Los Angeles herald., 1909-02-15
PLEADS FOR REVIVAL
OF ABE LINCOLNISM
REV. ]. q. A. HENRY GIVES PA
TRI0TIC ADDRESS
Great Liherator's Innate Sense of JUS
tice Forced Him invariably to
Espouse the Cause of
the Oppressed

Rev. j. Q. A. Henry preached ct the
First Baptist church last night on "a
Revival of Abe Lincolnism"
''The glory of an age" he said, sis
| frequently hidden from itself. Men are
not endowed with that foresight by
which the man is discovered in the
child, else the birth days Of the world S
heroes would be seasons of thanksgiv-
ing and merry-making. Had our faith
| ers known that in the birth Of Abra-
ham Lincoln was born to them the
| most significant character of American
history his natal day would have been
characterized by holiest joys. Tested
by his desire for Gods naked truth and
by the demand which he created for
future generations to explain his per-
sonality and power he rises to the loft
lest summit of a national character.
He grows greater with the recession of
years and the flight Of time.
THE zenith of his fame has not been
reached. In these dawning years Of
the twentieth Century he ranks higher
in the estimation of his own country
men and the world than ever before.
He is easily the first American and our
great eXemplar. We need revival Of
his doctrines and a reinfusion Of his
spirit into the body polite in order that
we may safely and speedily solve our
present problems. His personal char
acteristics were so massive and mani
fold that it is difficult to select and
emphasize even a few.
Among his most peculiar traits must
be mentioned his innate sense of JUS
tice. This was a native passion. To
be right and do right was his first am
|. bition. To be on Gods side, which was
icrnf Gil 1f %3gNr,
was his primary choice. He believed
that impartial and even-handed justice
was the only hope of society and the
only safety of a republic. This convic-
tion led to profound sympathy with the
plain people. His keen sense of right
drove him to the relief of the op-
pressed. He espoused and pledged the
cause OF the injured and the wronged.
Truly Great Commoner
''All "reminiscences of his life reveal
how closely he was related to the
homely affairs of everyday experience.
Lincoln was a great -commoner. He
was born of the people, he lived for the
people and his memory is fondly cher
ished by the people. He believed in
the common people. He said we must
keep close to the plain people, and so
close to the heart of the Infinite.
His career illustrates the truth that
every boy in this nation may make for
himself place in the affections Of a
liberty loving people. His grasp Of
principle and his knowledge Of men
were most remarkable. His interpreta-
tions Of the popular will, his under
standing of constitutional law, his ap-
prehension of the principle of liberty
were at least a century in advance Of
his age. He never trifled with great
issues or played with the passions or
prejudices of men. He was both con-
servative and progressive. He pos
sessed charming simplicity which is
always a test Of true greatness.
Small souls strut, court display and
advertise their own littleness. Neither
affectation nor OStentation belonged to
Lincoln. In this day of vulgar show
eXtravagant display and snobbish aris-
tocracy we need a revival of this spirit
OF personal worth. His patriotism was
the product of his personality. The
twin truths for which he stood like a
rock amid the pillows of time were lib
erty and loyalty. The genius of Amer
lean life and history is summarized in
the work liberty, which is insepara bic
from the name of Lincoln. He loved
liberty and liberty loved him. He came
to nation half slave and half free but
he left the people wholly free, even
though its freedom cost his blood. His
conception of liberty was as large as
life. 1t saNctified all relations, crowned
all subjects and related to all sections
1t was a full freedom which recognized
the equality of and fraternity among
all men.
With Malice Toward None
"Sectionalism, hatred and malice had
no place in his political creed. We
sorely need new emancipation from
the voices and servitude of modern life.
The cry for liberty is still heard. Oh
for a Lincoln in the enslaved lands on
earth, that by sagacity, sacrifice and
love they may be lifted to the royaI
heights of civil and religious liberty
Loyalty to conscience, country and
the constitution was supreme with Lin
coin. He himself declares that his first
object was to save the Union and pre-
serve the integrity of the nation. He
proved himself equal to the emergency
and showed himself master of one Of
hte greatest crises in the worlds his
tory. To secure the emancipatio of
the slave, to preserve intact the Union
and to maintain the supremacy of the
flag cost him his own lifes blood
This man was liberty's martyr; this
man was humanitys friend We
greatly need a revival of Lincoln's
piety.
His religious creed involved all the
cardinal doctrines of Protestant Chris
tianity. He was faithful in the observ-
ance of the Sabbath, was overwhelmed
with a sense of providential care and
knew the victory and power Of prevail
ing prayer. He believed that God was
Americas only perennial hope, our onIy
refuge from the perils which threaten
to destroy us and our only guarantee Of
future glory. Long live thn cpirit of