The Spokane press. [volume] (Spokane, Wash.) 1902-1939, 1909-02-12
ABE LINCOLN.

Washington taught the world to know us.
Lincoln taught to know ourselves.
The first won for us our independence
The last wrought out manhood and self-respect.
Let us give to each the glory due him.
There is enough for BOTH and for nation.
This is the day of Lincoln. And as he has filled the
century growing from hmblest birth to highest place. to
martyred death and worldwide fame will he go
growing through all the centuries that to come
inspiration and hope for all mankind
That is, if we keep the Lincoln he wasif stand
faithful at the sepucher of this cruced and that
no false spirit issues forth in his stead.
In the adulaon that is being given to Lincoln this
centenary day of his birth there is danger of his being
taken from us as the human that he and defed
into the unknowable.
Thus has the world been robbed of the real Achilles the
real Caesar, the real Washington who have passed from
human sembance to fanciful shadows.
Let not thus be robbed of the plain Abe Lincoln!
Let us keep the man as he wasa man-one of the no
best of EARTH and such, of the most precious pos
sessions OF people.
The unfortunate Hector is, after ALL the hero of the
1iad, and not the nvunerable Achilles; and by pop
uar process of eliminating all human weaknesses from
our great men destroy them heroes emulate
and examples we can comprehend.
Look at Abe Lincon's face
Nature gave that face an indication of any
character to be sentmentaly etheriazed. His habits of
life nodded its lines in steel.
One may control ones voice and discipline ones man.
ner, but the face is beyond command Day and night,
walking and sleeping ones character is being traced
there to be read by all who to read.
And must hold to the sad, rugged homely, in
lace OF Lincoln ana love Tor what
SO let hold to him. too just he was-he grandest
most really human figure looming up in history
nation.
With all his awkwardness of figure with all his homei-
ness of manner with all his simplicity of speecthat
Abe Lincoln.
And let us keep hm-pain Abe-nfntely greater and
Infinitely more sacred than any NEUROLOGICAL god, his
torans' fances poets dreams.
Coming from nearest to nothing he to nearest to
everything.
Born of the poor whites of slave state, and nhertng
the hatred held by his class for the negro his hand freed
the millions of black slaves
A self-made man. with scarcely winters schooling
from books he contributed of the finest gems of the
worlds literature His Gettysburg speech and his letter
to Mrs BiXby printed in other columns of this paper
day. unequaed in all the classics for depth and lin
pdity of sentiment. They ought to be read with
ence today by every American.
The man who could open a cabinet meeting. called to
discuss the ipaon proclamation, by reading Arte
mus Ward and could call for comic song bloody bat
tlefeld was the same who could guide, with clean
mind and iron hand the diplomacy that kept off fatal in
reference of Europe while conducting at home the most
horrible of civil wars that ever afflicted people.
He reached with the highest and the lowest human
levels, and the very field that he shamed with ribad
song he left record of eoquence attained by hui
man lips before.
But let not forget that he was human.
Master in mind and body and spirit-yes but only a
man.
In his brain the eagles of inspiration had their eyre
In his heart dwet infinite love for all the oppressed of
bis time.
In his soul pure spring of promise for all human