The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-02-17
THE LESSONS OF LINCOLN.
LSynopsis of Eloquent Grafton Delivered by
Rev. j. Jas. DePree at Lincoln Day Celebration ]

ISynopsis of Eloquent Grafton Delivered by
Rev. j. Jas. DePree at Lincoln Day Celebration ]
Mr.. Chairman, Veterans of the Grand
Army of the Republic, Women of
the Relief Corps, Sons OF Veterans,
Ladies and Gentlemen:
One hundred years have passed and
gone since he was born whom now we
honor. Almost forty four years have
passed since his body was committed
to the earth from whence it came.
For little more than tifty-six short
years he lived among men and accom-
plished his life's work. 1t was the
pleasure of some of US to have seen
and known him. Others, perhaps, re-
member the grip of his strong hand.
Others still heard his call and volun-
teered in his service. All of US may
and do. show him honor. Fain would
we all have seen and known him.
Yes, we too would have grasped his
hand, yea. we too would have answered
his call and served him. But these
are vain regrets. We all have
his noble and beautiful life as our ex-
ample and ideal, to be the inspira-
tion Of our lives. :.
What life was his! The child of
poverty, he was rocked in the cradle
of want. No classic hall ever heard
the tread Of his heavy feet. No
school or college ever gave him a
diploma or degree. The hosts of diff
Guilty and distress conspired to defeat
him. Yet behold the man. From
q lowly log cabin he goes to the
White House; from bed of straw
and leaves he rises to occupy the
presidential chair; then from the
Dackwoods. railsplltter, he comes to
be nations Master builder: Then
pilot on fatboat floating down the
Mississippi, now the helmsman on the
Ship of State: then captain in the
Black Hawk war, now commander-in-
chief of the army and navy; then
postmaster at New Salem. now Presi-
dent of the United States. Now
member of the "Long Nine.' riding
the circuit, now the peer of the nation g
statesmen and the chief executive.
Then unknown and unhonored. now
we'll known and lovingly called the
.Savior of the Union All, what a
man was he! Some one has said of
him "The finest bit of clay the Divine
Potter ever moulded into human form"
What a character. SO pure, so grand,
for us to emulate. What life, 20
great. so beautiful. for us to make our
ideal, what an inspiration to direct US
as men, as citizens. as patriots.
These are the lessons of his life.
Tfat it is possible for common
man from the ranks of the common
people to be great. He was not the
pampered child of fortune; no royal
blood flowed through his veins; NO
great ancestry bestowed upon him its
title. He was a common man who
achieved extraordinary success. He
was of that class to which you and
belong. But from that class have
come some of the worlds greatest
men. Many beautiful pure white
flower, filling the air with it's sweet
fragrance springs from the blacklist
suil. Many costly pearl is founc
in a homely she'll. That sparkling
diamond was once just bit of char
coal. God stopped a little wicke,
basket floating down the Nile,
picked out of it Jewish child O
an enslaved race and made Nose
che liberator of his people and the
writer of the code of the world
God anointed shepherd boy, Da
vid, and made him the conqueror o
giant and the mighty king of ,
great nation. God called Galileal
fisher men and made them the chose
Apostles of Jesus Christ. God tool
a peasant girl, Joan Of Arc. who i
snow white armor. on Goa
black steed, led the French in vic