The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1909-02-10

Of misinformation we are in concerning
! Washington, In whose case we have to
depend on the Sparkses and Weemses
| for some historical fairy tales.
| Lincoln has not entirely escaped
from these romancers even as 1t is,
| but they started their fiction factories
SO soon that it has been possible to
overtake and brand most of the out
put. For example, there were a lot
Of the Oldest inhabitants in several
southern states who felt it their
bounden duty to reflect on his pater-
nifty. All of these stories have been
| traced to their origin. proved to be
| body came to the surface who said
he had heard somebody say that had
heard somebody else say that Mr.. Lin
coin was not born on the birthplace
farm. but in an entirely different part
| Of Kentucky. He made some sort of
| affidavit on the ground of this hear
| say testimony. Now, it is fortunate
all this happened while there were
reliable, truth loving people on earth
who knew just where Lincoln was
born. Thus the thing could be dem
onstrated beyond cavil, nailed down
and established for the ages. This
saves pOsterity lot Of unnecessary
speculation, Investigation and trouble.
Suppose these stories had been sprung
after everybody that knew Lincoln
was dead. All this inaccuracy might
have trickled it's way down through
the centuries. very large portion
OF ancient history belongs in the fic-
ton department of our libraries.
We are fortunate in another respect.
Many of those who have written lives
Of Mr.. Lincoln associated with him
daily. He was great enough to seem
great to his secretaries and partners.
The telegraph operators at the war
department.. the attendants about the
White House, the common soldiers
who saw their commander in chief,
all had some sort Of inner prompting
that this was not just an ordinary
president, but that here was the sort
of man that would interest the TWEEN
ty-second century. So they made
mental notes and printed them. The
world has grown in 1000 years so
that now prophet has honor in his
own country and among those of his
own household. They may not see
all of his greatness, but if they even
measure some angles Of it these fur
nish basis for future computations
II Lincoln had lived back in the days
of Pericles or Augustus l have often
imagined the sort Of rich story Plu-
tarch would have made of him. At a
little earlier period, back in that en-
chanting but uncertain dawn Of his
tory before the shadows had quite lift
ed, men would have created Of him an
Odin or one Of those delightful old
pagan demigods that strangled drag
ons with their naked hands But we
have not so much to crow over, for
they almost did that with Washington
In our own day.
Let us beware Of putting Lincoln on
pedestal. 1t is the sweet and every
day humanity of the man that is his
chief charm. 1t is easy to marvel at
higher order of beings. but hard to
love them. Lincoln is close enough to
us to love, and we must keep him
SO. There are enough little tin del
ties, but we need this man for our
common humanity. He is too big, too
warm and too precious to set him out
Of reach. They have robbed us of
most Of our heroes by making them
unhuman and impossible, but they
shall not do it with Lincoln He be-
longs to our man and woman world,
and we are going to keep him for our
own. The far shining greatness Of his
soul makes his gnarled hands and
wrinkled face all the more precious to
us. Let us have all the centenaries
Of him that the passage Of the years
will permit, let US have libraries full
Of books about him, but never let him
be removed from the plain people that
he loved and that loved him. Almost
anybody can be an aristocrat, but 1t
takes one Of Gods own great, tender
men to be perfect democrat It is
this quality that makes Lincoln so
alive in the hearts Of the millions, and
the man that robs him of even a part
Of it will in that far do him to death.
Make the birthplace farm as splendid
park as you like, but keep the little
old one room cabin on it as a remind
er. Retain enough Of the hardships to
show what they were. We men who
have to carve our way in the world,
who have to cling to principles and
choose right from wrong, who have to
pass by temptation and who have to
keep our hearts sweet through trials
need all Of the example of Lincoln to
help us on. The man who robs us of
even the humblest part of that inspir.
ing story is friend neither to Lincoln
nor to us. We want to feel that he
was such man as we are. or at least
such man as we may become. He
was our big brother, and we see the
way he did things and then know bet
ter how we may do them. He was
great not bpcauSe remote hut hocause