The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-04
seems well authenticated and is doubt


the matter Of that, who patterned his
life more fully on that Of the Man Of
Sorrows. Both were born poor, one
in stable and the other in cabin
not SO good as most stables. One was
the Saviour Of mankind and the other
the savior Of his country. Both taught
love and mercy, both chung to truth,
both regarded the substance more than
the form, and both were heard gladly
by the common people. Both were de-
nounced by those in place and power,
both were reformers, both came to-
bring liberty to the captive, and both
at last gave their lives for mankind.
Boz were meek, both were sad, both
taught in parallels, and both set their
faces against the worship of Mann
mon. Other similarities can be shown,
but enough have been stated to reveal
the fact that, whatever Lincoln said Of
theology, he was true follower of the
Nazarene in life and deed. Those who
count the life and the deed more than
the word will rate him accordingly.
All Of Mr., Lincoln's biographers
speak of certain mystical tendencies in
his character. These have doubtless
been magnified beyond their true
worth. For example, there is the state
ment that he dreamed Of rapidly
moving ship just before great events
in his life. There Is also the story Of
his having seen two images Of him
self in a mirror, one paler than the
other from which occurrence Mrs. Lin
coin is said to have predicted that he
would be elected twice to the presi-
dency and the last term would be
short. He is also said himself to have
had premonitions that he world be as
sassinated. People have even gone to
the length Of alleging that President
Lincoln believed in spiritism and some
times consulted a medium So far as
know, there is no evidence to prove
! the truth of this. as for the other
phenomena mentioned, they are scarce
~ Of the highest character, whether
true or false. The order OF mind that
| looks for sign might be impressed
| by them, but the evidence Of the no.
blest and finest spirituality in Lin
| coins whole life SO infinitely tran
sends these psychic signs and won
ders, even if they are worthy of cred
ence at all, that they may as we'll be
discarded. They are more Of the non
essential and trivial that have gath
| cred about this great name.
Mr. Lincoln's biographers also ac-
cuse him Of having been a fatalist. Is
this the whole truth? There is no evil
dence in his resistless energy in trying
to move public opinion, no indication
in his tenacious will and masterful
character, no hint in his clear reason.
ing power or common sense philoso
ply, that he was a fatalist in the &C.
copied sense of the term. He was q
thorough believer in cause and effect
but that does not constitute a fatalist
1t still leaves room for individual INF
tiative In setting up causes.
He was also profoundly convinced
Of an overruling Providence in human
affairs. If it is meant that he was 9
fatalist in the sense that he believed
God and Gods law governs the worlG
the charge may stand, but that does
not imply fatalism since it leaves
wide latitude for the choice Of the in
dividual. In a large way, like Napo
leon Bonaparte, Mr. Lincoln may have
felt that man brings his destin.
with him. Most great souls born int
the world with work have felt thu
same. But that by no means reduce
man to machine, a blind puppet o
forces over which he has no control
The true man is master of his owl
world, and few men have revealed
more Of this mastery over all give
into their hands than Abraham Lii
coin. Whatever his words may hay
said, his life and deeds said beyon
any question of doubt that he wa
anything but a fatalist. Those VIII
call him so have surely failed to go be
meath the mask Of his personality
They belong to the same school tina
called him materialist because b
was cautious and careful and reasone
his way slowly and surely. Yet Their
has been no man in modern times tina
dwelt more in the moral world tina
: Lincoln. There has been no man tha
d had profounder faith in God and hi
Il Intervention for righteousness tina
1t Lincoln. No man had firmer belle
in the final triumph Of the invisib
E. forces of justice and truth Do thes
d things belong to the materialist an
n fatalist? The man that says SO dot
d not know the meaning of words
IF Mr.. Lincoln was such many side
10 man that 1T would take several cha
d acters rolled into one to furnish b
d counterpart. He was a combinatic
between Jewish prophet and a Ke
N lucky frontiersman, composite phi
c. tograph of a patriarch, Greek LAY
e. giyer and an Illinois horse trader.
~ Lincoln's tenderness for animals al
ne many other points in his character su
H. gest the most Christlike monk of Il
tr middle ages, st. Francis Of Assil
al Francis was the preacher and exempl
ID OF poverty the friend and helper
the unfortunate. was noted for NEE
Il ness and patience and gained undyil
ST fame by his kindness to animals. Y
o. he was by nature q merry hearted DO