reason to desire that it should cease altogether, and far from the least is my regard for the opinions and wishes of those who, like the meeting at Albany, declare their purpose to sustain the government in every constitutional and lawful measure to suppress the rebellion. Still, I must continue to do so much as may seem to be required by the public safety. LINCOLN SOBRIQUETS. EXERCISE FOR 14 Boys or 14 Girls, or for 7 BOYS AND 7 GIRLS. SPEAKER 1.-Abraham Lincoln had so many sobriquets that one cannot help the desire to learn their origin, so to-day we take the liberty of giving the origin of a few. SPEAKER 2.-Rail-Splitter: This sobriquet was given to Lincoln during election campaign, because at one time he had supported himself by splitting rails. SPEAKER 3.-Honest Abe: While grocery clerk, Lincoln discovered he had taken sixpence too much from a customer, so he walked three miles that evening to return the money. This and other similar acts caused him to be called "Honest Abe." SPEAKER 4-Sectional President: Certain Southern people claimed he represented the North only. SPEAKER 5.-Foremost Convincer of His Time: Because he was believed to be one who could do his cause more good and less harm than any other living man. SPEAKER 6.-Father Abraham: A Biblical play on Lincoln's Christian name during the war, and made famous in the war song, "We are Coming, Father Abraham." (Let school or several pupils sing song.) SPEAKER 7.-Emperor at the Other End of the Avenue: A Democratic expression used to describe him as dangerous to the liberties of his countrymen. SPEAKER 8.-Nation's Elder Brother: Because he was considered the wise and strong member of the nation's family to whom the people of the North looked for counsel and leaned on for support. SPEAKER 9.-Great Emancipator: An allusion to his Proclamation of Emancipation of slaves. SPEAKER 10.-Uncle Abe: Used by negroes after the Proclamation of Emancipation. SPEAKER 11.-Massa Linkum: Favorite negro salutation. SPEAKER 12.-First American: So termed by James Russell Lowell to indicate that Lincoln was the first perfected fruit of our nationality in its definite phase. SPEAKER 13.-Man of the People: Because Lincoln was looked upon as the incarnation of the spirit of democracy. The completeness with which he understood the common people was the basis of his power as leader in a crisis when ordinary principles seemed useless. SPEAKER 14.-New Type of American: Because he was elected to office without social prestige, political influence, or noted family antecedents. He was a child of the undeveloped West, just as if nature had departed from its usual form and reverted to a rudimentary type. SPEAKER 1.-All the sobriquets are both interesting and instructive. In closing, I should like to mention the one Emerson gave him "That Grand Old Man." Abraham Lincoln's boyhood habits with regard to the appetites and passions were so wise that when he became a man he was in the possession of a body so beneficial, a mind so molded, a soul so sacred, and a vision so vigorous, that in the time of the nation's darkest days he bore the cruel cross with such manliness and divinity of devotion as to leave upon the school of time the name of the matchless American.-S. T. Jackson, PARADE OF LITTLE GIANTS AND WIDE-AWAKES. DEMOCRATS vs. REPUBLICANS. STANLEY SCHELL. CHARACTERS: Any number of boys. COSTUMES: Oilcloth capes reaching to waist; oilcloth caps shaped like military caps of 1860. Light-colored oilcloth for Little Giants; dark-colored oilcloth for Wide-Awakes. All carry lighted torches attached to staffs. POINTS: At intervals during parade Little Giants shout "Hurrah for Douglas," "Hurrah for Stephen A. Douglas and Herschel V. Johnson," "Down with the Rail-Splitter," or "Hurrah for the Little Giant." Wide-Awakes, as they enter, shout, "One, two, three, four, five, six, Wide-Awake, Wide-Awake," "Hurrah for Abraham Lincoln and Hannibal Hamlin," "Hurrah for Abe, Honest Abe." As Wide-Awakes exit they shout the entrance cry. MOTTOES: During parade campaign banners are carried. Little Giants have banners with inscriptions: "The Man for the People," "Our Next President," "The Little Giant," "A Sure Winner." Wide-Awakes have banners with inscriptions: "The Man of the People," "Honest Old Abe," "Lincoln the Rail-Splitter," "Abe, the Giant-Killer," "We're a band of Freemen," "Lincoln going up the Potomac," "Protection to the Union," "Free Homes for Free Men," "The Union-It must and shall be preserved,” “Our Fathers fought for Freedom in '76; God Speed our Brothers in the Same Good Cause Now." "Westward the star of empire takes its way; The girls link on to Lincoln, Their mothers were for Clay." "Free Territories and Free Men, Free Schoois and Free Teachers." MUSIC: "Yankee Doodle," "Cruiskeen Lawn," "Garryowen." PARADE OF LITTLE GIANTS. MUSIC: "Yankee Doodle." Enter Little Giants, in fours, at stage back center. March to stage front, separate into couples, one couple passing around stage by way of R., other couple passing around stage by way of L., meet at back center. First four march diagonally to R. front corner, second four march diagonally to L. front corner, and so on. At front corners turn and face stage front center. March to stage front center, salute, turn backs to audience and march to stage back center in lines of eight. At stage back center four pass to R. in single file and four to L. in single file, every line doing so until all are in single file passing around stage to front center. At stage front center two lines meet, pass up center of stage to back center and exit, shouting "Hurrah for Douglas, our next President." PARADE OF WIDE-AWAKES. MUSIC: "Cruiskeen Lawn." Enter stage R. 10 or more Wide-Awakes, gaily swinging torches, singing as they come "Rally in Song." |