The Portland daily press., 1900-02-13
LINCOLN DAY.
Coat nued from Third Page.

,mpott.nt enorg oh or commensurats with
th.ir abilities. They hold themselve.
,,iways in / and for the IN urs. Alas
This long-luoked for opportunity IL ever
iis,ing. 10 IL lever present. ~ ives nus
20 W tn Liuooln. The work OF today,
we'll done, seemed to be his rule OF cen .
QUOT he entered the Dcualsss oonte !
reluctantly, but net fearfely; Win little
reputation he was aaoSt TO pit himself
ngtiasr one Of the grestt 81 orators and
dehatsrs 10 or iscry. PROBABLY no
thought of bis being The central figure
OF the next PTesidsn tai election ever
himself available timber. Bot what a
CONTEST fhess debatei tesaEe. The Hello
giant and honest A be. What Levi than
biowtY v hat stEuss ling; Whit recoveries ]
How worth less this ttoiy Of Douglessy
How priceless t1s def at OF Lincoln!
his nomination for tic Presidency was
iueyjtab be. BY his own individral force
he fat mad, hinself one FREEDOM mating
Ioprt S ntnti,e If he greet patty oppofed
20 the extension of slavery. HIS voios
was heard thoronS bout the land q b'
lister ell 10 1ni followed by eager inen,
believing with him that the lire Tor
compIomise vas pat sed, the tine Tor
vigorous aNi,n haa come. NO mors
ul billing, no moe proc estimation. Ac-
tim, etsrmin.d aetioB, was 20 te Tue
w to lNord. Yhe prase mt generation oitsn
W. ndeus why there should bave p,en any
d, nit cf his election. Looking back from
this dale suoct IS SENS tie only outcome
of the contest. Yet doubt was thcfe, ana
rarity feeling never ran higher. Througn
il all Lincoin's ersonality strote nrmIy,
his q es upon tie goal, his voice raised 10
human frefdom and agaif So naiionai
disRu On.
Of course he was succes sful. We shy now
he was heaven gent, intended by Provi-
denca to secure hii fellow men fiom long
or committing the hide Gus sin CT slavery.
No Pres del t eVer a so bard GRANGE:
Nashin. ton Aied surrounded and advised
bv The n en- who ASSISTED him In BIT i'ding
III. at on, ard who mad fran ed Its Or
gar 10 laws. lie was strong, but Others
were strong, too, some indeed stronger
Lincoln found all loyal eyes tunnel to
him, helpless but trusting. Some Few,
IL 10 true, were inclined to criticize and
u,,nsnd rash and impossible pronunci-
tentos so that they IL yht know the
mind of the President ana his intention
in advance. True still to his non1r, and
W tn bis characteristic honesty, Lincoln
tol 4 them ne had no programme, he hsd
Lut enc In c 1tion-t to save the Union at
any clst, oome what may. lime would
determine what he must do. 1t was rse-
rs 70 snti,iI ate.
II there is any nan here who h. s net
cad and studied this Ia OF Lincoln q
If, beg Of MIN to do so. There can
to learned from 10 lessons Of tirmness,
csointss of Judgment, and self reliance
that cannot fail to Inspire US with awe
AMI admiration. No one cculd move
him fl tsr than he thought hs ought to
go There must be no f,lse steps no
move backward.
How much he merited our confidence
the result shove. After four years Of
tloody struggle, consuming We st RESOURCES
ard exhausting tie ContedeI ate com nc or
wealth. tae United states OF America rs
u nation WI S saved TO the civilized world.
Slavery vas forever abol s,ed under the
Star ana Stripes.
snail not review the Civil war. Meth
or my time nor your patience will per-
II it. During Its tragedy Lincoln n 50 to
uDpsJa lied heights CT MENTAL and
rhyi.cal grandeur. His enc great end
and aim. t, save the Union. he ever lost
ght CT. No resource was too great fer
him, no step tao far in advances IL it
tended to the grand Iosult. o. ions OF
the bi. hest statesmansh' p emandtd bis
attention: he was perplexed with details
of revenue; matters tf Internal admins
tat on annoyed him constantiy; wa
pre- blema OF magnitude and complexi
ty that staggered and retired general al
t,r general. ever y ore q tire ined soldier,
dsmanCei correct solutions daily. evsn
hou.ly. Yet, Low few mistakes were
made, and then how quickly recognized
and corrected; no stubborn ins'ssent
upon a wrong Inns Of action; tt g honesty
o. Li,coln's character forbade that The re-
was prompt recognition Of error and m
mediate steps to set the wrong Alright
HE natural melancholy OF his tenpM-
ament. while 1t saddened all hij life and
made him oitsn see o,ly the gloomy and
dresry side of events, had one splendid
r. s lit bis supreme and unccnqu' + able
patience. New, r onos did 1t fall hin.
Meth er the plumbers and shortcomings
of his favor!ts generals. the radical action
OF Congress. the Rratuttous advtos OF well
mean n but ofiioious friends. nor the
csaseless OPPORTUNITIES OF offios ssekefs
could rend, him irstful or provoke him
t. thouRhtless censurs. He was tried
probabiy as few men ever wtrh. His =