do not allow myself to suppose," he said, "that they have concluded that I am either the greatest or best man in America, but rather they have concluded that it is not best to swap horses while crossing a stream." The homely phrase caught the spirit of the American people, and Lincoln again stood before them as their candidate for President.

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Photograph taken in 1864 when the political leader's were declaring that Lincoln could not be re-elected and the American people were demanding his leadershipOriginal negative by Walker in Washington

Print from the Collection of Mr. Osborn H. Oldroyd at the Lincoln Museum at Washington

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Original negative by Mathew Brady in Collection of Mr. L. C. Handy at Washington

THE INSIGHT OF LINCOLN INTO HUMAN NATURE

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WORD of wisdom is worth more than volumes of argument. The shaft of reason has frequently won victories while armies are meeting defeat. The summer of 1864 was long and disappointing.

The success of the great armies swung back and forth with almost endless precision. Now the war was to end; now the conflict raged fiercer than ever; now again the Confederacy seemed shattered; only to rise once more in brave defiance.

"I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes all summer," came the message from the silent, little general on the battle-line.

Political leaders insisted that Lincoln could never be re-elected. Business interests grew more and more doubtful. The Stars and Bars swept so close to the national capital that Lincoln looked into the firing line. The North was in panic. Preparations were made for abandoning Washington. A steamer was in readiness to take the President and his cabinet to safety. The wounded and the sick poured into the city.

"We must have more men!" said Lincoln. His demand for five hundred thousand more fighting men from the states staggered the politicians. "Lincoln must withdraw his candidacy," demanded the political leaders. "Patriotism demands his retirement. He has proved that he cannot meet the necessities of the emergency.'

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"Don't swap horses while crossing a stream," was the only reply that came from the man in the White House.

Suddenly the nation was aroused by the message from the battlefield: "Atlanta is ours and fairly won! Sherman is marching to the sea! The Northern forces are sweeping down the valley of the Shenandoah!"

Election day came on the eighth of November. Lincoln spent the day at his desk in the war office, expressing more interest in the messages from the battlefield than the political conflict. About midnight the wire ticked: "Lincoln has carried every state in the Union except three. He has been re-elected President by a majority of nearly a half million votes!"

As he walked in the darkness to the White House, he found a party of serenaders under the window of his chamber. It was about two o'clock in the morning. "Friends," he exclaimed, "if I know my heart, my gratitude is free from any intent of personal triumph. I do not impugn the motive of anyone who opposed me. It is no pleasure to me to triumph over anyone, but I give thanks to the Almighty for this evidence of the people's resolution to stand by free government and the rights of humanity.”

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