St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-25
The LIFE OF LINCOLN
Made the Theme Of the An
nual Memorial Sermon to
Veterans.
Former Weareps Of the Blue
Crowd the Grand Opera
to Listen.
DR.. Wallis Glowing Word Pict-
uPe Of the Great War
President.
A Very Effective Discourse on
the Lessons Of a Brilliant
Life.

unusual sight yesterday morning. By
request of the several Grand Army
posts, the annual memorial Sermon-for
the Sunday preceding Memorial Day
was preached by Rev. w. S. Vail, and
the large auditorium was filled by the
former wearers of the blue. The stage
was prettily set with stands of arms and
flags, with potted plants tastily be-
slowed with them. The services were
attentively heard, and the congrega-
tional singing was especially fine. DE-.
Vail preached Oh the life of Abraham
Lincoln and took for his text: 'He
that foHoweth mercy findeth honor"
Prov. xxi, 81. He said:
If it is true that ''we live by admira-
tion," it easily follows that every min
lister will serve the young by frequent
ermons on the lives of great men. And
what day could be more opportune for
such a sermon? And what mar would
give us more inspiration than Abraham
Lincoln? And. if l am not mistaken,
the spirit OF the day and the spirit of
the people, | am sure we shall go away
feeling that a study of this mans life
will reveal to us many things we desire
to know.
The place to begin is with a view of
his childhood. The three things to
think of i'll connection with his child
hood will naturally be his innate n
inherited tendencies, his surrounding
conditions, and his books and teachers.
He was born in a log cabin; his mother
could read, but not write; his father
could neither read nor write. He was
taken from one new country to a still
newer n in the forests of Indiana, and
iatnr RI Illinois HE hnuhnOd npnnQafc
itself with the land where influences of
nature were helpful. If he had no pict-
ure en- the walls of the cabin home to
crafty his sense of beauty, the prairie,
lying adjacent showed acres of flowers
with bloOd-red hearts, a profuSion of
tiger lily, and in June, was pink with
the bloom of the wild rose. In the morn
ing a thousand meadow larks made
music, and in the afternoon he sat be-
meath sycamore trees while the Esoft,
mournful notes of the turtle dove filled
the air. If his boyhood had limitations,
nature contributed the flowers, the birds,
the bees, aud the landscape for his cul-
tiyation. His childhood brings to us
The Thoughtful Boy
in the midst of a section that has since
produced a remarkable number of elo-
quent orators. Whitcomb Riley the
poet of this section. has led us to know
its life. The native ~kindliness, the
tender humanity, and the high aspira-
lions of its people blOSSOmed into noble
oratOry, and rare poetry, and they make
us forget the rude life necessitated by
pioneer conditions. Shakespeare, the
Bible, the Pilgrims Progress. and the
Life of Washington, comprised the
literature OF his early life; but this
enabled him to know these great books; |
fha moot influential Of mhiah uroc ,.,oJ,
ably the life of Washington. And re-
turning to the idea of which [ started,
that I'VE live by aspiration" who can
estimate the influence of Washington
on Lincoln's mind in these tender
years?:"
In bis manhood he faced a world that |
was full of a conflict for human liberty:
his mind had a penetrating grasp of
national and worldwide conditions. He
had become fearlessly honest by his
natural tendency and independent
life. He was not ahead of his genera |
ton. He caught. however, the nOblest |
feeling of the age in which he lived.
With an unerrlng logic, guided by an
uDerring instinct. he knew the heart of
the American people, and entered into
their lives, leading them, indeed, but in
closest touch with the rank and file.
His will was not strong. A Napoleon
leading an army towards Moscow, while |
the "eagleS Of his banners mingled with
the eagles of the crags," and his ambi- |
ton defed alike the rugged passes of
the mountains and the icy blast of the
Russian storm, was the embodiment of |
will. This MIR. Lincoln was not. He
often hesitated, found little enjoyment |
in receiving honOrS, and allowed re-
sponsibility to pillow his face with deep
burrows of care. His religious instinct, |
although he belonged to no church. led
bin to feel the constant presence of the |
unseen helper, a feeling which bore
him up
In Times of Peculiar Stress,
and was inspiration to him in the dark |
est days of his stormy life. But with
him pathOs and humer lay side by side. |
His tear was a near relative to a smile. |
He lost opportunity to listen to or
TO tell a good story, and in his stories
smiles and tears often mingled as do
sunshine and shower on a summer day.
The speaker here related a story told
by the Hoosier poet of the Runaway
Boy, to illustrate this phase of pa
thos and humor. He also related
a story recently told him by Col. Inger-
soil of the pathoS and humor of Mr., |
Lincoln's w character.) With alb
sence of egotism, with malice toward
none, but with charity for all, with firm
adherence to the right as God gave him
to See the right" he was the greatest
man of his generation. OF him we may
say:
How modest, kindly. all compassionate. wise.
With what sublime repression of himself.
And in what limits, and how tenderly he
moved,
Whose glory was redressing human wrongs.
Not making his high perch the lawless neTcb
OF winged ambition, nor a vantage ground
OF pleasure. But through all this tract of
years,
Wearing the white flower of a blamelesslife
The life of Mr.. Lincoln will ever be
connected most closely with the war.
The retrospect brings to us the rjnen-
ing cotton fields, the groan of the slave.
the fierce bloodhound following his
human game to the swamp. 1t brings
to US the
Picture of This Hoses
standing in colossal proportions in the
portlco OF the capitol. the instrument of
Providence. 1t brings to us the event.
full night in Charleston, the signal. the
opening fire upon Fort Sumpter. 1t
brings to US the panic that was fol-
loved by a wave of patriotism through
out the North; the shrill music of fife
and drum; the gathering army with fy-
ing 1t brings that boy who
left his pillow in the furrow; the other
who lefthiS cap and apron on the bench;
and the third who left his hammer
idle beside the anvil. 1t brings
to us the day when booming
batteries proclaimed the opening
battle: when charging hosts trampIed
the ripening wheat; when the clear
water of the trickling stream was red
dened by the blood of wounded men. 1t
brings to us a Sheridan riding in hot
haste over the Winchester road. and
turning defeat into victory; a Hooker
fighting his battle above the clouds: a
Farragut. amid flying bullets and The
death hail of batteries. dashed to the
rigging of his flagship, sailing up Mo-
bile bay; a Sherman sweeping on to the
sea; a Grant moving toward Richmond.
We see the grand review. The shad-