Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-15
Lavmen Deliver Addresses
Upon Abraham Lincoln
Hon. Herbert M. Heath Speaks
At Congregational Church.
Hon. Ira G. Jersey Delivers Address
At Methodist Church.

one time WorSnipped senator Lou NJ
Morrill,, the leader of the Admlnistra-
ton PARTY in Congress during LIN
,oln's term Of office, Hon. Herbert NJ
Heath of this city delivered Sunday
morning mastery and eloquent ad-
dress upon the theme: abraham Lin
:vln, Statesman and Christian"
The speaker began by saying thai
II was his rich privilege during the
formative period of his life to have
heard much of the unWritten life OF
Lincoln from those intimate with MN,
He named among the men who thus
IGNORED him with their condolences
Hannibal Hamlin and Lot NJ. Morrill,.
He said of Hamlin: He had much IN
common with Lincoln. Both were plo-
neers, both nation builders, and both
.nen very close to the people. Both
were democratic in the largest sense
Of the world. One cannot study the
life of Lincoln without seeing in the
shadows the outlines of Hannibal
l4amlin" OF Lot NJ. Morrill, he said.
Like Lincoln he emphasized in all
ne did his love of truth. During the
Civil War Mr. Morrill, was chairman
)f the committee on appropriations on
tile part of the Senate, thus giving
him leadership in the administration
If Mr.. Hamlin was the right hand q
Lincoln during the Civil War Senator
Morrill, may be spoken of as his left
hand The speaker then alluded to
William Pitt Fessenden as another
great Maine statesman, who assisted
Mr.. Lincoln, first as senator and
during the closing years OF the war
rs great secretary of the treasury.
He alluded to the great moral courage
exhibited by Senator Fessenden il
daring to follow the dictates of hi.
own conscience in voting against tn,
impeachment of Andrew Johnson.
Mr.. Heath characterized the tributes
paid to Lincoln Friday and in churches
Sunday us one of the most remarkable
facts OF history, and said that no mar
was SO great but what he could be
greater if he could square his life will
,hat of Lincoln and that no man had
all the world for worshippers of his
character tire same as Abraham Lin
coin. He declared that it was the hui
man side of Abraham Lincoln thai
gave him his power over men.
In speaking of Lincoln as Il states
man Mr. Heath said:
THE statesman is the man who be
longs /" the state, the man who is in
the service of the state for the good
If the state. He was 4 politician as
we'll as statesman, a politician be
cause he knew men, and he would not
have been q statesman if he had not
IT. hi, ~
philosophy will never make man {:
statesman. Lincoln always kept the
compass of his action pointed to thu
star of truth. He followed it whatever
the consequences to himself or tn,
po!itiCal party to which he belonged
He was q great orator. to my mind
the greatest orator since Jesus Christ
His speech at Gettysburg is the mos;
renrar kable piece of oratory written
since the Sermon on the Mount"
T. speaking of the Christianity o.
Lincoln Mr. Heath said
WAS Lincoln Il Christian? In ac
cordancc with the definitions given
Christianity in his lifetime, No as
Christianity is defined today, Yes.
Mr. Heath then defined a Christian as "a
nan who does right because he loves
70 do right. Il man who follows the
truth because he loves the truth, q
mar who in public. private or per
sonul life tries to put to himself the
question. what would Christ do under
the same circumstances and does il
himself because he loves to do it, anG
add d: # believe that to be the Alpha
and the Omega of Christianity, and
such ! believe was the faith of Abra
ham Lincoln"
II conclusion the speaker quoted
Lncon's great secretary of war as
saying at his death bed. "Now he be
longs to the ages and added "Such
men never die. Abraham Lincoln still
lives for the ages