The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-02-13
Another Lecture from the Fascinatin g Orator
Recounting the Mingled Spiritual and
Human Graces of the Martyr.
BE Enjoyed Liberty Only in Being Able
to Extend 1t Freely to Others.
Natal Day Celebrations of that Unique Char
acter, Who, Like All Great Men. Stand
Out and Apart in Nations History.
EIGHTY.FOUR YEARS AGO
Occurred the Birthday of Both Abraham
Iincain ard Charlea Darwin.


Occurred the Birthday of Both Abraham
Lincoln ard Charles Darwin.
NEW YORK, Feb. 12.-Col. Robert G. In
gersoll delivered lecture this evening at
the broadway Theater. He opened his re-
marks by saying: "Eighty-four years ago
to-day two babies were born-one in the
woods of Kentucky amid the hardships
and poverty of pioneers-one in England.
surrounded by wealth and culture. One
was educated in the university of nature.
the other at Oxford. One associated his
name with the enfranchisement of labor.
with the emancipation of millions, with the
salvation of the Republic. He is known to
US as Abraham Lincoln. The other broke
the chains of superstition, and filled the
world with intellectual light, and he is
known as Charles Darwin. Because of
these two men the nineteenth century is
illustrious. A few men and women make
the nation glorious - Shakespeare made
England immortal; Voltaire civilized and
humanlzed France; Goethe. Schiller and
Humboldt lifted Germany into tho light;
Angelo, Raphael. Galileo and Bruno
crowned with fadeless laurels the Italian
brow. and now the most precious treasure
of the great Republic is the memory of
Abraham Lincoln"
After briefly summarizing the events
leading up to the civil war. Colonel lnRer-
soil went on to say: THE sympathies of
Lincoln, his ties of kindred. were with
the South. His convictions. his sense
of justice and his ideals were with
the North. Lincoln was O statesman.
And there Is this difference between q
politician and q statesman: A politician
schemes and works IN every way to make
people do something for him. A Statesman
wishes to do something for the people.
With him place and power are means to an
end. and the end is the good of his country.
1t is not q common thing to elect q really
great man to fill the highest official posi-
tion. l do not say that the great Presi-
ably il would be better to say that they
were the fsvorltes of happy chance. The
average man Is afraid of genius. lie feels
as an awk kward man feels in the presence Of
q sleight-of-hand performer. lie admlres
and suspects. Genius appears to carry too
much sail-lacks prudence. has too much
courage. The ballast OF dullness inspires
confidence.
1T WAS A HAPPY CHANCE.
"By q happy chance Lincoln was nomi-
naked and elected In spite of his fitness. and
though patient gentle. just and loving,
was called on to bear as great q burden as
man has ever borne. After the proclama-
ton of emancipation was signed. Lincoln
held it. waiting for some great victory be-
fore giving it to the world. 30 that it might
appear to be the child of strength. This
of August of the same year-after Lincoln
wrote his celebrated letter to Horace
Greeley. in which he stated that his object
was to save the Union; that he would save
necessary to destroy slavery in order to
save the Union, he would; in other words.
he would do what was necessary to save
the Union.
This letter disheartened to . great de-
gree thousands and millions of friends of
freedom. They felt that Mr. Lincoln had
not attained the moral height upon which
they supposed he stood. And yet. when
this letter was written, the emancipation
proclamation was In his hands and had
been for thirty days, waiting only an Op-
portunity to give 1t to the world. On Sept.
%. 1862. the most glorious date In the his
tory of the Republic, the proclamation of
emancipation was issued. Lincoln had
reached the generalization of all argument
upon the question of slavery and freedom
IA generalization that never has been and
probably never Will be exceiled. In giving
freedom to the slave, we assure freedom
to the free. This Is absolutely true.
Liberty can be retained aud can be
ependthrlft saves, the mlser Is prOdlgaL.
In the realm of freedom. waste is husband
~. He who puts chains on the body OF
another shackles his own SOUL Ihe mo-
ment the proclamation was issued the
canse of the Repu blic became sacred. From
that moment the North fought for the
human race. From that moment the North
stood under the blue and stars, the flag Of
natuIe-su biime and free.
I'm 1881 Lincoln saw in New Orleans q
at
filled his soul with indignation and horror.
Turning to his companions. he said: Boys,
If ever get a chance to hit slavery, by
God, Pll hit it hard The helpless
heart the seeds of the proclamation.
Thirty-one years afterwards the chance
came. the oath was kept and to four mil
lions of slaves-men, women and children
sOul. In the history. In the fiction of tho
world there is nothing more in tensely
dramatic than this"
MIRTH AND TEARS MINGLED.
Colonel Ingersolrs lecture was long and
abounded In bright and eloquent sayings.
Speaking of Linco coln's character, he said:
"Strange mingling of mirth and tears. of
the tragic and grotesuue. of oap and crown.
of Socrates and Democritus, Of Esop and
Marcus Aurelius. of oil that is gentle and
just. humorous and honest. merciful wise.
laughable, lovable and divine. c0nseorated
TO the use of man, hile through all and over
oil were an overwhelming sense of Obliga-
tion. chivalric 10y atty to truth ana on all the
shadow of the tragic end. Nearly eil the
great historic characters are impossible
| monsters, disprOportioned by fattery or
| by calumny defaced. We know of their Pc
| culiarities-about these oaks there clings
mono of the earth of humanity. Washing
| ton is now only steel engraving. About
| the real man. who lived. and loved. and
| hated. aud schemed. we know but little.
| The glass through which We look at him ia
! of 30 high magnifyIng power that the fea-
lures are exceedingly indlstinct. Hundreds
| of people are now engaged In smoothing
out the lines of Lincoln's face-forcing all
! features TO the common mold-so that he
! may be known, not as be really was.
but according to their poor standard as
be should have been. Lincoln was not q
| type. He stands alOne-no ancestors. no
| fellows and no successors. He was many
sided man. acquainted with smiles and
tears; complex In brain, single In heart,
direct as light and his works. candid as
| mirrors gave the perfect image of this
thought He was never afraid to ask
never too dignified TO admit that he did not
know. No man had keener wit nor kinder
| humor. 1t may be that humor is the pilo;
| unconsciously into absurdity. Humor sees
good-natured critic, and gives its opinion
before Judgment is reached. Humor goe.
with good nature. and good nature is the
| climax of reason. In anger, reason
abdicates and malice extinguishes
| the forch Sueh W rha hurnor n .i0calr