The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-05-05
MR.. INGERS0LL ON LINCOLN
Greeted by Large and Intelligent An.
dience at English's Opera House.
Lincoln Compared to Darwin as Pnblic Lib
eraior-Ilis Memory ExtOlled as the Nest
Precious Treasure of the Republic.

martyr Presidents career, which struck up
flame of patriotism that completely. for
the time. obliterated every vestige of tho
ali-consuming streer-railway oy clone.
While the discourse was not full of high
lights and brilliant colorings, it Was
q masterpiece of eloQuence and .
calendar OF historic truths. The op-
era house was. as usual, crowded
to the skylights. with but few vacant seats
on the ground floor. The orators appear
ance touched. Clevelsnd-like. the electric
button. and storm of applause followed.
He looks few years younger than be did
when here before. He talked for about
two hours. beginning with o eulogy, and
ending with a warm tribute to the men,
ory OF Mr.. Lincoln.
Frequently he was interrupted by that
eDontaneous applause that always follows
his flights OF word pain ting and siDgularly
beautiful illustrations. Beginning he said:
Eighty-four years ago two babes 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 unlver-
sity of nature, the other at Oxford. One
associated his name with the enfranchise-
ment of labor. with the emancipation of
millions. with the salv alton OF the Repub-
lie. He is known to us as Abraham Lin
coin. The other broke the chains of super
sutton and filled the world with intel.
lectual light. and he is known as Charles
Darwin. Because of these two men the
nineteenth century is illustrious. A few
men and women make q Nation glorious.
Shakespeare made England immortal.
Voltaire civilized and humanized France.
Goethe, Schiller and Humboldt lifted Ger
many into the light. Angelo. Raphael. Ga
lIleo and Bruno crowned with fadeless
laurels the Italian Brow, and now the most
precious treasure of the great Republic 10
the memory of Abraham Lincoln. Every
generation has it's heroes. its iconoclasts,
its pioneers. its ideals. The people always
have been and still are divided into at least
two classes. the many who. with their backs
TO the sunrise. worship the rast and the few
who keep their faces toward the dawn; the
many who are satisfied with the world q it
Is, the few who labor and suffer for the
future, for those to be, and who seek TO
rescue the oppressed, to destroy the cruel
distinctions of caste. and to civilize man
kind. Yet it sometimes happens that the
liberator of one age becomes the oppressor
of the next HIS reputation becomes 90
great, he il so rovered and wOrshlped that
his followers. in his name, attack the hero
who endeavors to take another step in ad-
vance.
Lincoln was statesman. And there is q
difference between politician and q states
man. A politician schemes and works In
every way to make tho people do some
-
something for the people. With him place
and power are the means to an end. and the
end Ia the good of his country" Colonel
lngersoll went on to say that the Worth and
South were responsible alike for the ,ex-
istenCe and perpetuity OF slavery. and he
quoted from several resolutions and other
documents to show that the Wings We'd with
the democratic In their efforts to servo the
slave power. Lincoln In 1860 uttered the
prophetic words that . house divided
against itself could not stand. 1t must be
all slaves or all freemen. and around this
standard, said Colonel 1ngeTsoil was gath
cred the grandest political party the world
has ever seen. and this declaration made
Lincoln the leader of that vast host. The
people decided at the polls that a house di-
vided against itself could not stand. and
that slavery had ursed soil and soul long
enough.
gentle, SO kind and persistent. so wise aud
logical that millions OF Northern Demo-
Gratis sprang to the defense, not only of the
Union but of his administration. Lincoln
refused TO be led or hurried by Fremont or
Hunter, by Greeley or Simmer. From first
to last he was the real leader, and he kept
step with events. Lincoln had reached
the generalization of oil argumen. upon
the question OF slavery and freedom. A
generalization that never has been. and
probably never will be, excelled. In Civ
ing freedom TO the slave. We assure free
dom TO the free
This is absolutely true. Liberty can be
retained, can be enjoyed. by giving 1t TO
others. The spendthrift saves, the miser
is prodigal; In the realm of freedom waste
Us husbandry. He puts chains upon the
body of another. shackles his own soul
The moment the proclamation was issued
the cause OF the Republic became sacred.
From that moment the North fought for
the human race. From shat moment the
North stood under the blue of stars, tho
flag of nature sublime and free. In 1881
1 In a nrla gir
sold at auction. The scene filled his soul
with indignation aud horror. Turning to
his com panions, he said: Boys, If 1 ever
get a chance to hit slavery. by Cd, Phi
hit it hard
Lincoln was by nature diplomatic. He
knew the art of sailing against the wind.
He had as much prudence as is consistent
with honesty. He understood not only the
rights of individuals. but of nations. In
all his correspondence with other govern
ments he neither wrote nor sanctioned q
line which afterwsrd was used to tie his
hands. In the use of perfect English he
easily rose above all his advisors and ali
his fellows. No one claims that Lincoln
did all. He could have done nothing with
out the great and splendid generals in the
field. and the generals could have done
nothing without their armies. Tho praise
is due to sll-the private as much as the
officer, TO the lowest who did his duty as
much as to the highest. My heart goes ont
to the brave private as much as to the
leader OF the host; but Lincoln stood at the
center, and with infinite patience.
consummato skill, with the genius of
goodness. directed. cheeTsd. consoled
and conquered. Lincoln always saw
the END. lie was unmoved by
the storms and currents of the time. he
advanced too rapidly for the conscrv ativo
politicians, too slowly for the radical en-
thnsIasts He occupied the line of safety,
aud by his personality. by the force of his
great character. by his charming candor,
kept the masses on his side. The soldiers
thought of him as father. All who had
lost their sons in battle felt that they had
his sympathy; felt that his face was as sad
az theirs. They knew that Lincoln was
gies were bent to the attainment of one
end the salvation of the Republic. Sue
cess producee envy; envy often ends In con-
spiracy. In 1864 many politicians united
against bim. It 10 not for me to criticise
their motives or their actions. 1t is enough
To say that the magnaDImity of Lincoln
toward those who mad deserted and en-
deavored TO destroy MIN is without parallel
In the political history of the world. This
magDsnImity made his success not only
possible but certain.
"ln passions storm he stood unmoved
patient just. candid. In HIS brain was no
cloud and in his heart no hate. He longed
to save the South as we'll as the North. TO
see the Nation one ana free. He lived I'M
ill the end was known. He lived until the
| Confederscy was dead-until Lee sur
| rendered. until Davis fed. until the doors
| of Libby prison were opened, until the Re-
| public WAS supreme. He lived until
| Lincoln and liberty were united forever.
| He lived TO cross the desert to reach the
| plains of victory. to hear the murmured
,nesa of al Ila ltua