Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1904-02-08
TALMAGE
SERMON
BY Rev.
FRANK DE WITT TALMAGE, DID,.
Pastor of Jefferson Park Presby-
terrain Church. Chicago

time when the whole nation Is hcnOr-
ing the memory of Lincoln this ami
versary sermon sheds new and inter
esting light upon the character of the
statesman-president. The text is James
v, s. BE We also patient"
What was the most powerful ad-
dress you ever heard?" | once asked
my father in one of our conversations
when journeying around the world.
We'll" he replied. Il have listened to
nearly all the great American orators
of my time. | 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 | ever heard-if it
Us 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 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, Puritans 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 republic-Abraham Lincoln.
THESE words were quoted almost YER
batim from memory.
The tremendous impression produced
by Henry Gradys speech was not due
to the fact that he was saying some
Nhing that no other man had said be-
FORE 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 Ono.
Since that time l have read almost
sonaity of that man who stands sec
ond TO only one, if 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 reverence for
Lincoln as had Charles w. Dana or
NicOlay 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
Lincolns birthday l shall have with
me the cordial appreciation of the south
rs well as of the north as | draw from
his character lessons of inspiration and
pay tribute to his memory. At heart
he was a true friend of the south, and
j believe that his untimely death re-
tarded the contamination of recOnstruc-
ton at least quarter of a century.
Most Lincoln eulogists start, as Hen
ry Watterson beautifully expressed
it, by looking into a crystal globe
that. slowly turning, tells the story of
his life and they see therein little
heartbroken boy weeping by the out
stretched form of a dead mother" But
this | dc not intend to do You are al
ready familiar with the facts of that
eYentful life. In speaking of him today
i would try to get the keynote of his
character and show the predominant
quality which made him so great and
so useful to the nation. That quality |
conceive to be his patience, and | shall
10, mi 10
circumstances in which, by the exercise
of that quality. he proved the grandeur
A-,Rf his nature At the base of the gil
xAntic statue of Faith. overlooking the
pfnxrims' graves at Plymouth and the
harfor where the Mayhower cast an
Choir are figures symboliZing Freedom,
EdueatiOn. Law and Morality. But
here today. standing by the grave of
this great man. we see the figure of
kanctifed Patience. We find this fig
nre 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 tumultuous years which
led up to them was to save the Union
Ishall 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 we'll accepted and universally ac-
knowledged fact that Abraham Lincoln
was man of positive characteristics.
William Herndon just after Lincoln's
nomination wrote to. Senator Wilson
nf Massachusetts, that when Lincoln
made up his mind TO do anything he
had "a will of iron" After the assas
sination in Ford's theater Senator vii
son wrote a letter to Iincoln's old law
bartner that he had truly analyzet
iincoln'z character in reference TO thi:
pne characteristic. But, though Lin
colin was a positive man and had wei