Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-02-24
Abraham Lincoln, American.

born in humble cabin in Kentucky
boy destined to greatness.
He became great wrestler, a great
axeman, great student within mar
row but elevated range of reading. He
was a great lawyer and great debater.
In the highest sense of the word he was
great orator. He was great presi-
dent, and became, under the providence
of God, the great emancipation. He
freed this land from the economic
blunder, the moral wrong, the historic
anachronism and the stupendous stulti-
fication of human slavery in republic
founded upon the doctrine of human
freedom, of equal rights and the con-
sent of the governed.
In his career and his characteristics
Abraham Lincoln was great American
perhaps the greatest, all things con-
sdered, which this new nation has
produced.
What better honor can be paid to the
memory of this son and leader of the
people than to recall on the anniversary
of his birth his words of wisdom and of
eloquence? Now that there is dispo-
sition in some quarters to thrust aside
the Declaration of Independence as a
mass of dull and outworn generalites,
let us read again Lincoln's definition of
that instrument.
In his speech at Springfield, ILL.,, on
June 26, 1857, Lincoln said:
II think the authors of the declaration
intended to include all men, but they
did not intend to declare all men equal
in all respects. They did not mean to
say all were equal in color, size, intel
lect, moral developments or social ca
paclty, They defined with tolerable
/ Il LET I'm hot
consider all men created equal-equal
with certain unalienable rights, among
which are life, liberty and the pursuit of
happiness This they said and this
they meant.
''They meant to set up a standard
maxim for free society which should be
familiar to all and revered by all, con-
stantly looked to, constantly labOred
for and, even though never perfectly
attained, constantly Appropriated, and
thereby constantly spreading and deep
enng its influence and augmenting the
happiness and value OF life to all peoples
of all colors everywhere.
"The assertion that all men are
created equal was of no practical use
in etiecting our separation from Great
Britain, and it was placed in the declara-
ton not for that but for future use. Its
authors meant it to be-as, thank God,
it is now proving itself-a stumbling
block to all those who in after times
might seek to turn a free people back
into the hateful paths of despotism.
They knew the proneness of prosperity
to breed tvrants, and they meant when
such should reappear in this fair land
and commence their vocation they
should find left for them at least one
hard nut to crack
Some of Lincoln's maxims and cpl
grams are likewise peculiarly pertinent
to the day. He said:
"No man is good nOugh TO govern an
other man without that others consent.
| say this is the leading principle. the
sheet-anchor of American republican
ism"
And again-anticipating, perhaps,
1.-THE White Mans Burden sophistical
sentimentality which kipling has ex-
pressed:
When the white man governs himself,
that is self government; but when he
governs himself and also governs an.
other man, that is more than self-gov-
ernment-that is despotism."
This great liberator did not regard
liberty as the heritage of this land of the
white people alone. He said
"Our reliance is in the love of liberty
which God has planted in us. Our de-
Tense is in the spirit which prizes liberty
as the heritage of all men in all lands
everywhere. Those who deny freedom
to others deserve it not for themselves
and under just God cannot long re-
tain it,
Thus spoke the true American, the
real republican, the genuine democrat.