St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-04-16

he stood; it WidenS as 1t lengthens, cities
rise upon it, states are contained within it,
great men work upon it, and, so long as the
process lasts, the one figure stands in full
view at its beginning and survives even its
dissolution. In ancient times he became
god. In modern times he is the greatest OF
men called great
During four years Abraham Lincoln was
the most absolute ruler that ever governed.
This dictatorship swayed millions OF free
and enlightened people who surrendered
their liberties into his hands. 1t welded
the resources of an exhaustless treasury and
discussed more money than ever was ex-
pended by any other government in the
same time. Many laws were silenced, and
those which remained efficacious were so
upon sufference only. He was the chief
tain of the greatest armies ever marShaled
by civilization. A powerful navy veXed
the deep at his commands. Our relations
with foreign powers were under his control
THE PROBLEM OF POPULAR GOVERNMENT
was vested in him. The United States was
upon trial in the person of its president. If
it is true that ''all craftsmanship has pre-
vision for it's object" he was statesman
of the first class, ranking with Richelieu,
Chatham and Jefferson.
This Illinois lawyer, unlearned, uncul-
tured, called by destiny from the Wrang-
llngs of obscure court rooms, commanded
those armies and navieS; raised up military
chieftains and depoSed them in the midst OF
adoring armies; poured out the treasures OF
a nation; gave freedom by his mere sigma
ture to 1900, 900 of people; converted the
despised slave into warrior; held ascend
ancy over the congress: was followed by
newspapers instead of being led by them;
| md yuit
upon the wall of history edicts
WHICH CHANGED THE CONSTITUTION
and which oyerruled the decisions OF the
most august court that has ever pronounced
the law.
-Wohl dem GanZen fndet
Sich einmal elmer, der elm Mittelpunkt
Fur viele Tausend wird, Elm Halt; SIGH
hinstellt
Vie cine feste Saul, an die man SIGH
Nit Lust mag schliesSen und nit Zuversicht.
This awkward giant of six feet four
inches stature, of slouching gait, OF quaint
aspect, of homeSpun ways, OF western IN
conformity to prim decOruln, OF humor like
that of RabelaiS to enforce an argument or to
put down sham, of deep sadness akin to
humor which introduced into grave state
papers sentences of a pathOS all his own;
devoid OF cant, who never said foolish
|
hiscoadjutor Time were both ready, although
a nation might clamor for an earlier per-
Torrance; who never took a step back
wards-saw as from a mountain top
promised land over the heads of armies
rolling in battle upon the PLANES below,
and
WENT INTO THE MARTYRS GRAVE
unstained by one cruel act with charity
| fnxx, op1, oil fnyx ride
having ''done the right as God gave him to
ing into the hands of Liberty, whose son he
was, the treasure which she had given to
him to preserve for her.
In considering him we naturally contem-
plate at the same time the character of Wash
ington. The comparison is instructive, for it
not only distinguishes those men, but also
the ages in which they lived.
Washington lived at time when the eff
fort OF men was to reform their govern
ments. The effect of bad governments
upon man as an individual was then little
considered. The great oppression was
political one; it was the power of taxation
without representation; it was the denial OF
the right of popular government. Ii these
evils were to be perpetual they contained
within themselves all the wrongs that the
individual men could suffer. In dealing
with this general question. therefore Wash
ington had nothing directly to do with, and
said little concerning
THE PERSONAL RIGHTS OF NAN.
He was great and stainless soldier, who
broke down by force the walls which
had imprisoned the masses within tyrannical
forms of government. The word patriot"
defines him, and it is a glorious word. The
accomplishment of his work made other
wrongs susceptible to remedy; and
these wrongs, because they were
not inflicted by tyrannical govern
ments, but We're the wrongs OF
the social structure upon individuals-men,
women and children-infcting upon each
one individual personal pangs. are more
grievous than amy merely political injuries
which tyranny can perpetrate.
During the sixty years after his death the
intellect and conscience of the people whom
he had made free struggled with this prob
lem of personal, individual wrong, and
could do because they enjoyed form of
government which made them free to do
this
THE AGE ALWAYS PRODUCES THE MAN
it needs, and Mr.. Lincoln. who would have
been an anacllronism in WashingtOns time,
I
''believe that this government could endure
half slave and half free"
This was his terse statement of the prop
osition that the government could not en-
dure unless the liberty of each individual
was the same. His task was TO preserve
the government for which Washington
fought by making it efficacious to secure
personal rights which were not directly in
volved in the struggle by which our politi-
cal liberty was secured. In this he was
successful. not only in what Immediately
followed from his acts but in remote conse-
quences. We read Washington's farewell
address as a precept of political wisdom.
We read Lincolns emancipation proclama-
ton as an edict Of personal right.
SINCE LINCOLN's DEATH
this government has become truly one Shy
the people. through the people and for the
people," not only in a political sense. but
also in that meaning which intends the
merely personal rights, privileges advant-
ages and even conyeniencies of the indi-
vidual.
1t is the unconscious recognition of this
personal fact which has made the memory
of Mr.. Lincoln so dear to every one, and
he will stand in the temple of history with
the word 'Emancipator" craven above his
head in ineffaceable characters.
CLOSING EXERCISES.
Gov. Davis speech was listened to with
great attention and received with frequent
applause, after which tableau was pre-
sented entitled, Tribute to Lincoln. repre-
senting Lincoln striking the shackles from a
slave, and beside him Liberty. Miss Win
ter represented Liberty, Ed Miley Lincoln
and Herman Schlieting the slave. The
tableau was eneOred. \ chorus of male
voices concluded the program.
THE BILL BOARD WAR.