The news-democrat. (Providence, R.I.) 1906-1909, 1907-05-17
LIN c. O L N
T H E M A N OF p E A G E
By GENERAL HORACE PORTER

to strains of sadness There was Il
slaughter in the field, the depletion o
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 blackest 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
mopyle 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. II would be a
crowning act of patriotism il 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 a
single laurel from his brow, no one can
lessen the measure of his fame. Mar
velous man In the annals of all his
tory we fail to find another whose life
gentle. and yet who was called upon to
and for four long years 10 conduct
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 more heroic death.
Ii has seldom fallen to the lot Of man
to strike the shackles from the limbs of
bondmen and liberate 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.
A celebrated sculptor in the fourteenth
century in Florence was commanded to
make q colossal statue, which was TO
surmount historic cathedral When
IL was placed at the base of the cathe-
dral, the ropes arranged for hosting it,
and il was there unveiled, the crowd
jeered and hooted and criticized unmer-
cifuly the sculptor II was all out Of
proportion; il 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 il. the sneers
turned TO plardits, and the people then
saw il in al the beauty of It's 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.
! am glad OF the work of The Lincoln
Farm Association. IL is well that his
birthplace should be redeemed from i'm
dividuaI' ownership. II should be made
the repository OF all the interesting relics
connected with him. Ii ought to be the
seat OF national museum and national
park.
He is gone from us now, crowned
with the subimity OF martyrdom. We
have hidden last farewell TO him who
was the gcntlest OF all spirits. noblest
OF all hearts. liberator Of race. savior
OF Republic, martyr, whose sepulchre
10 human hearts