Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-02-12
that God raised h
.sness, and dirccic,
Iseasors stated.
licvc this for sevcra
r.; place he alone oi


We believe this for several rca sons.
In the first place he alone of the po-
litical leaders of his time and party.
| thoroughly -raspcd the siination.
and he alone had the courage To abide
by the consequences in a course of
action which he believed 10 he right.
Reference was here made to the
speech which Lincoln delivered before
the convention called nj Springfield
June i6. 80. at which Lincoln WAS
nominated by the legislature a. the
first ana only choice of his parry for
senator. The keynote of that speech
was n word cf the Saviour, "A house
divided against itself cannot stand. -
and on that word he took his stand
with hardly n single political friend
who bclievcd that that step was
polite. In the course of that cam
paign he made canvass of the
churches of Springfield. - in num-
Der. and found 90 against him. This
fact made him incNpressi5ly sad.
With the air of an old Hebrew he
said to Newton Batcmau: IL know
there is a God and that he hates
slavery. I see the storm coming.
know His hand is in it. ! may not
live 10 see the end. but ii will come.
and ! shall be indicated. and these
mcr will find they have not read the
bibles Alright"
Later, when the shot on Sumptcr
had aroused the apothc;ic, he had
occasion to say. God bless all the
churches. and blessed bc God that
giveth us the churches.
He was in no sense a policy man.
time server. and when some came
10 commiscratc him on his foolish
speech he said. if he had to erase
all his past life and leave bnt one
thing. he would erase all and leave
that speech.
In the second place he WAS pccul-
iarly fitted in his qualities of mind
and heart 10 placatc the aroused
passions Of the nation and to unite
the dismembcrcd path of the unicn.
His integrity had given him the ap-
pellatiop of Honest Abe" and men
knew that money could not buy him.
Reference was made to his tender
ness of heart. and touching illustra-
tions were given of Lincoln in that
respect. These qualities fitted him
To be the nations leader ut such n
critical period.
In the third place his absolute re-
lance ON God especially fitted him
for wise leadership. He recognized
his own weakness. and said that he
would bc the most '.presumptous
bluckhead- on the footstool il be
thought he could succeed without
God. II is striking commentary
upon the power Of PRAYER that the
greatest and wiscst leaders the world
has seen have been men Of prayer.
Mr.. Mcrrcll then drew lessons
from his subject. showing that the
highest political success is shown to
he compatible with integrity. purity
and picty. his life affording much
needed object lesson to politicians
in every age. Our nation has heri-
tage Of great names. and will never
I've poor as long rs il can point to
Washington, Lincoln or Grant.
The Eveaing D. rvice.
In the evening after the introduce
tory exercises. J. +. Robinson read
the autobiography of Linco'n. n pre-
cicus Lincoln souvenir that has come
into the hands Of the pastor. through
tie hands of the family Of Jesse W.
Field Of Normal. Prof. L. e Dough-
erty gave u very fine address on
Lincoln's life, public services and