The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1892-03-16
The Part Lincoln Played.

\ great actor can be known only When
he has assumed the principal character
in great drama. Possibly the greatest
actors have never appeared, and it may
be the greatest soldiers have lived the
lives Of perfect peace. Lincoln assumed
the leading part in the greatest drama
ever acted upon the stage Of a continent
His criticisms Of military movements,
his correspondence with his generals and
others on the conduct Of the war, show
that he was at all times master of the
situation-that he was a natural strate-
g,st, that he appreciated the difficulties
and advantages Of every kind, and that
in still and mental field of war he
stood the peer Of any man beneath the
flag. Had Mcclellan followed his advice
he would have taken Richmond. Had
Hooker acted in accordance with his
suggestions Chancellorsyille would have
been victory for US.
Lincoln's political prophecies were all
fulfilled. We know nov that he not
only stood at the top, but that he occu-
pied the center, from the first to the last,
and that be did this by reason of his in
telligeuce, his humor, his philosophy, his
courage and his patriotism.
Helived 10 hear the shout Of victory.
He lived until the Confederacy died
until Lee had surrendered, until Davis
had fed, until the doors Of Libby Prison
were opened, until the republic was free.
He lived until Lincoln and Liberty
were united forever He lived until
there remained nothing for him 10 do as
great as he had done.
What he did was worth living for,
worth dying for.
He lived until he stood in the midst of
universal Joy, beneath the outstretched
wings OF pesee-the foremost man in the
world.
And then the horror came. Night fell
on noon. The savior OF the republic, the
breaker Of chains, the hberator Of mil
lions, he who had assured freedom to
the free" was dead.
Ubon his brow fame placed the immor-
tai wreath.
For the first time in the history Of the
world a nation bowed and wept
The memory Of Lincoln is the strong
est, tenderest tie that binds all hearts to-
gether now, and holds all states beneath
a nations flag.
Strange mingling Of mith and tears, of
the tragic and gro.esque, Of cap and
crown, Of Socrates and Democritus, of
-Esop and Marcus Aurelius, Of ali that
IS gentle and just, humorous and honest,
merciful, wise. laughable, lovable and
divine, and all eonsecrated 70 the use Of
man while through ali, and over all,
were an overwhelming sense of obliga-
ton, Of chivalric loyalty to truth, and
upon all the shadow OF the tragic end.
Lincoln was mauy-sided man, ac-
quainted with smiles and tears, complex
in brain. single in heart, direct as light;
and his words, candid as mirrors, gave
the perfect image Of bis thought He
was never afraid to ask-never too digni-
fed TO admit that he did not know. No
man had keener wit or kinder humOr.
1t may be that humor Is the pilot Of
reason. People without humor drift IN
consciously into absuTdity. Humor goes
with good nature, and good nature is the
climate Of reason. In anger, reason ab-
dicates and malice extinguishesthe torch.
Such was the humor Of Lincoln that he
could tell even unpleasant truths as
eharmingly Is most can tell the things
we wish 10 hear.
He was not solemn. Solemnity is a
mask worn by ignorance and hypocrisy
it is the preface, prologue and index to
the cunning or the stupid
He was natural in his life and thought
master Of the stOry-teller's art, in Illus
tration apt, in application perfect, liberal
in speech, shocking Pharisees and prudes,
using any word that wit could disinfect.
He was a logieian- His logic shed
light. In its presence the obscure be-
came luminous, and the most complex
and intricate political and metaphysical
knots seemed TO unite themselves. Logic
is the necessary product OF intelligence
and sincerity. Il cannot be learned. II
is The child ola clear head and good
heart.
Lincoln was candid, and with candor
often deceived the deeeitful. Hehad in
tellect without arrogance, genius without
pride, and religion without cant-that is
to say,lwithout bigotry and without de-
ceit.
He was an oratOr-clear, sincere, nat
ural. He did not pretend He did not
say what he thought others thought, but
what he thought
Ifyou wish to be sublime you must be
nataral-you must keep close to the
grass. You must sit by the fireside Of
the heart above the clouds it Is too cold.
You must be simple in your speech; too
much polish suggests insineerity.
The great orator idealizss the real, trans
1 figures the common, makes even the in
animate throb and thrill, fills the gallery
Of the imagination with statues and pict-
ures perfect in form aud color, brings to
light tae gold boarded by memory the
miser, shows the glittering coin to the
spendthrift hope, enriehes the brain, en-
mobiles the heart, and qaickens the con-
science. Between his lips words bud
and blossom.
Ifyou wish to know the difference be-
tween an orator and an elocutionist-be-
tween what is felt and what is said-be-
tween what the heart and brain can do
together and what the brain can DO
alone-read Lincoln's wondrous words
at Gettysburg, and then the speech Of
Edward Everett.
The oration of Lincoln will never be
forgotten. It viii live until languages
are dead and lips are dust. The speech
Of Everett viii never be read.
The elocutionist believes in the virtue
of voice, the sublimity Ofsyntax, the ma
jesty oflong sentences, and the genius Of
gesture.
The orator loves the real, the simple,
the natural. He places thought above
all. He knows that the greatest ideas