New-York tribune., 1909-02-12
LINCOLN.


in its magnitude and in the multiplicity OF ltS
nboses Never before has q personal anniver-
earr been celebrated in so many places, by so
many neople with so many utteranceS of voice
and tvpe Already during the last Week. IN
schools and churches, in theatres and cluDs'
in courts and legislative halls. there nave Deen
many memorial gatherings of the people anu
many tributes have been paid 10 Lincoln
memory; and these things will culIn1nale 'oId!
in an unprecedented demonstration OF the anec-
fionota and reverent regard of the American
nation for the man who was at once the e-idii-
ciDator of a race and the savior of the Omoh,
ye+ in all that has been and will be said. and
on tha whole well said, il would be difncult TO
find much If anything. that is new, In harrd-
five in description. in estimate or III eul"sE'
In that fact there is not the least dlscfeulC u
the innumerabIe speakers and writers VINO
have taken Lincoln for their theme lhoeeu
il NAV be reckoned to their credit thaI theJ
have addressed themselves with so mucn ue-
cotton and success to theme so httie suScepu
BILE of novel treatment. And certainly there IS
no lack hut rather an enhancement, of honor in
regarding Iincoln's character and career as so
familiar and so closely in touch with humanity
at every point as to be comparable with the
great facts and phenomena of nature mack
neyed for q thousand years, and yet perehnlanE
fresh in their charm and vital IN their slgnlh-
canoe.
IF is one of LincoIn's supreme distinctions
that Iapse of time does not in the slightest
degree remove him from the closest human
sympathy. nor cause any fading of his intel
lectuaI and spiritual llneaments He was apos-
trophized as zone of Plutarch's men," and not
unftly He was of classic mould and nerolc
achievements Yet he does not and he never
will stand or seem TO stand aloof and remote
from common mortals Washington, in his
arstere elevation, was and is first IN the
hearts of his countrymen," but more in admlra-
ton than affection, more in awe than love-
His figure looms transcenden0y in our pan
theon as that Of a demgod rather than OF
..nan of ike passions with ourselves But
lincoln. with all his intellectual mastership
and spiritual exaltation, and with all the
admiration and reverence which contemplation
of him inspires, remains essentially and con-
cretely human His appeal is to the senses as
well as 10 the imagination, and to the senu-
ments and emotions of the humble as well as
of the distinguished. He has entered in an
UNSURPASSED degree into the everyday lives and
experiences of all sorts and conditions OF his
fellow countrymen. To adapt again the phrases
which he himself made immortal, he was of the
people. was chosen by the people and lived,
labored and died for the people, and conse-
ouently the popular conception Of him remains
vivid and the popular affection complete.
This very circumstance moreover, the very
fact that he is so vitally retained in the public
mind and heart, is one Of the strongest rea-
sons for making to-day's commemoration null
titudinous and universal, and for making its
repetition year by year fixture of the patri-
otIc calendar and the contemplation of Lin
coin a paramount study in the civic curriculum.
The very things In nature which are most
common and most familiar are also those
which are most worthy Of study. Clear cut as
is our vision of Lincoln. it can never be TOO
distinctly focused. Familiar as Is his charac
ter TO us It can never become too familiar and
never can enter too intimately into the charac-
ter the life and the mental and spiritual fur
nishing and operations of the nation. There
are those "of Putarchs men, whom, because
of their tachment and isolation, 1t would seem
impertinent or impossible TO emulate But this
man, while to equal him exceeds ambition, was
and is so close TO his fellows that there Is
not one in any sphere, who may not feel bound
TO him IN sympathy, and who may not reason
ably seek to model himself after him, according
10 his measure. His work as the emancipation
Of a race and the savior Of the nation was
done in one brief but tremendous epoch. The
qualities which enabled him 10 do it are worthy
of universal cultivation for our, perpetual eman-
cipatiOn and perpetual civic salvation.