Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-02-12

HODGENVILLE, KY. Feb. 12.-I
Standing on the spot that 100 years
ago gave the world one of its greatest
men-Abraham President
Roosevelt today the presence of
vast concoUrse of people delivered
one of the most touching, lofty, sub
blime and eloquent addresses of his
public career. The celebration of this
great Americans birthday had been
looked forward to with eager antici-
patton by the people of the state of
Kentucky, on whose soil he was born
and the people of the nation of which
he was president, and never since the
surrender of the confederate forces
under General Lee to General Grant
at Appomattox on April, 9, 1855,
have the blue and the gray been
drawn closer together than they we're
today.
Luke Wright, a former confeder--
ate artilleryman, joined in the tribute
to Lincoln; Governor Wilson. accom-
panied by the democratic and repub-
lican state central committees of the
state came from Louisville to parti-
lcipate in the commemoration services,
and 26 negroes appointed by the gov
ernor to represent the race from
whose limbs he struck the shackles
of slavery were in attendance to pay
tribute and honor to the emancipation
of their race.
President Roosevelt, as the repre-
sentative of the whole American peo-
pie. formally accepted the little one
room cabin which was the birthplace
of Abraham Lincoln, and which, with
the 10 acres of rough land sur
rounding it, will be transformed into
a national shrine in honor of the
great president. The cornerstone of
the noble memorial hall and Lincoln
museum. a great granite edifice to
lcost a quarter million dollars. was
laid by President Roosevelt as a feat
lure of the days exercises.
In his address President Roosevelt
said:
One of Two Greatest Americans.
We have met here to celebrate the
lhundredth anniversary of the birth
lof one of the two greatest Ameri-
leans; of one of the two or three
greatest men in the worlds history.
This rail splitter. this boy who passed
, his ungainly youth in the dire power
Ity of the frontier folk, whose rise
: was by weary and painful labor, lived
to lead his people through the burn
ing flames of a struggle from which
he nation emerged, purified as by
= lire, born anew to loftier life. At
fer long years of iron effort, and of
= Failure that came more often than
victory, he at last rose to the leader
} ship of the Republic, at the moment
when that leadership had become the
= Btupendous world-task of the time.
He grew to know greatness, but new
: pr ease. Success came to him, but
hever happiness, save that which
Springs from doing well painful and
vital task. Power was his, but not
T. pleasure. The burrows deepened on
his brow, but his eyes were I'M
aimmed by either hate or fear His
aunt shoulders we're bowed. but his
teel thews never faltered as he bore
or burden the destinies of his peo-
lie. His great and tender heart
hrank from giving pain; and the
ask allotted him was to pour out
Ike water the life blood Of the young
hen. and to feel in his every fiber
he sorrow Of the women. Disaster
addened but never dismayed him
Is the red years Of war went by they
pund him ever doing his duty In the
!, resent, ever facing the future with
III earless front, high of heart. and
- auntless of soul. Unbroken by hat
ed. mistaken by scorn. he worked
nd suffered for the people. Triumph
as his at the last; and barely hat
2 tasted 1t when murder found him
nd the kindly, patient. fearless eyes
~ ere closed forever.
The Two Greatest Americans.
As people We are Indeed beyond