Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1900-11-29
Ambassador Choate ON lincoln.


Ambassador Choate addressed the
Edinburg. Scotland, Philosophical So
ciety. recently. His subject was Abra-
ham Lincoln. 1t was an able and schol-
arly performance The best part of it
was his description of Lincolns speech
in Cooper Institute, New York, because
it gives Us a vivid and life like portrait
of tbs true born king Of men. He
said:
1T il now forty years since | first
saw and heard Abrahrm Lincoln, but
the impression which be left on my
mind is ineffaceable. After his great
success in the West he came TO New
York TO make a political address He
appeared in every sense of the word
like one of the plain people among
whom he loved to be counted. AT first
sight there was nothing impressive or
imposing about him-except that his
great stature singled him out from the
crowd; his clothes hung awkwardly on
his giant frame, his face was of dark
pallor, without the slightest tinge OF
color: his scanned and rugged features
bore the burrows Of hardship and strug-
gle: his deep-set eyes looked sad and
anxious: his countenance in repose gave
little evidence of that brain power
which had raised him from the lowest
TO the highest station among his coun-
trvmen; as he talked to me before the
meeting. he seemed i'll at ease, with
that sort Of apprehension which young
man might feel before presenting him
self TO a new and strange audience,
whose critical disposition he dreaded
Ii was great audience, including all
the noted men-all the learned and cul-
tured- of his party in New York; editors
clergvmen, statesmen, lawyers, mer-
chants. and critics. They were all very
curious to hear him. His fame as
powerful speaker had preceded him, and
exaggerated rumor of his wit-the worst
forerunner Of an oratOr-had reached
the East. When Mr.. Bryant presented
him. on the high platform of the Cooper
Institute. a vast sea of upturned faces
greeted him, full of intense curiosity TO
see what this rude child IF the people
was like He was equal to the occasion
When he spoke he was transformed;
his eyes kindled, his voice rang, his
face shone and seemed to light up the
whole assembly. For an hour and a
half he held his audience in the hollow
Of his hand. His style Of apeech and
manner Of delivery were severely sim
ple What Lowell called the grand
simplicities Of the Bible, with which
he was so familiar, were rehected III his
discourse With no attempt at orna-
ment OF rhetoric, without parade or
pretence, he spoke straight to the
point If any came expecting the tur-
ged eloquence or the ribaldry OF the
frontier. they must have been startled
at the earnest and sincere purity OF his
utterances. 1t was marvellous to see
how this untutOred man. by mere self
discipline and the chastening of his
own spirit, had outgrown all meretri-
cious arts, and found his own way to
the grandeur and strength Of absolute
simplicity.
He spoke upon the theme which he
had mastered so thoroughly. He dem
onstrated by copious historical proofs
and mastery logic that the fathers who
created the constitution in order to
form more perfect union, to establish
Justice and to secure the blessings OF
liberty to themselves and their poster
ity. intended to empower the Federal
Government to exclude slavery from
the territories In the kindliest spirit he
protested against the avowed threat of
the Southern States to destroy the
Union if, in order to secure freedom III
those vast regions, out Of which future
States were to be carved. republican
President was elected. He closed with
an appeal to his audience. spoken with
all the fire of his aroused and kindl1ng
conscience, with full out-pouring of
his love Of justice and liberty, to main
tein their political purpose on that
lofty and unassailable issue OF r1gnt
and wrong which alone could Justify IT.
and not be intimidated from their re-
solve and sacred duty by any threats
of destruction 20 Government or ruin TO
themselves. He concluded with this
telling sentence, which drove the ar
gument home to our hearts: Let us
have faith that right makes might, and
in that faith let us to the end dare to DO
our duty as we may understand 1T.
That night the great hall, and the next
day the whole city, rang with delight
ed applause and congratulations, and
he who came as stranger departed
with the laurels of great triumph.
THE great speculation in New York
and Brooklyn elevated and surface line
stocks has drawn attention anew to the
extraordinary business done in moving
the population Of Greater New York to
and fro. The reports for 1900 will show
approximately 100000, 900 passengers
carried, yielding revenue of $35, 900, 900
TO the companies The Brooklyn Rapid
Transit has a greater mileage than all
the other companies combined, the total
being 515 miles The stock capitaliza-
ton and indebtedness OF these several
systems foot up close to $3.50, 900, 600.