Warren sheaf. [volume] (Warren, Marshall County, Minn.) 1880-current, 1896-03-05
TRAITS OF LINCOLN.
JUNIUS HENRI BROWNIES ESTIMATE
OF HIS CHARACTER.
His Tenderness, Bravery and Common
Sense-A Mysterious Personality-Full Of
Contradiction and but Little Understood.
His Weakness and His RELIGION.

Abraham Lincoln was, in all proba-
bility-and every year strengthens the
opinion-the greatest Of Americans, liv-
ing or dead, and beyond odds the great
est man of his time. PROFESSIONALLY
a rare genius, and showing it in many
directions, he has revealed nothing in
bis whole career that in the least inter-
feres with the conviction. Not one Of
our countrymen has his obvious chance
of Immortality.
Lincoln, it is often said, has been
localized -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
transcendent abilities only are so ideal
lied or can be. To be idealized 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 miro the most
precious gem is sometimes hidden. Lin
coin 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 he had not the slightest
reason for hope. Yet he surmounted ev-
cry obstacle, prevailed over the direst
fate by unflinohing determination, by
the potency Of his will. His example is
a spur, an inspiration to every friend
less, struggling youth in the land, and
will be stimulus, strength, All assist
ance to thousands still unborn.
The great president often declared
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 shining instance Of a
man streaming with humanity, not
without faults, not without ambition,
but afluent 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 tho
main, it was also complicated and ap-
parent1y 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 sealed book. He is
one of the most tragic no less than Of
the grandesS figures in history.
Abraham (meaning in Hebrew, father
of a multitude) was, in spite of it's 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 trifing 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 it's in
itial alone.
1t may seem strange that SO great
man s:ould be so affected by so small a
tact, 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
Universal Prayer - saying that it con-
tanned the substance of all Christianity.
He frequently repeated it, and wondered
that it was SO little cited. This was his
favorite stanza:
Teach me to feel another's woe,
To hide the fault see.
That mercy to others show,
That mercy show to me-
1t is singular circumstance that Lin
coins very brief Gettysburg speech.