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Show THE Cl 10 T I Z E N 'trSjft tune it fell to his lot to achieve results hitherto declared possible only to the and faculty. highest order He was historys most startling wonder. Outwardly an ordinary man, he wrought the most extraordinary things in a sphere of action where personal character and official influence, were subject to the severest test. He had not the stern dignity of Washington nor the brilliancy of Hamilton, nor the versatility of John Quincy Adams, nor the finished eloquence of Everett, nor .the majesty of Webster. Yet there was in him- that which, when measured, by results, . prove him inferior to none of these illustrious men. He pretended nothing he did not possess. His .simplicity, his candor, his common sense baffled his critics. The ease with which he mastered the most intricate problems of his time deceived all save those nearest to him. He did not claim eloquence, yet his simplest passages were most eloquent. His utterances are immortal; the world will never forget them. His gentleness and humanity were proverbial. Mistaken for weakness, they were springs of strength, and character. Amid the strifes and struggles of a period of tumult and revolution he maintained a calm and Unparalleled. Tested by all the measures of greatness, he met them. all. He did not abuse his power. No one in high office so scrupulously marked the limitations of authority or more reluctantly exceeded them in time of national peril. As a leader he took all possible hazards and won. He encountered difficulties that would have overwhelmed a less patient, confident, He molded the and devout man. minds and character of a free people He as few before him have done. won and held the confidence of the people; the people surrendered to him their lives and fortunes without complaint. He enriched the history of a people and multiplied their traditions of endurance, heroism, and patriotism. He lived a life of service and sealed it in a maryrs death. The Nation lost the mortal Lincoln; it gained the immortal Lincoln. In a memorial sermon delivered soon after Mr. Lincolns death, the. eloquent Henry Ward Beecher, who did so much to uphold the hand ot President Lincoln, said: And now the martyr is moving in triumphal march, mightier than when alive. The Nation rises up at every stage of his coming. Cities and States are his pallbearers, and the cannon beats the hours with solemn progression. Dead, he yet speaketh. Disinthralled of flesh and risen in the unobstructed sphere where passion never comes, he begins his illimitable work. His life now is grafted upon the infinite and will be fruitful as no In the earthly life can be. midst of this great continent his dust shall rest, a sacred treasure to myriads who shall pilgrim to that shrine to kindle anew their zeal and patriotism. Abraham Lincoln is remembered not so much for his intellect as for his character. In his historic debates of-geniu- s - . . . self-contr- ol . - . with Stephen A. Douglas he met an antagonist possessing a keen intellect but lacking in moral power. As a pure contest of wits Mr. Douglas was not much inferior to Mr. Lincoln,' but Mr. Lincoln triumphed in the forum of public opinion because back of his logic and argument was a moral force, a lofty character, that appealed to the hearts and the souls of liberty-lovin- g Americans. In his immortal inaugural address and his Gettysburg address Abraham Lincoln revealed not only grandeur of thought but tenderness of heart. So long: as this Republic shall endure, the words of Abraham Lincoln will be the Nations heritage and inspiration: We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though passion may have strained, it must not break the bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory stretching from every 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. With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the Nations wounds; to care for him who has borne the battle, and for his widow and orphan; to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it never can forget what they did here. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion; that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.' Washington and Lincoln are the two outstanding figures in American history. Both faced great crises the one to create a nation, the other to preserve a nation. As to which faced the greater task it may not be for us to judge. Read what Mr. Lincoln said and thought When bidding his friends and neighbors in Springfield, 111., farewell upon his departure for Washington he said: I now leave, not knowing when or whether I may return, with a task before me greater than that which rested upon Washington. Under the weight of all but killing - They added to President Lincolns anxiety at a time when reverses to the Union, Army sorely depressed his spirits. One general after another failed to win decisive victories. Terrible losses were suffered by the Union troops, which sent a wave of unfriendly verdicts at the polls seared his heart and soul. The firmness of Mr. Lincoln, his confidence and hopefullness when the outlook was darkest and when the' cry of Peace at any price was loud' est, were due to his unwavering reliance on and clinging faith in an overruling Proidence. His faith was justified, his prayers answered on the field of Gettysburg. At Appomattox the Better angels of. our nature ended the struggle. '' The Nation was saved. Abraham Lincoln wore a new expression of serene joy, as if conscious that the great purpose of his life had been achieved. What are some of the lessons from the life of this great American ?' He who can never master his conditions, instead of being overwhelmed by them, has won half the battle. He who is a victim of his conditions and surroundings, with no ability or power, has lost the battle already. Abraham Lincoln was closely In touch with the common people, the common thought, the common life. He was one of the common people. His homely philosophy, his apt illustrations, made him the idol of the masses. His political and social ideas were sound. His influence with the masses was moral and righteous. With such an influence comes power. Abraham Lincoln was honest in his personal character, honest in his pro- ing. r fessional character, political character. hoJ?8 nd He law case that he did not k riffht. It is worthy of no,e that Lincoln possessed n fceeB humor. ' He said th;,t thg smile at his own discomfort,, ers that come to himself, Often criticized for indulge or, Lincoln replied: Iffft laugh I would die. A str ment . for. this sad and . man to make;' yet LincoJ gave him relief in the great stress, and burden . affairs. Much has been written oai tion: Was Lincoln a religiofJui If we measure him by the goodness, of devotion to ft men, of consecration to highj b ' service to humanity then nev most magnificently religion !p!ifon In these days of political the experiments, it seems quitel&sitroct ion for some to quote from Nor di of Abraham Lincoln in sum called progressive doi perhaps the two essentiabljt if jjw Lincolns political princijds! growth first, obedience to law; ' seidcaU Jhb Constitution ofi frotn'th ence for the ed States. At the age of 26,3.de$a. dress at Springfield, 111., he natippal Let reverence for the lawk ed by every American mothe babe that prattles on her la . sig be taught m schools, m and in colleges. Let it bei primaries, spelling books, acs. Let it be preached fron fdhfreei pit, proclaimed m legislate and enforced in courts - martyr : tHARLEVS . inf fa responsibilities President Lincolns religious' character was revealeH. No President ever faced a situation of greater difficulty, of deeper discouragement. I am driven to my knees He said because there is nowhere else to go. The ship of state was plunging in a raging storm, with dangers on every side and mens hearts failing for fear. Jealousies in .his own household and unfriendliness of foreign powers were perplexing and menac let AUNT" with SYD CHAP IN. Released by producers distributing con-- - Orpheum This Week |