The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-13

prosal and possibility. One marvels a
the unfailing tolerance with which he
bore with men who were his opeI
friends but secret enemies and rivals
even within his own cabinet so thai
indeed his foes were they of his owr
household.
And toward the South he was not
less patient and tolerant Himself
southern born. and almost southern
reared-for central Illinois was but q
newer Kentucky-he appreciated the
real sincerity, though the mistaken
Judgment. of the mass of the southern
people. Is it not remarkable that in
all the stress of the war period and
the flerceness of the fight, he never
said word to the South in anger :?
He carried always the spirit of the
first inaugural, I'VE are not enemies
but friends.
He was a man of the tenderest sym.
pathy. His heart well-nigh broke un-
der the weight of the duties laid upon
him by the war. He sympathiZed with
the men at the front, with their fami-
lies at home, with the widow and the
orphan. with the soldier wrecked by
battle or disease. with the homesick
boy who deserted. with the wearied
man who was overcome by sleep at
his picket post. He walked amid the
sadness and suffering of it all and
said, Il shall never be happy any
more" As the war went on with all
its horrors, his face. always grave and
often sad even in happier times. took
on such an added aspect of sorrow
that one said of him, 1T is the saddest
face that ever was looked upon.
And yet-strange irony of fate-this
man was also SO sympathetic with the
humorous side of life that he was re-
puted to be nothing better than a
coarse Jester, a buffoon mistakenly
raised to honorable station But let US
thank God for this other side of Abra-
ham Lincoln. Had it not been for this
he must have died or lost his mind
amid the sorrows and perplexltles OF
his position. His appreciation of wit,
his power to turn tears to laughter
saved the man from despair and the
country from disaster.
He was man of faith. He had faith
In the people. He believed that they
were ever ready and anxious to see
the right and to do 1t when they saw
It, Coming from the common people,
be believed in them and loved them.
Alexander Hamilton said, The people,
sir. the people is a great beast Lin
coin said. think God must love the
common people. for he made so many
OF them. Because he believed in
them and was assured that they be-
Iieved in him. he could press on, dis
regarding the ennyities and criticisms
of would be leaders and factional op-
ponents. and open antagonists He
had faith in the right. His fine scorn
of dishonesty and discrimination found
it's complement in absolute adherence
TO and faith in the triumph of justice.
II know that | am right, because lib-
ertv is right
He had faith in God. l am aware
that that his religious opinion and po-
sition have been much debated and de-
MED. But as we come to know him
better. We are bound to see that he
had no larger conception of life-of his
own 1ife-than this. that it was under
the overruling Providence of God.
As very recent writer says. al
WAYS the belief in God was to him a
challenge to singleness of purpose to
the Allure he lifted clean hands and
pure heart.
But ! must close.
This is the man whose memory
evokes our tears and our thanksgivings
tonight-this man of honesty unaues-
toned, of humility unceasing, of pa
tience unwearied, of tolerance UNI
bounded of sympathy unfailing, OF
faith ndiscouraged-thi matchless
man.
We look at the story of his life: a