The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-02-20
GENERAL OBSERVANCE
OF Lincoln'S Birthday Through
out the Country We'd
ueSday.
The Character of the Man Care
fully Estimated.
Something of His Tenderness,
Bravery and Common Sense.

tie Understood-His Weakness aud
Religion.
Abraham Lincoln was, in all proba-
bility-and every year strengthens the
opinion--tho greatest of Americans, liv-
ing or dead, and beyond odds the great
est man of his time, n~estionably
rare genius, and showing it in many
directions, he hus revealed nothing in
his whole career that in the least inter-
feres with the conviction. Not one Of
our countrylncn has his obvious chance
Of immortality.
Lincoln, it is often said, has been
idealized-idealized by the nation and
the world. Perhaps he has been. So has
every great man, from PeriCles and Ju-
Illus Caesar down to Napoleon and Ca
your, But men of immense power, Of
transcendcnt abilities only are so ideal
lied or can be. To be ideali2ed is the
accompaniment of deathless fame.
The natives Of the republic would
seem to be divided into Americans and
Abraham Lincoln.
The highest frequently springs from
the lowest in the darkest mire the most
precious gem is sometimes hidden. Lin
coln was born in what was then Larue
county, KY, under circumstances so for
lorn and obscure that he had no early
recollection of aught save abject poverty
and the severest hardship. OF his own
parentage he was always more or less
uncertain, and no had not the slightest
reason for hope. Yet he surmounted ev-
cry obstacle, prevailed over the direst
fate by unflinching determination, by
the potency Of his will. His example is
spur, an inspiration to every friend
less, struggling youth in the land, and
will be stimulus, strength, an assist
Rnce to thousands still unborn.
The great president often declared
that extreme tenderness was his chief
weakness; that he could not, under ordi-
nary conditions, refuse mercy to any
one for whom life was begged and he
never did refuse it. That extreme ten
derness was really one Of his grandest
strengths and is the thing, above all
others, that has embalmed and haloed
his memory. He was as firm, where
there was imperative need, as he was
tender; there was point Of rugged
duty beyond which he could not be
moved. He was a shining instance Of a
man streaming with humanity, not
without faults, not without ambition,
but affluent Of noble purposes and COM
pletely conscientious.
Notwithstanding the innumerable vol |
umes that have been written about Lin |
coin, Notwithstanding the endless com.
ments, criticisms, explanations, analyses |
that have been offered Of his character,
he is still unknown, still somewhat |
mystery. His true life is yet to be writ !
ten. Simple as his nature was, in the !
main, it was also complicated and ap-
parently full Of contradictions, though, |
to one who could understand it, actually |
harmonious. His spirit was solitary his |
being, like that Of genius generally, !
grave, anxious sad from temperament, |
not surroundings. His jests, his stories, |
his occasional buffooneries were intend |
ed to relieve his oppression, often to
conceal his thoughts and aims, and they |
commonly succeeded To the mass he |
continues to be as a sealed book. He is |
one of the most tragic no less than Of |
the grandest figures in history.
Abraham lmeaning in Hebrew, father |
of multitude) was, in spite of its spe-
cial fitness, its prophetic quality in |
deed, very disagreeable to Lincoln from
early boyhood. When he reached man.
hood, he fairly hated it, He could not |
bear the title so universally bestowed ON
him, Honest Old Abe, but he had too |
much sense, too much pride, to reveal his |
feeling. 1t was not his nature to refer |
to what troubled him, whether an i'm
portant or trifling matter. If he had |
been an ordinary man, he would no
doubt have changed his name, which no
one could conceive of his doing. His dis
like Of the pranomen grew with his
years, and he invariably wrote its in
itial alone.
1t may seem strange that so great a
man should be so affected by so small
fact, but name is Of more consequence
than it seems. Even Caesar, the foremost
hero Of all antiquity, who, as everybody |
is aware, was bald, took unwearied |
pains, when young, to conceal his bald
ness by carefully arranging the long
locks Of his hair over the bare spots.
This would be thought frivolous in a
commonplace mortal. How much more
the imperial Caesar?
Lincoln was great admirer Of Pope's |
"UniversGl Prayer, saying that it con-
tanned the substance Of all Christianity.
He frequently repeated it, and wondered
that it was 50 little cited. This was his
favorite stanza;
Teach me TO feel another's woe,
To hide the fault ! see
That mercy 10 others show,
That mercy show TO me.
1t is singular circumstance that Lin
coins very brief Gettysburg speech,
now familiar to the whole English
world, fell dead on his vast audience at
the time Of itsrlelivery. Nor did any
one discover its extraordinary merit for
months. Lincoln himself, with charac-
teristic modesty, thought it "poor af-
fair, and was amazed when London
journal-'the next spring, l think
praised it to the echo. This set the key.
Every newspaper and periodical fol-
lowed the lead, and the little speech
Immediately took rank as an effort un-
equaled ON any similar occasion, as a
great English classic 1t is not often
that native genius is detected in Eng
land.
Lincoln was, beyond everything per-
haps, the incarnation Of common sense
$50 called), which is the most uncom7
TN On sense, and rarer than the rarest