The Cairo bulletin. [volume] (Cairo, Ill.) 1872-1878, 1875-06-06

noted a. tho greatest general Of hla kSs |
Ills heart was tendor. and whom driven 10 !
war hls taotios were sparing OF human |
blood. AZ an orator In him also we find |
our Ideal. by the power vi his eloquenco |
he swayed to and fro the minds OF vast |
multitudps las the winds surged the |
ocean waycs"--by the Hood of living light, |
which poured from the vast fountains of |
his great mind.
But while we admire the exalted vir- !
tues Of this great Athcnian. let us not |
forget those of our own land-men |
whose noble deeds rank as memorials Of |
past ages. In u quiet churclyard of an |
eastern city sleep the remains of one of |
| Americas greatest men. No stately |
monument has been erected rs a memo
| rial over his grave. Only plain marble |
slab registers the name of the great ge- |
| Mus and philosopher In the quiet spot, but |
| II Is stamped in letters of gold upon the |
brightest pages of our natures history. |
| II does not need the scuptor's art in |
! bronze or monumental marble to set Off |
the external substance of his greatness. |
Ills fame Is coeXtensive with civilization, |
| and among the struggling nationalitics |
OF Europe his name Is quoted as the type |
and symbol of true Republicanism.W When |
| we consider the disadvantage, of his 1
early lite We find his career to be without /,
q parallel In the history of great men. !
| 10 have seen him when boy. trudoinx !
the streets OF Philadelphia, friendlcss and /
alone. who would have predicted for him !
20 glorious and brilliant future aud Il
fame so great. 50 well earned and 80 cil-
during? But like the noble pine which |
! springs up among the barren rocks Oh
the mountain siue. with scarcely crevice
| III which to liz its .oots or soil to nour.
isn them. but which, nevertheless. per-
,istcntly struggles on through Summers
heat aud Winters storm. lifting aloft its
broad branches till they ovcrtop all the
trees III the surrounding forest: so Ben
jamin Franklin, by his own scll-sl,stain-
ing energy and genius, rose from pow
eiIy ana ooscnrity To an altitude of fame
almost unequaled In the age in which he
lived. In early youth he taught the way
TO wealth. and in the shade of later life
the path to greatness. In the maturity
OF life, he disarmed the thunder of its
terror. and the lightning of Heaven
| yielded TO his philosophy: and while
| descending into the vale of years we find
him crossing the Atlantic. bearing in
his hand the charter of in
dependence and rendering 10 the
mghlicsl monarchs of Europe the "olivc
branch OF peacc;' and finally. with the
| weight ofiour-scorc Winters on his head.
returning to his native land. ending his
days ~ The chief magistrate Of his adopt
ed commonwealth. What proud testi-
monial TO the character of our nation that
! it can make = proper estimate OF the ser
vices OF such man rs Franklin. While
IN other countries the senseless mob fall.
down in stupid admiration before the
| wheels OF the conpueror, in this coliii-
| try the people rise with one accord To
| pay suitable homage to intellect and vir-
tue.
But short distance from us near the
! peaceful Ohio, stands beautiful column
recently erected a, memorial to the ial-
len heroes OF the late war. IL has been
reared for purpose. and that purpose
| gives II character and interest. Ii
speaks 10 us in eloquent terms
IL. silent but impressive uttcrances
tell Us of Donnelson and shiloh, OF Vicks-
burg and Belmont. and other battle
grounds. II speaks 70 us of courage and
patriotism. OF civil and religious liberty.
OF free government. II speaks to us of
immortal memories Of those who with
heroic devotion sacrificed their lives on
their country's altar.
In the heart of every living American
Is erected an .mperishable monument
sacred to the memory of Abraham Lin.
coin. Like Washington, his name will bc
inseparably connected with the grandcst
memorials Of liberty. truth and Justice
| II the champion of independence freed
America from kingly oppression, Lincoln
unsheathed the sword oil the republic and
with its point severed the bonds of slay-
cry. Our Lincoln belongs now 10 his
,a r,,ov Jo mvea iust long enough TO see
rise upon nation. But, alas. he only
beheld the dawn. When the sun had
risen full orbed. aud glorious, and hap
Ply people were rejoicing in its light, II
shonc upon his grave. In the midst OF
triumphs ana vaccinations, there appear
Ell TO him q spccler. saying to him.
iou have lived" Yes, Lincoln once
lived in tue body, and he still lives. Does
he not live in his impcrishabie example
In his recorded words of wisdom-in his
great maxms Of liberty and en-
reimbursement: The great good never
die. To them belongs immortality.
The dead Leonidas guards the
gates OF every empire that wres-
Ties for its sovereignty. The dead
Washington held together through
wrangling decades this brotherhood of
States. and the dead Lincoln will peal the
clarion Of belcagued nations and marshal
and beckon on the wavering battle line
of liberty till the last generation OF man.
Dear classmates, the band that has so
long united US, is this day severed.
Other scenes and experiences await ms.
We shall no longer enjoy the pleasant
privileges of this school Let US. then,
cndeavor to attain the highest possible
standard of excellence and usefulness, so
that our influence shall be upon the side
of the good, the true and the noble. and
our memorials be such ~ shall honor
those who have so faithfully labored for