Smyrna times., 1875-04-21
Abraham Lincoln

! Three score and seven years ago thcr,
! was born i'll log cabin in Kentucky. q
man who. under Gods blessing, was tl
max" of this people new nation. and
whose life was to be dedicated to the pro
position that all men are created equal
That man was Abraham Lincoln. and ten
Years ago tonight that life was Welded I'M
/" the assassin hand Of the spirit of slavery,
which IN nltsd dying frenzy struck at thcnoblest
OF the noble. And yet the man is almost for.
gottenand the anniversary will ,as, hyncarly
unn0tlrei. call no man ha,uv until mo
De "tad' sad the sage and sober lnora!ist.
and Lincoln. whose life was one continual
struggle. marked by vicissitudcs that are
the lot OF few, is perhaps happier dead than
allv"; but surely his coumtrymcn might
nave Kept his memory fre,hcr. The gra,,
on ms grave has not been Green a dozen
seasons, and yet We rarely hear his name
mentioned. Alas, how soon are we foroot
when We ar" gone. Lincoln, with Bacon.
might well have said I'VE do not youcb for
the words. My name and work, com.
mt to postcrity. my fame to nv country.
men-aftcr time shall have passed
And yet this man was the greatest of hi,
day and generation. He was the nobI,.t
American OF them all, and the element, So
mixed i'll him that all nature mirLt have
stood up and said over his dead body. as
the master poet makes Marc Antony say
over the corpse of Brutus. This was a
man :! Take him for all in all. We no'cr
shall look on his like again.
We shall not bore the reader by telling
hlm who or what Abraham Lincoln was
iilS name and fame are dear now to forty
millions Of people. who, while they may
temporarily forget him. will ultimately do
Ju>tlr" To his memory. Some dav. and At
Il" very distant one either we shall scn hi.
form IN marble where once hi, ctliov wa.
burned, and th" children of men who tore
ms lr"rlamation- to pieces and scattered
ms DEGREES 10 the winds will weep over thn
deep elimination of his mtimclv taking off
he blood of the martvr shall be- tha ..od
"i his Elln". and it will bear oancro,,s
crop. Such are the revenge, Of history and
tn" change wrought by time. Iml,arti,l
history will treat him in the spirit which
made HIM declare that he wa. moved H.,
maIic" toward nom" and with charity
toward all, and regard hi career with the
feeling which closed the proclamation rhnt
hade the ncsr" free: And upon this act.
believed to be am act of iII.t;ca
warranted by the constitution, | invoke
IN" r"nsldrrat" judgment of mankind and
tn" gracious favor Of Almighty Cod" Il
IS altogether fitting and proper that it
should do Ihi~
But IN a larger scll>c pardon. reader. oI,r
HaItlH PalaPhrascj We cannot dedicate. va
'&ilh"t c"llS"cratc. We connot hollow tLi.
man memory. His deeds have. don. 80
ar ''h"v" our power to add cr dciract. 1t
: Tor Us. the living. rather to b, dedicated .
/" tn" unfinished work he 50 lobly advan.
'"d. II i rather for us tha, we now La
dedicated Ia the glru task r.},a;,,ir.,
" ''i'' ii'hll III" h"H"rrd dead We
AXE increased devotion to that cause for
'iIich h' gave the last full measure oc
ItV"tl"n: that We now hight, resolve. tbot
II" dead shall not have diod in vain ,h.,
ms Nation under God, Shall have a new
'irth of freedom. and that government Of
II" people and by tn" people. and for the
''"li" shall not perish from the earth
'nd thus "" shall keep Lincoh> memory
orrv"r. Hail and farewell .-PhH. Tm,ay
III.
R"SEN oob.-MaiN prullr hav. L,..,,