St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1893-02-13
Washington is now only a steel engrav

w ooiiliS uoll 10 llOW Ouly SIt6l 6HSIdf
ing. About the real man, who lived,
and loved, and hated and schemed, we
know but little. The glass through
which we look at him is of such high
magnifying power that the features are
exceedingly indistinct.
Hundreds of people are now en-
gagged in smoothing out the lines of Lin
coins face-forcing all features to the
common mOuId-so that he may be
known, not as he really was, but, ac-
cordlng to their poor standard, as he
should have been. Lincoln was not
type. He stands alone; no ancestors,
no fellows and no successors. He was
many-slded man. acquainted with
smiles and tears, complex in brain, sim
gle in heart, direct as light. and his
words, candid as mirrors. gave the per
feet image of his thought. He was
never afraid to ask-never too digniied
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 uncon-
sciouSly into absurdity. Humor sees
the other side, stands in the mind like a
spectator, good-natured critic, and
gives its opinion before Judgment is
reached. Humor goes with good nature
and good nature is the climax of reason.
In anger, reason abdicates and malice
eXtinguiSheS the torch. Such was the
humOr of Lincoln that he could tell even
unpleasant truths as charminglY as
most men can tell the things we wish to
hear. He was not solemn. Soiemnlty
is mask worn by ignorance and hypoc-
rlsy; it is the preface, prologue and in
deX to the cunning or the stupid. he
was natural in his life and thought,
master of the story-telIer's art, in Illus
tration apt. in application perfect,
liberal in speech, shocking phariseeS and
prudes, using any word that wit could
disinfect.
''lie was an orator-cIear, sincere,
natural. He did not pretend. He did
not say what he thought others thought,
but what he thought. If you wish to be
sublime, yod must be natural - you
must keep close to the grass. You must
sit by the tireSide of the heart; above
the clouds it is too cold. You must be
simple in your speech; too much polish
suggests inslncerity."
Lineolnes Gentleness.
Referring to Lincoln's gentleness,
Col Ingersoll said: "Men submitted to
him as they submit to nature-uncon-
sclously. He was severe with himself,
and, for that reason, lenient with others.
He appeared to apologize for being
kinder than his fellows. He did
merciful things as stealthily as
others committed crimes. Almost
ashamed of tenderness, he said and did
the nObleSt works and deeds with that
charming confusion, that aWkWardneSS
that is the perfect grace of mOdesty- A
great man STOPPING, not wishing to
make his fellows feel that they were
small or mean. By his candor. by his
kindness, by his perfect freedom from
restraint, by saying what he thought
he made it not only possible, but popu-
lar to be natural. He was the enemy of
mock solemnitY, of the stupidity respect
able, of the cold and formal"
AT other points i'll his lecture the
orator said: Lincoln had the uncnn-
sciOus naturalnesS of natures self.
Through clothes, titles, rags and race
he saw the real that which is. Beyond
accident. policy, compromise and war
he saw the end. He was patient as
destiny. whose undecipherable hero
glypnics were so deeply craven on his
sad and tragic face. Nothing discloses
real character like
The Use OF Power.
SIT is easy for the weak to be gentle.
Most people can bear adversely. But il
you wish to know what man really is.
give him power. This is the supreme
test. The glory of Lincoln is that, hav-
ing almost absolute power, he never
abused it except on the side of mercy"
Col. Ingersoll concluded his Grafton as
follows:
"Wealth could not purchase. power
could not awe this divine, this loving
man. He knew DO fear except that of
doing wrong. Hating slavery, plying
the master-seeking to conquer. not
persons, but prejudices-he was the en-
bodiment of the self-denial, the cOur
age, the hope and the nobility of ma
ton. He spoke not to inflaune, not to
upbraid, but to convince. He raised his
hands, not to strike, but IN benediction.
He longed to pardon. He loved to see
the pearls of JOY on the cheeks of a
wife whose husband he had rescued
fro IN death. Lincoln was the grandest
fig ure of the fercest civil war. He is
the gentlest memory of our world"