Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-19
LINCOLN THEIR IDOL.
Archbishop Ireland Pays Warm Trb-
ute to Memory of Emancipator.


Chicago, Feb. 13.-At the banquet
of the Lincoln club last evening Arch
bishop Ireland in responding to the
toast Abraham Lincoln paid glow
ing tribute to the memory of the great
emancipation. He said:
When Abraham Lincoln. stealing into the
City of Washington in the darkness of
night to take his oath of office, and taking
that solemn pledge with an armed guard
at his side lest he he struck down even
then, uttered the pledge to preserve unsul-
lied the national flag and let not one star
depart from It's azure folds, the awful
question flashed upon the people. not Of
this country alone, but of all the world,
Does this mark the last taking Of the oath
of office of which George Washington was
the first to give voice?
From the sad happenings of those years
that followed the fnteful 1861 and the
dreadful fears of the time. turn my
friends. to the magniticence and the in
spirations of this glorious year 1893 and
there read the answer to that soui-numl,-
ing query of those dark DAYS Gaze upon
the republic of the United States of today.
Escaped we have from death of country
and from oblivion: the nation renrs her
heautcous form across the western conti-
| ncnt. radiant of the rays of liherty's gold
en- sun. And our fling still bears the stars
that Washington knew. still remains pure
and unsullied. ENrlt with me in JOY.
Down the ages this will he the legend of
America; Lincoln saved the republic: tho
name of Lincoln is n symbol, the symbol
of the strugglings of the civil war and of
/ the victories that crowned their strug-
glings Strugglngs and victories are re,
echoed in its music: glories begotten CT
| them, hopes awakened by them are spelled
out in its letterings. As Americus own
| If g bppDpa1 rnvprt,1. ~
| lea herself. it Is immortal.
The republic is what we dnd 1t today be
cause it has remained what Washington
| intended and what Lincoln babe us to
| keep tia government of the people by tho
! people, for the people Every man must
be equal before the law in civil and poiti
| cal rights no matter what his place OF
birth, what his religious creed. what the
1 color of his face, if he is an American citi
| zen The laws of the land must shclG
! him, the favors of the land flow upon him
To announce that the citizen who i,
! black must not aspire to political office
| must not approach the ballot box, is to wal
against American institutions To hole
| populations in perpetual tutelage, whether
on our immediate continent or In island.
| beyond the seas is to set aside I4incoln's
| principles. Delays may he counseled: Otter
delays should be counseled, for the ques
| tion always calls for an answer.
But Wnen the time comes tnnt Sucn pop
4 ulations have rpencd into self-soyerninl
manhood the rights of that effort must b,
theirs; and meanwhile the mission Of TIN
| flag is to hasten them toward such man
| hood. The day must be expected when on
| territories will be states, when our islam,
| possessions will he states. Abiding Deepen
denotes cannot he the appanage of IL re
| public.
i Our prayer Is that our country may eve
/ I,, att with al 9TH Int 9th
er lands must honor and respect our fla
rs it deserves; no combination of foreign
1 powers must turn this country back from
i its traditional policies. And the while lie
i us guard that no enemies are marlboro
| within the bosoms of our own people.
1t is for us to be dedicated to the ideal
which the memory of the martyr Linco
! holds ont to MS, that he shall not hav
4 lived and died in vain, this savior of til
1 nation whom we are here tonight to d
honor with loving words and sweet men
cries.