Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1904-02-12
TALMAGE
SERMON
By Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMACE. DID,.
Pastor Of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church. Chicago

ing the memory OF Lincoln this ami
versary sermon sheds a new and inter
esting light upon the character OF the
neutrality-suspicious.. The text is james
v, s. BE ye also patient"
"What was the most powerful ad.
dress you ever heard?' 1 once asked
my father In one OF our conversations
when journeying around the world.
"Weil," he replied, 81 have listened to
nearly all the great American orators
Of my time. I have been personally
acquainted with most of them and have
spoken from the same platform with
many OF them. But without any doubt
the greatest address 1 ever heard-if II
IA to be judged by its electric and
overwhelming instantaneous effect
was that delivered by Henry w. Grady
OF Georgia In 1886 at the annual ban
Quet OF the New England society. ]
had just finished a speech on The Com
ing American when Mr.. Grady arose.
After a few Introductory remarks he
said: My friends, Dr. Talmage has
told you that the typical American has
got to come. Let me tell you that he
has already come. Great types, like
valuable plants, are slow to flower and
fruit. But from the union OF these
colonists, Purttans and Cavaliers, from
the strengthening OF their purposes
and the crossing Of their blood, slow
perfecting, through a century, came
the man who stands as the first typical
American, the first who comprehended
within himself all the strength and
gentleness. all the majesty and grace,
OF this rcpublic-Abraham Lincoln Z"
These words were quoted almost YER
batfm from memory.
The tremendous impression produced
by Henry Grady's speech was not due
to the fact that he was saying some
thing that no other man had said be-
fsre, but TO the fact that, for the first
time since the civil war, the great lead
ers Of the north realized that Lincoln
was appreciated and honored as much
south OF Mason and Dixon's line as he
was among the Michigan pines and
upon the Illinois prairie.
Second to Only One.
Since that time I have read almost
every biography written about the per-
s0nslity OF that man who stands Sec
end to only one, IL he does not stand
side by side with George Washington,
In the affections OF the American peo-
pie. find that Henry watterson OF
Kentucky has as deep a reverence for
Lincoln as had Charles w. Dana or
Eicofay or Joseph Medill or William
Herndon or David Davis or SWEET or
Speed, who knew him by personal con-
tact Therefore am sure that on this
sunday preceding the celebration of
LAncoln's birthday / shall have with
me the cordial appreciation OF the south
80 well as OF the north as draw from
his character lessons Of inspiration and
Day tribute to his memory. At heart
he was true friend OF the south, and
L believe that his untimely death re-
tarded the contamination OF reconstruc-
ton Mt least quarter OF a century.
Most Lincoln eulogists start, as Hen
~ Watterson beautifully expressed
it. by looking into a crystal globe
that, slowly turning, tells the story of
his life. and they see therein a little
heartbroken boy weeping by the out
stretched form OF n dead mother" But
this do not intend to do. You are al
ready familiar with the facts of that
eventful life. In speaking OF him today
L would try to get the keynote OF his
character and show the predominant
quality which made him so great and
no useful to the nation. That quality I
conceive TO be his patience. and I shall
recall to your minds the times and the
circumstances in which, by the exercise
or that quality, he proved the grandeur
or his nature. At the base OF the gl-
Eantic statue OF Faith, overlooking the
pilgrims' graves at Plymouth and the
harbor where the Mayfiower cast an
Choir, are figures symbolizing Freedom.
Education, Law and Morality. But
here today. standing by the grave of
this great man, we see the figure of
sanctned Patience. We find this fig
ure not cut from stone or cast In iron.
but made out OF dust which was once
living. breathing. throbbing, moving
flesh and blood. As the paramount de-
sire OF Lincoln's last four years on
earth and those tmultuous years which
led up to them was to save the Union.
shall try In this brief eulogy to show
how. by glorious patience, that great
purpose of his life was accomplished.
Positive Man.
In the FIRST place, we must start with
the well accepted and universally ac-
knowiedEed fact that Abraham Lincoln
was man OF positive characteristics.
William Herndon just after Lincoln's
wrote to Senator Wilson
or Aasachusetts that when Lincoln
made up his mind to do anything he
had "a Will Of iron" After the assas-
In Ford's theater Senator Will
son wrote letter to Liaeoln's old law
partner that he had truly analyzed
Aineoin's character in reference to this
sne characteristic. But. though Lin
eoin was a4positive man and had we'll
settled convictions. he never believed
that Two wrongs make one right" In
order to accomplish his patriotic DUR
poser he was unwilling to defile the
majesty OF the law. He was ALWAYS
ready 70 try TO change the law, but
never to break II. In his methods and
principles he was neither violent nor
He was not. as MANY
people supposed IN 1850, a wild eyed
or q crazed enthusiast who
would. TO reach q beneficent end. tram
pie on vested rights and interests re-
'ardless OF Justice and equity. He him.
elf was obedient to the laws as well
10 faithful executive OF the law. He
vas respecter Of the law in private
lie as well as conservative lawmaker
a public life.
An Advocate of the Law
What was Lincoln's stand when n great
meeting was held In Spring
eid some years before the WARP There
ne opponents OF slavery proposed by
orce OF arms to defy the public author
lies and drive out the shareholders
rom the then territory OF Kansas.
When called upon for a speech Lincoln
hooked come OF his very best friends
nd, as some thought, then and there
Igned hts own political death warrant.
Let these be peaceT he empha tically |
AID "Reyolutionize through the bal |
It box Your attempt, If there be such,
resist the laws OF Kansas by force |
criminal and wicked, and all your |
eebie attempts will ba follies and and