The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1898-03-16
SOLDIERS BUDGET.
General Harrison on Lincoln.

The observance of the birthday of |
Abraham Lincoln, which has become
now 30 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 duly of applying to
pending public questions the principles
illustrated in the life 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. Flittery did not soothe
the living ear of Lincoln. He was not
unappreciative of friendship, not with
out ambition to be esteemed; but the
overmastering and dominant thought
of his life was to be useful to his coun-
try and to his countrymen. No college
of arts had been opened to his strug-
Cling youth. He had been born in
cabin and reared among the unettered.
He was rail.splitter, fatboat man, q
country lawyer. Yet in all these con-
ditions and associations he was a
leader-at the rail splitting, in the rap
ids, at the bar, in storytelling.
LII tn0 DIOdu, WhJ III
which he did small things he was larger
than any situation in which life had
placed him. Europe did not know him.
northern 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 him
self. The son OF the cavalier, the man
who felt him to be a stain, despised
this son OF the people, this child of toll.
He was distinguished from the aboli-
ton leaders by the fairness and kindli-
ness with which he judged the South
and the Shareholders. He was opposed
to human slavery, not because some
masters were cruel, but because call
men" included the black man. Liberty
is the law of nature. The human en-
actment cannot pass the 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 '61 to '65
could have been unrolled before the
eyes of his countrymen, would they
have said-would he have said-that
he was adequate for the great occasionP
And yet, as we look back over the story
of the civil war, he is revealed to US
standing above all men of that epoch
in his capacity and adaptation to the
duties of the presidency.
Mr.. Lincoln loved the "plain people"
out of whose ranks he came; but not
with a class love. He never pandered
to ignorance or sought applause by ap-
peals to prejudice. The equality of
men in rights and burdens, justice TO
all, government by all the people, for
all the people, was his thought-no ia
voritism in enactment or administra-
tion-the general good. He had the
love of the masses, and he won it fair
ly; not by art or trick. He could,
therefore, admonish and restrain with
authority. Would there were more
such. There is great need of men now
who can be heard both in the directors
meeting and in the labor assembly.
Qualities of heart and mind combined
to make man who has won the love
of mankind. He is beloved. He stands
like great lighthouse to show the way
of duty to all his countrymen and to
send afar beam of courage to those
who beat against the winds. We do
him reverence. We bless tonight the
memory of Lincoln.-From the eulogy
delivered by ex-President Harrison at
Chicago, February -.