The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1903-02-19

LECTURE ON ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Rev. w. e. j. Gratz Delivers a Lecture on
the Great Commoner.
Last Sunday night Rev. W. E. j.
| Gratz delivered an address on Abra-
ham Lincoln at the Methodist church.
There was good attendance in spite
OF the cold weather. A special patri-
otto musical program was prepared for
the occasion. M. L. Germany sang a
solo accompanied by Mrs. Cooney who
was unable to sing as was announced
owing to the illness of the party who
was to act as accompanist.
Rev. Gratz handled his theme in a
most interesting manner and touched
upon the character of Lincoln in a way
that made the address instructive as
well as entertaining. A few of the ex-
cerpts of the lecture are as follows:
"Some one has said that the year
1909 may well be called the year of
wonders for the English speaking peo-
the greatest men of the century: Lin
coin, the emancipation, Darwin, the
scientist, Gladstone, the statesman, and
Tennyson, the poet. Darwin, Glad
stone and Tennyson were sons of for
tune and could boast of splendid an
cestry, influential friends, and splendid
education. Not so with Lincoln. He
himself said: MY early history is per-
fectly characterized by single line of
Grays elegy: The short and simple an
mails of the poor But God took him
into his own school-the school of lead
ership-and then prepared him for
his work. But in Gods school men
learn lessons not taught elsewhere. It
was in such a school that Moses learned
not to regard the riches of Egypt, but
to esteem the reproach of Christ
greater riches. 1t was in such a school
that Bunyan, the prisoner of Bedford
learned to look beyond his prison bars
and travel with his pilgrim from the
city of Destruction to the city of God.
1t was in the school of such heroes that
Lincoln learned the lessons that caused
him to tower high above the men whom
the world had a right to expect to be
great"
Rev. Gratz. reviewed the conditions
that led up to the Civil war and fol-
lowed the life of Lincoln through the
valley of sore trial and affection up to
the heights of fame.
"When Stephen A. Douglas. the lit
tie giant came to Springfield to ex-
plain the Kansas and Nebraska bill,
and made one of the greatest speeches
of his life, he was surprised, as was all
the rest of the country, to see another
giant who lowered high above every
body and everything. For the nick in
the time had come around and the man
of the hour-Abraham Lincoln-was
ready to fill that nick. For already in
1850 he had said The time will come
when we must all be either Democrats
or Abolitionists- When that time
comes my mind is made up. The slav-
cry question cannot be compromised.
''President Lincoln was the object
of more abuse, vilifcation and ridicule
than any other man in the world, and
yet he had the wonderful record Of
never having lost his temper, no mat.
ter what the provocation. His sense
; of humor was his safety valve an6
helped him through many difficulty
; The speaker illustrated this phase o.
the character of Lincoln with many
good stories, and said: ''But this hui
NOR of Lincoln was not only for pleas
ure, it was a real weapon of defense
5 with him. Men saw a flash of ligh1
f and only knew it to be sword wher
some falsehood lay pierced at his feet
f ''Larger. and larger has grown thu
: multitude that seeks by tongue and pei
/ to do this great Commoner honor
: Within the year Henry Watterson ha
t told us that Jefferson Davis said tina