The Fairmont West Virginian. (Fairmont, W. Va.) 1904-1914, 1909-02-11
FASM0NT WEST VIRGINIA. URsDAY, FEBRUA AIRY 1909

t!on and secession. and closely con.
nected this question with the otafr
great question ot.human slavery. This
contest brought into action the trans
cendent eloQuence OF, Daniel Webster.
whose defense OF the supremacy OF
our federal government will always
be a part OF our national history. 1t
found Its most dramatic incident when
Andrew Jackson faced South Carolina
in It's qualification and, with upllftel
hand. swore by the Eternal that the
right OF the Federation was above the
right OF any State. And thus coin.
menced the contest that ended only In
civil war.
Here upon the 'prarles OF Illinois
more than seventy years ago ap.
peared the first cloud Of the impend.
ing storm. The death of 'Lovejoy at
Alton battling for. the liberty OF speech
and for human freedom. inspired the
oratory OF Wendell Phillips upon the
commons Of Boston, whose words
rang out in favor OF liberty like the
call to battle. His death lent strength
to the noble Garrison in Massachu-
sotts. It was with John Brown when
he died at Harper's Ferry. 1t in.
spired the pen Of Horace Greeley.
whose words lighted the fires that Il
naIly melted away forever the chains
OF slavery. II,
In the midst OF tnis storm came the
colossal figure Of Abraham Lincoln.
"the grandest man who has come to
us on the tide of time" His origin
WINS as humble as that Of the lowly
Nazarene VINO bore his cross on the
far-off shores Of GallIles. As a soll-
tary mountain peak towers above the
plains. so stood Lincoln above his en-.
vironments. The centuries will ask Of
him as they have asked OF Shakes.
pearc. from whence came his great
ness, and out Of the Eternal will
come the answer that God gave It.
The first real Americans were
those who crossed the Appalachian
mountains into the Mississippi Valley.
Thus came Andrew Jackson and Hen.
ry Clay and thus came the parents of
Abraham Lincoln. This most Of plon.
GERS from Virginia and the Carollnas
into Kentucky and Tennessee ana
thence into Illinois, made the bac.;-
ground for the figure of Lincoln and
they were the men in whose midst
was fought out the second great Amer
lean conflict. :a4
The stars shine upon no greater
people than those who live here III
the valley Of the Mississippi river.
greater than the Tigrls or Euphrates;
greater than the Nile. that flowed by
the homes OF the Ptolmies and p:1a-
raohs, end upon whose banks sit
grand, gloomy and peculiar, the ever
lasting pyramids; greater than the
Tiber Of ancient home. from whose
banks tine imperial Caesars ruled the
world; greater than the Rhine, In
whose valley contended the Teuton
and tae Gaul for the supremacy Of
Europe and the world; greater than
all these because It flows by the home
Of freemen. And Illinois stretching
from the Great Lakes on the north.
to the very 'neart Of the Southland, he.
came tho Keystone Of this great va.
ley and here lived and wrought Abra-
nam Lincoln.
"Not without thy wondrous story,
Illinois. Illinois. '.,",. j.
Can be writ thy nations glory,
" Illinois. Illinois. Y
On the record Of thy years
Abraham Lincoln's name appears, 4
Grant and Lopn and our tears, Z;
# Illinois. Illinois &
Lincoln was Just entering public
life as n member OF the Illinois Leg
islature at the formative period Of this
government. Chief Justice Marshall
was yet breathing into our Constltu.
tion, the breath OF broader National
life. Those giants. Webster and CAL
houn. we're battling over tae relation
OF the States to the Federal Govern
ment. Webster's great reply to Hayne
was ringing throughout the country
like a call to hattie. This great
speech built the breast-works behind
which the Union soldiers fought from
1861 to '65. Lincoln caught the In.
spiratlon Of tie times and he believed
with Washington and Hamilton that
the right ~ fhe Fadarntfon woe ahnvu