Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-05-14

to strains of sadness. There was the
slaughter in the field, the depletion Of
the Treasury, complications which arose.
All these were so appalling that some
times even the great soul Of Lincoln
seemed ready to melt. But just when
the gloom was blacklist he never, never
took counsel of his fears. He always
had the courage of his convictions. He
never had occasion to look to the past
with regret, nor to the future with ap-,
prehension. He had that sublime faith
which is content to leave the efforts to
man, the results to God
For ages after The battle Of Their
mopyls every Greek school child was
taught to recite each day the names Of
the three hundred heroes who fell in the
defense Of that pass. 1t would be a
crowning act Of patriotism if every
American school child could be taught
each day to contemplate the exalted
character and utter the inspiring name
of Abraham Lincoln.
Singular man! No one can pluck
single laurel from his brow, no one can
lessen the measure of his fame Mar
tory we fail to find another whose life
had been so peaceful, whose nature so
gentle, and yet who was called upon to
marshal the hosts Of an aroused people
and for four long years to conduct a
bloody, relentless, fratricidal war.
In the annals of history we fail to
find another whose education was that
of the Cabinet, not the camp, and yet
who died a more heroic death.
1t has seldom fallen to the lot of man
to strike the shackles from the limbs Of
bondmen and hberate a race. 1t has
seldom fallen to the lot of man to die
the death Of an honored martyr, with
his robes of office still about him, his
heart at peace with his fellow men, his
soul at peace with his God, at the mo-
ment of the restoration Of his country to
peace within her borders, to peace with
all the world. 81 q
A celebrated sculptor in the fourreenth
century in Florence was commanded to
make a colossal statue, which was to-
surmount a historic cathedral When
it was placed at the base of the catHe-
dral, the ropes arranged for hosting it,
and it was there unveiled, the crowd
jeered and hooted and criticized tnrner-
cifully the sculptor. It was all out Of
proportion; it was a failure. But soon
the ropes began to tighten, and as the
statue moved up into the air the crowd
ceased to jeer, and finally, when it was
placed upon the pinnacle at the proper
focal distance as intended BY the great
sculptor, who created ii, the sneers
turned to plaudits, and the people then
saw it in all the beauty Of Its true
proportions
And so Abraham Lincoln has SO far
receded from US in history that he is
now in the proper focal distance. We
can now measure all his great qualities
as they appear in their true beauty and
symmetry. III
am glad Of the work Of The Lincoln
Farm Association. It is well that his
birthplace should be redeemed from IN
diyidual ownership. It should be made
the repository Of all the interesting relics
connected with him. Ii ought to be tie
seat Of a national museum and national
park. ri 5s.5 y
He is gone from us now, crowned
with the subiinity of martyrdoni We
\ have hidden a last farewell to him who
was the gcntlest of all spirits, noblest
of ali hearts. fberator Of a race, savior
Of a Republic, martyr, whose sepulchre
I is human hearts. ,s3