The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-09-19
EULOGY
OF PRES'T
LINCOLN
Pronounced by Rev. P. S.
Knight 35 Years Ago.

Delivered a. oregon city on the Sunday follow
inc the assassination IN April, 1865.
I'd Chronicles, 1876. "Whereupon IN
princes of Israel and the king humble
themselves; and they said " The Lord
righteous"
These words show how the leaders {
the Hebrew nation demeaned themselye
at time Of national danger and calsm
ity. This nation has fallen upon such
time now.
Abraham Lincoln was the chief mag
istrate OF the United States. He wa
not a ruler born Of race Of kings,
potentate who held the reins Of powe
by virtue Of hereditary descent, but on
Of the people, designated by the vote o
his fellow citizens to act az chief execu
tor Of laws enacted by their representa-
tives for their government and protec.
tion. He was a man after the people,
own heart; man who was chosen t.
the position he occupied by larger rela
tive vote than any Of his predecessor
save Washington. Though accused
sometimes Of tyranny by class of men
whose character has given little weight
to their words, his public career wal
never marked by a single act Of tyranny.
He was a man of kindly heart, who ruled
with moderation and used the pow
er the people placed in his hand
with view to the greatest good to the
greatest number. No great popular
leader in history ever came nearer than
he to loving his enemies. blessing those
who cursed him, and doing good to those
by whom he was desptefully used and
prosecuted.
So far was his native goodness OF heart
manifested in this respect, that q mem
ber Of his cabinet remarked, on hearing
Of his death, "the rebels have lost their
best friend" Some, who during his life
we're his bitterest opponents, are now
delivering eulogies on his life and char.
acter. Some who were even slanderers
could not allow the grave to close over
the object Of their malicious hatred, un.
til they had publicly given the lie to
their own groundless calumnies.
Aside from this kindliness of DISPOSE
tion, Lincoln possessed the elements of
strength. In the progress Of events his
plans and policy proved TO be correct
This became after a time 80 evident to
his advisers, that 1t became a proverb
among them. II any disagreement arose
among them, 1t generally closed on some
one Of them remarking, "tle President
ib right"
He seems to have been possessed also
OF that rare quality which enabled him
always to choose the proper middle way
between extremes-between the view of
the wild radical on the one hand, and
the timid conservative on the other. He
acted with promptness when the time
for action came, but he never acted in
haste before the time.
He was q man Of religious impulses.
No one OF his predecessors was ever
more ready than he TO acknowledge the
government Of God az above every
earthly power; no'one ever seemed to
feel more deeply than he the need OF
Divine guidance; no one ever manifested
a more lively interest in every humane
enterprise. The practical spirit and
feeling Of the Christian were most truly
his.
In all this / have said nothing Of his
greatness, his statesmanship, his admin.
istrative ability. am not here to deal
with questions OF state, nor to deliver
eulogies on the life and character of
Abraham Lincoln. His fame is estab-
lished. His virtues are known and ap.
preciated by every American. The world
knows him and has installed him among
its martyr-heroes. A grateful people
who are now mourning as over the loss
OF father will write above the spot
where he may sleep, Here lies the sec
ond Father Of his country"
But what does this terrible dispensa.
tion mean to our nation? Under the
wise guidance of this competent and
worthy pilot, placed in his position by
the vote ota free people, our ship of state
has just weathered one of the most try
ing storms OF history. That ship was to
all appearance just sailing into the har.
bor Of peace and about to cast anchor,
when, behold, there is flash across her
bow and the pilot is stricken down at
his post, the strong hand that has held
the wheel through four stormy years is
relaxed and powerless. Just as the
wreath OF victory was falling upon his
brow, as the last battle was being fought
and the last foe Was on the eve OF sur
render, that cherished life goes out
not by accident, not by disease, not by
the hand OF an open enemy on the battle
field but in the midst OF his social cir.
Gle. by the side of his loving wife, while
unarmed and unprotected, he falls by
the hand OF an assassin, the crazy or
inspired tool OF disunion and anarchy.
II is impossible for us to portray in
words or even to comprehend the ter
ribly astounding nature OF this occur.
ence, The life Of Lincoln hal become
identified with the hope Of the people |
for reunited nation. IL seems impos.
sible TO us that he is gone, so completely !
did we regard him as an impersonation |
Of our patriotic hopes, Even our
enemies have spoken Of TIE soldiers Of
the nation as "Lincoln's hirslings ("