HertZj Ll'M ian 
 Abraham L i nco! ' 
 
LINCOLN ROOM 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS 
 LIBRARY 
 
 MEMORIAL 
 
 the Class of 1901 
 
 founded by 
 
 HARLAN HOYT HORNER 
 
 and 
 
 HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER 
 
t§-- 
 
 ABRAHAM LINCOLN 
 
 By 
 
 LILLIAN HERTZ 
 
 (Act. 14) 
 
 Prize Essay in 
 
 Alexander Hamilton Junior High School 
 
 P. S. 186 
 
 June 24, 1927 
 
ABRAHAM LINCOLN 
 By LILLIAN HERTZ 
 
 In the days when the United States was a small 
 country, when everyone was struggling to build it up 
 and to make it prosperous, a child was born who, in 
 later years became our martyred president, Abraham 
 Lincoln. This man who had to struggle from childhood 
 and who led a very hard and trying life grew to be one 
 of the greatest men the United States has had in its 
 short history. 
 
 There was a dispute between the North and the South 
 about the well known question of slavery, so in 1860 
 when Lincoln was elected president all eyes turned 
 toward him and everyone wondered what course he 
 would take in saving the Union. Everything was in a 
 turmoil. The North had done everything in its power, 
 with the one exception of declaring war against the 
 South which had formed a Confederacy. If Lincoln took 
 steps which favored the Southerners the North would 
 rebel, if he sided with the Northerners the South would 
 rebel. 
 
 In his inaugural address Lincoln said that he would 
 not abolish slavery but would leave it in the states where 
 it was even though he would not let other states that 
 might later join the Union have it. Again all the people 
 were dissatisfied. Finally, after many years of hard 
 struggling by men who tried to make compromises be- 
 tween the North and the South, in order to save this 
 
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 new nation from destruction, the Union divided. Thus 
 war raged throughout the country. The people were now 
 resolved to fight and decide this question of slavery once 
 and for all. The Union determined to have all the states 
 forever free, and the Confederates fought for slavery. 
 
 During these dark days of this war of wars, Lincoln 
 was burdened with responsibilities so heavy that it is a 
 miracle he ever survived. Besides many very heavy 
 duties which he had to perform he had to listen to the 
 heart-breaking pleas of men and women, young and old, 
 who had pleadingly come to him for pardons for their 
 sons, husbands, or relatives who had violated some law 
 of the army and were to be punished or even shot. He 
 pardoned so many that the officers under him declared 
 that he was ruining the discipline of the armies. 
 
 Ever since his youth Lincoln was a strong and famous 
 speaker. He had amused his neighbors by telling funny 
 stories or tales, and when he grew to manhood he de- 
 livered many inspiring orations. The fact that he was 
 one of our greatest orators was made known in 1858 by 
 his debate with Stephen A. Douglass. Critics consider 
 Lincoln's Peoria speech of 1854 the best political argu- 
 ment ever delivered. One of its epigrams has been quoted 
 thousands of times. 
 
 "When the white man governs himself," said he, "that 
 I acknowledge is self government, but when the white 
 man governs himself and another man, that I call 
 despotism." 
 
 One of Lincoln's later accomplishments was his 
 Gettysburg address which was destined never to be for- 
 gotten. This speech, which he delivered at the dedica- 
 tion of the Soldiers' Cemetery at Gettysburg in 1863, 
 
was one of the noblest utterances from human lips. 
 Lincoln's second inaugural address was a work of art. 
 A famous excerpt from it is: 
 
 "With malice toward none, with charity for all, with 
 firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right." 
 
 These excerpts from famous speeches delivered by 
 Lincoln show his wonderful character. They show his 
 masterfulness of words and declamation. 
 
 At the close of the war when peace had once more 
 been restored and the country was ready for reconstruc- 
 tion Lincoln was taken from our midst. The whole coun- 
 try mourned, Northerners and Southerners alike. He 
 had finished his work in this world, leaving behind him 
 thoughts of the Preserver of Our Country. He had lived 
 through the country's crisis and had reunited the nation. 
 
 Like some of the other greatest men that have lived 
 Lincoln had done an imforgetful piece of work and be- 
 fore he could see his country and people benefitted by 
 it, he was no more. As James A. Garfield has said: 
 
 "It was no one man who killed Abraham Lincoln; 
 it was the embodied spirit of treason and slavery, in- 
 spired with fearful and despairing hate, that struck him 
 down in the moment of the nation's supremest joy." 
 
 Lillian Hertz— J. H. S. 186 dB^ 
 
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