Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1909-02-18
IN MEMORY
Of lincoln

The Lincoln centenary brought forth
many fine orations, but it is doubtful
whether any of the speakers in dwell
ling upon the character and achieve
ments of the great emancipation gave
expression to sentiments of greater
| beauty and impTessiveness than the
Rev j. Conley Grimes, who addressed
/ the Presbyterian Brotherhood at the
. Grove church on Lincoln Day and en-
ployed the topic Of Abraham Lincoln"
in his regular sermon at st. Peters 5
M. E. church, Sauday evening.
/ Mr. Grimes sermon az we'll as his
address before the brotherhood has
brought out many expressions of praise
and appreciation. For the benefit of
those of our readers who had not the
pleasure OF hearing this eloquent
speaker we here present several of the
tributes he paid to Lincoln's memory /:
Surely Abraham Lincoln was the hu-
man instrument in the hands of God
for the purpose of welding the frag-
mentary sections of our troubled coun-
try. 1t has been said that Lincoln
knew men by heart. He was man
like Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry,
and Andrew Jackson and greater than
any of them. He was nearer to the
people than even Thomas Jefferson.
Horace Greeley said: L doubt
whether any man, woman or child,
white or black. bound or free, virtuous
or vicious, ever accosted or reached
forth a hand to Abraham Lincoln and
detected in his countenance and man
ner any rpeugnance o. shrinking from
the proper contact, any assumption of
superiority or betrayal of disdsin. -
Frederick Douglass, the orator of his
race, testified thus: Mr. Lincoln is
the only white man with whom | ever
talked or in whose presence l have
ever been who did not consciously or
uncousoiously betray to me that he
recognized my color.
Abraham Lincoln was probably
best fitted to be president of the com
mon people of all the statesmen who
have held the office. He more than
any man of whom the books preserve
long narrative was living example OF
the efficacy of gentleness and moral
sussion as auxilisries of force and
arms.
Abraham Lincoln was a man of
earnest conviction and sublime devo-
sion to his faith And it was his sub
lime devotion to the right in the face
of the most appalling opposition that
made the name of Abraham Lincoln
immortal as the author of the eman-
cipation proclamation, on which he
justly invoked the considerate judg-
ment of mankind and the gracious fav-
or of Almighty God.
1.-THE halo of martyrs death ex-
atled Honest Old Abe in the eyes
of those of Us who came after-exalt-
ed him to the plane Of the ideal where
we lose sight of the actual man.
II lOii Ohh ctCho VI bbiy
trial and strife looks the spirit of our
martyr friend. side by side with
Moses, the emancipation of Israel, with
PeIicles of Greece, with Cromwell of
England. But infinitely above these
and the Gods Of ancient lore, is the
spirit OF the immortal Lincoln, because
not for his own but for a different
race he offered up his life. Lincoln
and Freedom, ''these words, in the lang.
uage of another, "shall pass on from
age to age until the unsightly piece Of
! Ebony, quarried from the depths of
slavery s pit shall prove a priceless
jewel in the diadem of humanity
'The glory of the Christ is that he
| died for men. He died and yet we
know that he is not dead. May we
not reverently say upon this Lincoln
centenary occasion, this anniversary
of him, whom some called, the "sleep.
ing Volcano" that he is not dead. but
with Us and ever to abide as an in
spirstion to increasing and ever in
creasing patriotism.
God forbid that this fair land
should ever need another such a saori-
fee, but il it fails to prize its heritage
and must again be purified by fire may
! we be able to sing
/ In the beauty of the lilies
I Christ was horn across the sea;
( With sioIy in His bosom
That t.ansfgures you and me.
! As He died to make men holy,
/ Let us die to make men free. "