Show great meus sons at a disadvantage sons of great men seem to remind us in cheso days chiefly that they cm not climb to fame upon their fathers greatness it is a somewhat curious fact that outside of a few families such as that of adams there is a sort of hereditary bar to public succession it is as well illustrated by the fortunes thus far of hobort lincoln as by those of any other man mr lincoln is not only the son of his father but he is a really able man he hag shown himself such in his profession he showed himself such in the cabinet to which he was called and yet the name of robert lincoln is one unfamiliar to the politics of the day and his ability is neither properly measured nor appreciated the first reason of course is that such men have applied to them anal together different standard from that in ordinary use it is not asked if they are abler or wiser than their associates socia tes but if they aro wise and able as their fathers or uncles to require of a young man that ee should display the qualities of a lincoln or grant in maturey and placed in the forcing atmosphere of a great crisis is to depreciate him in advance he is not a weakling because he can not carry the giants armor yet that is the test set for him it is one of the consolations of mediocrity to believe that the world is run by favoritism to bear an illustrious lust rious name is therefore to become a target of a certain species of envy any scion of a house still honored rises to greatness ho will have achieved it he will not bo born to it or find it thrust upon him but he must be very great indeed to overcome the disadvantages of standing in the shadow of the colossal dead ase r |