Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1909-02-13
lINcoLN CENTENARY EXERCISES
ARE UsHERED IN TODAY WITH
ADDRESS RY J. w. LEWIS AT
SCIENTIST CHURCH.
SCHOOL CHILDREN
GIVE PROGRAMS
THIS AFTERNOON HUNDREDS OF
STUDENTS ARE TAKING PART
IN CENTENARY EXERCISES;
BIG MEETING TONIGHT.

Abraham Lincoln the lowly born
son of America, whose life's history is
reyered by all patriotic citizens, was
today made the subject of eloquent
eulogies, recitations, songs and ex.
ercises In the Ottumwa public and
Catholic schools and in the First
Church Of Christ, Scientist The great
emancipator was told of in poetry and
prose from his infancy to the tragic
death in Ford's theater. His states
manship while president was empha-
sized, his truly great worth extolled,
and tribute on this centenary Of his
birth was generally paid.
The celebration which Is general
throughout the city was usheTed in by
q special program at the First Church
of Christ Scientist, where John w.
Lewis delivered splendid eulogy,
from historical standpoint, Of the
martyred president. This morning and
this afternoon In the schools homage
was paid the great war president by
the children and students and in ad-
dresses made by ministers and mem
bers of the Grand Army of the Re-
public.
The general observance Of the day
will have a climax tonight in the First
Methodist Episcopal church. where
DR.. T. w. Jeffrey will speak and In
the lower portions OF, the Armory,
where the Afro-American council, with
a specially prepared program, will
pay their respects to the president,
whose Proclamation of Emancipation
loosed the chains that bound their
race in slavery.
Lewls's Address.
The address of John w. Lewis, this
morning at the First Church Of Christ,
Scientist is complete as follows:
Man is by inclination an idolater. a
hero worshiper. History Is peopled
with prophets, and apostles, saints and
saviors, who while on earth lay no
claims for themselves to more than
mortal power or wisdom but who
have been invested with super human
attributes by over jealous followers
The military leader, the reformer, the
public benefactor as he appears In
legend or popular fancy Is usually
very unlike reality.
Whatever latitude should be ndulg-
ed in these matters on the side Of the
neither myth nor legend should be al
lowed to take the place of sober his
tory. The writer of biography should
seek evidence and draw only such con-
clusions as find support in sound rea-
soa and established fact. In spite OF
our universal education and manifold
opportunities to know the truth as tc
the lives Of our public men, already
we find this proneness to hero worship
busily moulding and coloring them tc
suit the fancy Of today without much
regard to the historic verities, and
am impressed from reading the popu-
lar literature suggested by this ami
versary occasion that our first mar.
tyred president is to prove no excep-
tion.
Abraham Lincoln cannot be charac-
terized in a word nor portrayed in 6
sentence. Many have attempted to de
this with the result that the character
ization has been found to be imper.
feet and misleading the picture one
sided and faulty The Great Emanci-
pator' Is perhaps the phrase mos
widely employed to designate him. 1
was indeed he who wrote and signed
that historic document known as thu
Emancipation Proclamation, but i
must not be forgotten that prior tt
that event Mr.. Lincoln was not al
a-pocate of the immediate abolition O
slavery. His demand was for the re.
striction of slavery to the state
wherein II then existed with the hope
OF its ultimate extinction everywhere
He was elected on a definite pledge
not to interfere with slaverv within
they existing slave states and as presi.
dest he gave E:epeated and solemn as.
surance to the seeding states tina
this pledge should be kept inviolable
As president he called for volunteers
organized armies, planned campaigns
and waged war, not to free the slave
but to maintain the supremacy Of th,
flag and to preserve the union one anC
indissoluble. Men like Wendell Phi.
lips and William Lloyd Garrison hat
long demanded the instant abolition O
Continued on page 3D.