The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1889-02-21
AnRAHAMLINooLN-1soe.1ss p.

Eighty years ago this day Abraham
Lincoln was born 10 HAriin County
Kentucky. But for the as7assin's bullet
he might he living today in the fulln6ss
of fame wider and rarer than had been
won by any other American ines WASH
ingtOn. Indeed, as we grow further
away from the colonial period of VIII CHI
Washington was the graudest product
and the Great Republic looks back on
The history it has made 80 rapidly Wash
iugton seems TO be getting idealized and
removed from human sympathies, while
LincOln's equality TO far greater exigen-
cies than Washington had to. meet and
the breadth and power OF his purely
American manhood make him the su-
preme figure IN our greatest history and
IN our continent Il development.
We can best real re how much this
nation has lived through within the
four score years since Lincoln was born,
when we effect that one of the New
Workers. who was leader in the law
and power in politics before Lincoln |
was really known here and who went to
chicago t. help nominate Lincoln In |
1860, is still in the fulness of intellectual
vigor and activi y and tomorrow cele-
oratss his S4Jh birthday. We refer tol
David Dudley Field. L
1t was not until Lincoln's great bate
with Douglas, in 1858, that the former
was known by the people of this region.
Three Yeas before that time two mem-
Oers of the present Senate, john Sner-
man and Justin S. Morrill,, entered the
House and both had won National repu-
ations before Lincoln di'closed his
matchlesr powers as debaier and gave
20 the Republican party the most reei1t'
| less arguments for it's principles and
policies. Sherman and Morrill, are still
leaders of the Senate, while Nathaniel
| P. Banks ,membeI-elect of the Fifty first
| Congress. went TO the House IN 1888
with a National reputation and added
| greatly to that reputation as Speaker OF
the House, lefore Line bins National
career had opened.
Lincoln was slow in developing the
powers that proved to be equal to emer-
Sencies such as Webster could not see
iimly and family, as by a prophets Wis
ION, without horror tn at his great in
lelect could not endure. How thorough
ly prepared Lincoln was; how superior
he was in sagacity to all his contempUr-
aries; how noble was the simplicity OF
mis- faith in Republican principles; how
humor as rare as ever relieved the
SevoresL strain endured by any OF the
worlds great rulers, masked wisdom
that never failed; how thoroughly rep
resentatve he was OF the purely Ameri-
can character that was developed in the
tn West, and how lie comprehended
all sections and their peCu iarlties-these
facts and much beside the American
people are learning more and more, es
pecially through the loving labors of his
two Private Secretaries. Hay and Nico-
lay, who had such unique opportuni les
Tor knowing him in all his moods and in
al his relations, and who are presenting
80 many new data, in the way of his
own letters and memoranda, on which
the worlds judgment can be formed.
: As the inside history of Lincoln, as
President, comes more and more to
light, we see more clearly. how easily
he rose. above all the great men. with
whom he was brought in contact He
was supreme whenever he chose to be,
Seward and Chase found that he was
their master in wisdom, tact, resources
and character. Even Stanton had to
Weld on the few occasions when Lincoln
vas thoroughly aroused by some act or
declaration of his masterful subordinate
hat augered him. Mcclellan, Grant.
sherman, Hall, ok, Sheridan, and the
rest of our military leaders, found that
Lincoln was a natural strateglst modest
as he was in undertaking to interfere
with details. The Grant and Sheridan
Memoirs show how quick Lincoln was
TO recogn ze the magnificent fighting
qualities Of the two me who virtually
destroyed Lees army and ended the Re
bellion,
Year after year the memory of Lin
coin becomes greater and drarer fact
IN the consciousness of every American.
The celebrations of his birthday are be-
coming more common and more inter.
esting. None of them has called out
finer displays of oratory than those for
which we are indebted to the Republican
Club which tonight gives its third an
nual dinner in memory of Lincoln,
Clubs are multiplying; lincoln statues
are to be found in many of our CT les.
That by st Gaudens, in Chicago, is by
far the most faithful likeness and the
noblest work of art. 1t is worth goir &
to Chicago to see, so nobly does it EN-
= body the ideal and the actual Lincoln ,as
: it stands fronting wide and splendid
avenue, in the southern end of Lincoln
Park, which in all its varied beauty.
seems consecIated to the memory it per-
! petuatesIwhile the waves of the great
inland sea beat against this lovely pleas
ure ground the people 10 whom Lin
coins form was so familiar.
But Lincoln's words can best and mos
} perpetuate his fame and immortaliza the
man in his relations tD humanity. On
this bis birthday, especially. it is fitting
that his matchless and deathlpss Gettys-
burgh grafton should be read and
Learned by heart" by old and young.
1t should be read in all our schools and
in every family. Here it il, all of II
and no other mortal ever made speech
that can be considered its Equal
-Four score and seven years, ago our
fathers brought forth upon this CONT
nent a new nation, conceived in liberty
and dedica cd to the proposition that all
men are created equal. Now we are en-
gagged in great civil war, 'es ting wheth-
er that nation, or any nation SO conceiv-
ed, aud so dedicated, can long endure,
We are met on great battle field Of
that war. We have come to dedicate a
portion of that field as a final resting
place for those who here gave their lives
that that nation might live. 1t is alto
gether fitting and proper that we should
do this. But in a larger sense we cannot
dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we ran
not hallow this ground. The brave men,
living and dead, who struggled here,
have consecrated it far above our power
to add or detract. The world will little
note, nor long remember, whst we say
here; but it can never forget what they
did here. 1t il for us, the living, rather
to be dedicated here to the III filisht d
work which they who fought here have
thus far so nobly advanced. 1t is rather
for us to be here dedicated to the great
task remaining before us; that from
these EOnored dead we take increased
devotion TO that cause for which they
gave the last full measure of devotion I;
that we here highly resolve that these
dead shall not have died in vain; that
this nation, under God. shall have new
birth of freedom; and that government
of the people by the people and for the
people shall not perish from the earth"
This is Lincoln, the most American of
statesmen and leaders; the truest, simp-
lest, greatest prophet of our race, which
has here grown to greatness on the solid
and everlasting basis Of the principles 70