St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-03-04
General Harrison on Lincoln.

The observance of the birthday OF Abra-
ham Lincoln. which has become now so
widely established either by public law
or by general custom, will, more and
more, force the orators of these occasions
to depart from the line OF biography and
incident and eulogy and to assume the
duty OF applying to pending public ques-
tions the principles illustrated in the lite
and taught in the public utterances OF the
man whose birth we commemorate.
And, after all, we may be sure that the
great, supplemented patriot would have
wished it so. Flattery did not soothe
the living ear OF Lincoln. He was not I'M
appreciative of friendship, not without
ambition to be esteemed; but the over
mastering and dominant thought of his
life was to be useful to his country and
to his countrymen. No college of arts
had been opened to his struggling
youth. He had been born in cabin
and reared among the unlettered. He
was a rail-splitter, aatboat man, a
country lawyer. Yet in all these condi-
lions and associations he was leader
at the rail splitting, in the rapids, at the
bar, in storytelling.
which he did small things he was larger
than any situation in which life had
placed him. Europe did not know him.
To the south and not a few in the north
ern states he was an uncouth jester, an
ambitious upstart. a reckless disturber.
He was hated by the south. not only for
his principles, but for himself. The son
| OF the cavalier, the man who felt him to
be stain, despised this son OF the people,
this child oil toll. He was distinguished
from the abolition leaders by the fairness
and kindness with which he judged the
south and he shareholders. He was OPP
posed to human slavery, not because
some masters were cruel, but because "all
me-" included the black man. Liberty
is the law of nature. The human enact
ment cannot pass he limits of the state
Gods law embraces creation.
Mr.. Lincoln had faith in time, and time
has justified his faith. If the panorama
of the years from 81 to '65 could have
been unrolled before the eyes of his coun
trymen, would they have said-would he
have said-that he was adequate for the
great occasion? And vet, as we look
back over the story of the civil war, he
is revealed to us standing above all mer
OF that epoch in his capacity and adapta
ton to the duties OF the presidency.
Mr.. Lincoln loved the plain people,
out of whose ranks he came; but moi
with class love. He never pandered tc
ignorance or sought applause by appeals
to prejudice. The equality of rnen il
rights and burdens. justice to all, gov
eminent by all the people, for all the peo
pie, was his thought-no favoritism il
enactment or administration-the gen
eral good. He had the love Of the masses
and he won it fairly; not by art rtrick
He could, therefore. admonish and re
strain with authority. Would there wer
more such. There is great need of mel
now who can be heard both in the direc
tors meeting and in the labor assembly
Qualities of heart and mind combine
to make man who has won the love c
mankind. He is beloved. He stands Xix
great lighthouse to show the way {
duty to all his countrymen and to sen
afar beam of courage to those VIII
beat against the winds. We do him re,
erence. We bless tonight the memory {
Lincoln.-[From the eulogy delivered b
Ex-President Harrison at Chicago, Eel
ruary ~.