The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1865-05-04


IN Israel" A PRINCE, but not of her
ditary dcscent-no scion of royal lin
al or pampered offspring of titled aristocr
: cy. We have none such, in this glorior
land of ours-and may God forbid tha
e we ever shall have No, my brethren
no accident of birth conferred on him hi
dignity he was prince of a noblcr line
the child of poverty, the son of toll, VIII
by diligence and assiduity carried out hi
own good name and fame-who, deprive,
OF the advantages OF finished education
and classic culture, stored his mind will
wisdom as he toiled and reaped his har
vest from stony field. A prince of the
peoPle-from the people-by the people.
voice; Prince of American Republican
Democracy for we are nation of soyer.
elgns, and our sons are all princes. And
by our voice, he was q Prince of this
great people, filling with honor, by the
nations choice, the highest station under
the blue heavens.
1nd he 1cdS q great man. It is true,
that many are so called, who i'll deserve
the title. We are prone to imagine those
men great, who please our fancy, agree
in our opinions, or accomplish our wish
es; and too often, the term is but an
empty title Not so, with our departed
ruler. The whole land owns his true
greatness. Some of you, my friends, diff
fered from him, and opposed him, on mea-
surcs of public policy. 1t was your right
to DO so-for it is the proud birthright of
American citizens, to scrutinize and
weigh their public men and public meas
ures by the test of their Judgment, their
conscience, and their country's laws
But while this is true, | feel that [ but
express your judgment, when l declare
my own, that he was truly great man.
Not, however, a perfect man; not
faultless man; not free from human in
6rmitics. Who is that man? where is he?
OF what age, or cline, or race, or kin
dred Alas, no such name, no such
character appears on history's page, save
that One, pure, spotless, holy character,
the Man Christ Jesus. But though not
perfect, he was truly great, in the posses
sion of those elements of character which
command the respect and confidence of
men, and reject the glory of the great
Creator.
lie was great, in high moral principle.
lie did not make loud professions, but he
constantly aimed to do right He loved
with a passionate love the great and i'm
mutablc principles of justice and truth,
and he sought to give them practical ex-
preston in his private walks, and his pub
lie acts. His integrity was proverbial a
mong those who knew him best Like
n ost Of our public men, he was known by
familiar appelations, after a custom, per-
haPs, but too prevalent among US. He is
gone, and the sadness of his tragical end
must Danish from our lips that familiari
ty with W hch we have uttered his name;
but the recollection will forever remain
that those very utterances We may no Ion
ger use, declared him an honest man.
\ great American statesman, one Of his
competitors for the Presidential Office, on
the occasion of his first election, ,-onc who
now lies cold in death, but who, were he
living still. would mourn him as VIC do
to day, said of him in the early days of
his administration Mr.. Lincoln may at
times be wrong but the error will be of
the head, not of the heart" 4 noble tes-
timony, to a noble character!
lie was great, in a true patriotism
He loved his country-his rhole country;
not a State nor a section, nor class, nor
an interest mot part but the whole,
from North to South, from East to West,
every State, every class, every just inter-
est, the uhole land! He loved bis coun-
try's institutions and his country's unity,
made sacred by the blood of our patriot
fathers, and he determined that by the bles-
sing of God, they should be perpetuated.
No selfish interest, nor party chains could
corrupt or shackle the lofty patriotism
with which he laid his hopes, his labors
and his life, freely and forever upon his
country's altar He was great, M tie
futtuess Of a Kind and generous heart
OF this, his whole life is the illustra-
ton. Devoid of bitterness and malice,
his noble heart clasped all humanity in
its embrace. While he hated, with his
whole nature, Treason and Rebellion, and
the system of legalized oppression and in
famv from which they sprang, he had no