Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-02-13

of pine Knots. as Doatman on the MIS-
SiSSippi, as a young lawyer ana as the
great war President.
Judge Stafford's Address.
Judge Stafford said:
THE time is holy. 1t belongs to men,
ory and to love. A hundred years ago
the man was born whose name is music
in all hearts that love their country or
their kind.
I'VE cannot speak Of him in measured
terms. For otner men we weigh our
words, and with a sCrupulous sand we
count the tribute of our praise, but not
for him. Good measure, pressed down.
shaken together and running over do
men give into his bosom. For. as he
him again.
Fame lets her trumpet fall to pay him
the more tender homage of her tears.
Love kneels down and breaks her box
of costly ointment for his feet
To-day we think of all that came to
pass between his birth of pen'iry and lbs
death of pain. We see the poor log cabin
in the clearing where his eyes first met
the light of day. And then we see that
fated room in 10th street where hands
shaking with horror have brought him
in to die.
we see 1t crowded with officers of
state. And in the first deep hush of
death we hear the solemn words of Stan
ton, Now he belongs to the ages
From Nothing to Greatness.
And then we ask: How did he come
to be? What were the forces that took
up that lowborn child and. as with
PLASTIC fingers. nodded him into rne
greatest ruler of men the world has ever
SEEM For what is it to conquer king
doms and compel the wills of men 10
yield to yours? What is that to the
| thing he did? Winning the reason and
the heart of millions until, the NEE.
flock follows the faithful shepherd, the
nation was ready to follow his rod and
staff into the valley of the shadow Oh
death. fearing no evil. How did he
Gomez we ask. And the questioned
years answer us in pictures.
''They show half-clad boy in the red
flare of his pine torch, reading-painfully
spelling out the pages of his borrowed
book. We look again. and now there is a
| tall young woodsman driving the SILVER
ing wedges into the walnut logs or meet
ing the best muscle of the prairie in the
wrestlers ring.
Pity Goes Out to Slaves.
The scene changes. And now we are
watching n long-limbed boatman on the
bosom of a mighty river. plotting his fat.
ungainly craft, through golden days and
under the still stars. more than thou
sand miles to market. We see him wan
1
south. We find him leaning in the corner
Of the auction place, where trembling
families are bought and sold. Husband Is
torn from wife, mother from child. before
his eyes.
I'VE mark the speechless anguish fur
rowing his face the full meaning of
the brutal system sinks into his soul.
again the scene changes. And now he
is at home among his neighbors. taking
his kind part in all their plain affairs. We
hear their jokes, their stories, their de-
bates. We follow they take him up in
proud and loving hands and push him out
into the world. their champion and leader.
Truth Basis of His Law.
Now he is studying law. With clear
eyes and unspoiled brain he is mastering
the few great books that hold the gar
nered wisdom Of the race. We see him
ponder earnestly and long. teachable as
child. open as the day, tenderly in love
with what is right.
HE is standing up in court defending
the cause he gave his heart to. We see
the revelation come that he is wrong His
client has deceived him. The case is rot
ten at the core His huge strength fails
We see him sink into his chair and hang
his head, unable to contend against the
truth
I'VE watch him as he goes along the
street. awkward. ill-clad, a laugh-provok-
Ow OF all human sorrow haunting his
deep eyes. Old Abe, old Honest Abe"
we hear men say. And something seems
to catch us in the throat.
Matchless in oratory.
"Once more the scene changes. And now
we see this rawboned newer of fence
rails. this ringmaster of rude country wit
and sport the center Of 10000 earnest faces.
where he is matching himself against
the most powerful debater of his time
We see him hold his own. We hear his
statement Of the question, clear as day.
the laugh that greets the unanswerable
story, the reason that goes home to every
heart. We feel the unbound majesty OF
manhood as the towering form is lifted
with the inspiration of his lofty theme
1.-The eyes of the nation are upon him
now. The plain folk are beginning to
understand him. They are taking the
true measure Of the man. With the de-
liberate emphasis of fate we hear him
say: a house divided against itself can
not stand This nation cannot endure
permanently haK slave and half free
Once more we follow as the common peo-
pie lift him high in proud and loving
hands. proclaiming him their champion
and leader.
Burden of Civil War.
They have placed him in the pres-
Dental chair. Heaven help him now! For
he is wrestling with problems the darkest
and most dangerous soldier statesman
ever had to solve! Unframed in war, yet
he is set amidst the greatest civil war the
world has known, and charged with its
support and guidance. We see him con-
tending with hatred and deceit in foreign
councils. with confusion in the Congress.
with jealousy in the cabinet with weak
ness and folly in the field, with plots and
counter plots on every hand, bending I'M
der such a load of grief and care as few
have ever borne.
I'VE hail him as he comes triumphant
out of all And even then. when he is
gathering north and south. like two death
wounded sons, into his loving arms we
see his head fall forward on his breast.
The victim has been offered up-the great
kind life is closed.
No Other Like Him.
THE years are true. That was the
road he came by. Those were the forces
that fashioned the strong nature for it's
fearful task.
"But is that all? The same road was
travelled by his fellows. The same forces
were at work on them How did it come
to pass there was no other like him?
The secret of his coming still remains
unsolved. When all is pOndered. we can
only say that out Of those eternal depths
of being that gave us Alfred, Milton,
Cromwell, Washington. he also came in
answer to our need.
Men marvel at the power with which
he spoke, but the reason is as obvious