The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1883-11-11
LUTHER'S BIRTHDAY.

Yesterday was the four hundredth an
niversary Of the birth of Martin Luther.
The day was celebrated with great solem-
nifty in many of the cities of the civilized
world by Christians of all denominations,
but especially by Lutherans. In this city,
however, no demonstration was made by
any Of the religious denominations, which
is cause for regret. Luther is undoubtedly
the greatest figure in German history, be-
side whom all the kings and emperors
who played their part 10 war or politics
sink into insignifcance. Their influence
for good or evil was only temporary. They
had their epoch and died with it. But
Martin Luther began a revolution which
has outlasted all dynasties, and which is to-
day as active aud bcneticent as it was
when il first broke the chains of Rome and
set human thought at liberty. To all ages
his name will stand as that of the great
Liberator, to whose heroic mind the world
owes the progress it has made in civliza-
ton, the freedom which is day by day en-
largng its borders among the nations, the
enlightenment which is fast dispensing the
forces of ignorance and superstition The
whole world is his debtor. The England
and America of to-day are what they are
because of him. Carlyle, writing of his
birth in the Saxon town Of Eisleben, says
of his parents: "ln the whole world that
day there WAS not a more entirely unim.
portant looking pair of people than this
miner and his wife. And yet what were
all emperors, popes and potentstes in com
parisonl There was born here, once more,
a mighty man; whose light was to flame as
the beacon over long centuries and epochs
Of the world; the whole world and its his.
tory was waiting for this man There was
nothing 10 his boyhood or in his youth TO
indicate the mighty part he was to play in
the history of the church and of the world.
Doubtless multitudes Of his contemporaries
displayed as much eagerness for knowledge
and as much aptitude for learning. As
monk he was distinguished for plety and
earnest studlOusness; and but for the prOvi.
dental discovery OF the Latin Bible in the
Eriurt library, he might have passed his
life in the quiet seclusion of the cloister
But for what he learned from the study of
that book what he saw in Rome when sent
there on convent mission might have 80
filed his mind with smazement and horror.
and prepared him for the mighty conflict in
which he WAS soon 10 engage. Yet that he
possessed strue heroic soul, that he WAS the
man for whom the world was waiting to
lead in the great crusade against worse
than pagan host of evil and superstition,
was recognized the moment the time for
action came. Men knew their leader and
hailed their liberator. By Americans the
name of Luther must always be pronounced
with veneration, and held in the highest
honor No people on the globe have great
er reason to take an interest in the places
connected with his life, and in the celebra-
tons which took place in the German
as we'll as the whole Protestant world, yes.
terday, in commemoration of his birth. The
| little town Of Eisleben, where he was born {;
| Wittenberg, where he burned the Pope's
Bull; Worms, where he uttered those brave
words which electrified the world; the
Wartburg, where he lay secluded tor a
time, engaged in translating the bible, and
where he hurled his inkstsnd at the apps-
rition Of the evil one, rising before him to
| forbid his work; these and many other
| places with which his name is connected
will attract pilgrims, not drawn by curiosity
merely, from the shores of the new world,
where the civil and religious liberty which
he gave to his native land has attained its
highest and its broadcast development.
|
| An Fffect of Gircus-GOinp,