Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-02-12
Abraham Lincoln.

And now he belongs to the ages.
Those were the words of Secretary
Stanton, standing by the bedside of the
dying Lincoln in the gray dawn of that
memorable April morning of 1865 when
the world was stunned by the message
flashing over the wires that the Presi-
dent had been stricken down by an
assassin's hand. Lincoln belongs tn
the ages, and today new generation
which has come upon the scene since
the days in which he lived and labored
and died for humanity takes occasion
upon the centennial of his birth to pay
homage to his memory, to repeat the
deathless story of his achievements, to
dwell upon the courage, wisdom, fore
sight and patience with which he bore
martydom, and to draw from his life
and work the lessons which the Goth
century needs.
In every section of the land today
and il many other parts of the world
for that matter, this day is devoted to
honoring the memory of Lincoln. Lit
tie indeed will be said in the way
of appreciation or eulogy that has
not been better said before but the
story of Lincoln's life and times will
be made more familiar to the rising
generation and our people will honor
themselves and gain an inspiration by
joining in the days tribute to that CO.
lossal figure which has been character
lied as 1.-The grandest man who has
come to us on the tide of time"
His birth in rude log cabin among
The Kentucky hills, an origin as hum
bic as that of the loWly NaZarene who
bore his cross on the shores Of CALI
lee; the hardships and privations of his
hoyhood and youth; the scanty need
Of schooling; the frontier struggles and
triumphs of his early manhood; his sud
den rise to national prominence as the
Idol OF the middle West, who conquered
the conservative East by a single mas
terly speech; his election to the, highest
office in the land by the votes Of the
themselves and who trusted him and
followed him gladly: his patient en-
uurance of the calumny, the sneers
the bitter hostility which grew more
intense as the war went on among
those who should have given him loya
ana united support; his seer-like Wis
ion of the coming years: his inhexiblc
courage and firmness as he bore upor
his gaunt shoulders the burden of g
nations destiny his triumph at last
after the red years of war were ovei
and the life blood of the nation ha(
been poured out like water to keep the
Union whole; his death blow which
stillel forever his great and tender
heart and closed forever his sad ant
patient eyes-all these will be the
themes today of Il thousand orators
The people cannot know Lincoln too
| well. They cannot be too familiar will
the details of his life, his public utter
ances and the classics which he wrote
| and delivered. They cannot enshrint
him too high in their hearts as thu
model OF what is great and good il
public station. They cannot follow to-
closely his loyalty to truth, his mercy
his simplicity, his home1y common
| sense. He belongs now to the ages, a.
Stanton said on the morning of hi
death. belongs to a reunited Uniol
which has other great problems II
solve and which can solve them in n
better fashion than in striving to d.
what Lincoln would have done in lik'
circumstances.