The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-02-14
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Three squares west of Illinois st.
A MASTER OF ENGLISH.
LincOln's Command of Language, a.
shown in Speeches and Writings.

At the Lincoln meeting of the Loyal
Legion of Indiana Friday evening Mr.
Samuel NJ Sayler, of Huntington. read a
paper on the topic Of Lincoln Master
of English, in which he said:
I'VE are all hero worshipers. Every one
has a guest chamber of the mind TO whlcn
he invites the choicest spirits of the ages.
Ian Maclaren in his exquisite little DOCK
The Upper Room says that he who mas
Socrates, and Virgil, and Dante ana
Shakespeare in his guest chamber nee0 not
vex himself for that his house pc sInd!l,
because mobiles do not alWays e ne I ,J,,,
such company in their castles. IL Jont,
Watson were an American citizen ne "ouiu
doubtless have added to TINS list sucii
names as Washington and Lincoln. There
is a peculiar fascination to every american
in the lives of American heroes. we ue
light to invite them 10 the guest cndiiioe CT
OF our minds and there be charmeu ny aiiu
Thoughts which their lives suggest Every
great man is studied In all or MS aspec.s'
His motives are compared WIN oui NJ ~
tiyeS his struggles with our SuussieS' ne
success with our hopes for success No
more popular hero than Lincoln ever sIdCeS
the guest chamber OF the nina NE Vas IA q
deed deserves an upper room. he was q
pecu,iarly typical man. The struggles OF
the frontier the hardships endured ana me
economy made necessary by sucn d M alS
devetoped in Abraham Lincoln a mannoou
which stands out as one OF the pest types
of American civilization. he was uoHll-
mated
he saw it. His sense OF moral responsioli-
ity, the purity OF his MOVIES anu .hv
moral elevation OF his mind have rarely
been eoualed in American history Ihat
lincoln was q master of English is con-
coded nv ALL but ii may be or interest 10
note some of the elements which made MN
a master The best literature OF any ase
gives the fullest expression 10 the ruins
thought and motives OF the men OF lhat
age Tested by this standard Apranam
lincoln was a master. My Tune permits
the ouotation of only few sentences from
his works but these will show how fuliy
he gave expression TO the best, the purest
thotpht of his time. In lS5s, 10 an INVITA-
Tim from citizens of Boston TO unite with
them ia celebrating the birthday or THOMAS
Jefferson he sent the swer whlch
Contained the following: This is a
world of compensations; and ne VINO
would be no slave must consent 70 nave
no slave. Those who deny freedom 70
others deserve it not for themselves: ana:
under a just God. cannot long retain IL.
So simple in construction. yet so pure. so
nnseifish i'm motive and SO comprehensive
We're these sentences that they became a
bugIe call which was answered py Two
million BOYS IN blue TO do valiant nattie Ior
AGAIN. on the field OF Gettysburg. where
courage had become incarhate, he SAID.
| -Four score and seven years ago our Iathers
| brought forth on this continent q new ma
| ton conceived in liberty ana deoicated 10
| the proposition that all men are createu
euuai Now we are engaged II "a great
| civil war. testing whether that nation or
l anv nation so conceived and so dedicated
can long endure. We are met on great