The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-02-12
WASHINGTON 4ND LINCOLN.

illustrious men ashington and Lin
coin. They belong not alone to their
own country nor to this age but to the
world and to the ages. Every school
child knows about the Gather of his
Country and the ':Great Emancip ator, g
and the names. are as common as the
old nursery rhymes, but it is not
enough to know the story of the cherry
tree and the rail-splitting incidents in
the lives of these great men that were
dedicated to the loftiest ideals of men
or nations. The lives of these men are
like some great paintings or works of
art that attract and charm and fascin-
ate US. One look or study is not
enough. There are new. revelations in
the lives of these two men as years 90
by, and generation after generation
will find something new in the simple
greatness of Washington and Lincoln.
Measured by the common human char
acteristics there was a great difference
in the tastes and manners of the.stwo
men, but in point of service to their
country, in their patience, long suffer-
ing, their seemingly immovable and
persisting natures there was much in
common. Washington, the Virginia
patriot-gentleman, accepts from con-
gress the commission as commander in
chief of the Continental armies while
the colonies we're crying in the voice of
Patrick Henry, ''Liberty or Death.''
But this was but the beginning of
Washington's trial, which began in
glory and ended in glory but only after
an awful test. Washington had his
patriotism put to the supreme test at
Valley Forge, when at that time;con-
gress was giving his army scant sup
port, torryism was honeycombing the
colonies and loyalty was in many places
at a low ebb. Lincoln, the chosen
standard bearer of a mighty people,,
terrible in his wonderful tact, gentle,
and yet mighty as a lion in the execu-.
tion of his purposes, was caricatured
and ridiculed and given dagger thrusts
by "copper" heads" and cranks and
those who could not see the manifest
solution of the slavery issue. Lincoln,
too, stood with the nation at it's second
Valley Forge and his spirit was: in
spired by the. awful responsibilities of
the time and the test and the result
was that a great and immortal docu-
ment was penned by his own hand, the
result of his own master mind. Lin
coin bequeathed to humanity in that
test spirit almost God-like in itsi per
i : = :, - ;x -
Both men physically were strong and
powerful. Washington was six feet
and two inches and Lincoln was six
feet, four inches. Both were modest
and yet gentle Of spirit, but both when
aroused and set in their determination
! were & answering and immoVable.
Washington as a young man was civil
engineer and surveyed many English
estates far west of the Potomac. Lin
coin as young man ran flat boat to
New Orleans and first saw the curse of
slavery. that he. was to wipe from
America: Both were big of heart and
body, both slow and methodical and
unyielding. The patriotism of Wash
ington and Lincoln could not be
quenched. Perhaps no more loyal
were they than the poor private who.
died at Monmouth or at Anteitam: But
Washington and Lincoln were to bear
the cross of the nations sorrow and
distress. On their acts largely hung
the nations honor and victory. Easily
could they have asked, lis the sacrifice
worth the fruits of the victory?'' and
they could have laid down their great
burdens of responsibility. But they:
brooked no compromise and spurned
Cancellation to achieve victory and I'M
dying glory. -.
In their personal lives as common
citizens there was always purity and
probity in all their motives. =: Washing
ton would not have been chosen com
mander in chief and afterwards presi-
dent, and neither would Lincoln have
ever been elected president had not the
people had implicit faith in these men.
Their lives while hallowed by great
ness and glory were not far removed
from the lives of most men of their
time lin: the common walks of life.
/ They had their faults and failures,
~ - lk1.