The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1904-02-11

ham Lincoln. -Four modern Ameri-
cans have made Lincoln the subject OF
their masterpieces Ingersoll, In
gals, Bishop Fowler, and Henry Wat
terson. the latter the last of the re-
markable group of men who lifted
American journalism to great dignity
and power. Watterson is great
man, and is not afraid to express him
self on any important questions. He
is unstinted in his praise and merci-
less in his vindictive. Abraham Lin
coin to the great emancipation has been
a grand inspiration. Here is Waiter
sons peroration on Lincoln:
"And what was the mysterious
power of this mysterious man and
whence:
ellis was the genius of common
sense: of common sense in action; of
common sense in thought, of common
sense enriched by experience and I'M
hindered by fear. He was a common
man., says his friend, Joshua Speed,
Expanded into giant proportions; we'll
acquainted with the people, he. placed
his hand on the beating pulse of the
nation, judged of it's disease, and was
ready with a remedy Inspired he
was truly, as Shakespeare was in
spired; as Mozart was inspired; as
Burns was inspired; each like him,
sprung directly from the people.
~ look into the crystal globe that,
slowing turning, tells the story of his
life and see little heart-broken boy,
weeping by the outstretched form of
a dead mother, then bravely, nobly
trudging a hundred miles to obtain
her Christian burial. I see this moth
erless lad growing to manhood amid
scenes that seem to lead to nothing
but abasement; no teachers, no books,
no chart, except his own undisciplined
will; no light, save light from heaven;
yet, like the caravel of Columbus,
struggling on and on through the
trough of the sea, always toward the
destined land. I see the full grown
man, stalwart and brave, an athlete
in activity of movement and strength
of limb, yet vexed by wierd dreams
and visions; of life, of love, of re-
ligion, sometimes verging on despair.
see the mind grown at length as ro-
bust as the body, throw off these phan-
toms of the imagination and give it.
self wholly to the work-a-day uses of
the world; the rearing of children; the
earning of bread; the multiplied du-
ties of life. I see the party leader,
self-cOnfdent in conscious rectitude:
original, because it was his nature to
follow; potent, because he was fear
less, pursuing his convictions with
earnest zeal and urging them upon his
fellows with the resources of an ora
tory which was hardly more Impress
i've than it was many-sided. I see him
the preferred among his fellows, as
cend the eminence reserved for him,
and him alone of all the statesmen of
the time, amid the derision of oppo-
nents and the distrust of supporters, yet
unawed and unmoved, because thor
oughly equipped to meet the emer-
gency. The same being, from first to
last; the poor child weeping over a
dead mother; the great chief sobbing
amid the cruel horrors of war; finch
ing never from duty, nor changing his
lifelong ways of dealing with the stern
realities which pressed upon him and
hurried him onward. And, last scene
OF all that ends this strange, eventful
history, see him lying dead there in
the capitol of the nation, to which he
had rendered the last, full measure
OF his devotion, the flag of his coun-
try around him, the world in mourn
ing, and, asking myself how could
any man have hated that man, I ask
you, how can man refuse his homage
to his memory? Surly he was one of
Gods own; not in any sense Great
ure OF circumstances, or accident.
Recurring to the doctrine of inspira-
ton l say again and again, he was
inspired of God, and I cannot see how
any one who believes in that doctrine
can believe him as anything else.
"From Caesar to Bismarck and
Gladstone the world has had it's sol.
diers and it's statesmen, who rose to
eminence and power step by step
through series of geometrical pro.
erosion, as it were, each promotion
following in regular order, the whole
obedient to we'll established and well
understood laws of cause and effect.
These were not what we call "men Of
destiny They were men of the time.
They were men whose career had a be.
ginning, a middle and an end, round.
ing off a life with history, full, il
may be, of interesting and exciting
events hl1t CONFERENCE.-The o,l oo~