The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1909-02-22

| nation-it was a movement. life, a
rrowth. n part of sacred unfolding
holding the promise of highest good
not merely for few, but for every
beast and lowest man and woman and
child. From his early manhood up
TO the end Of his life America was to
Lincoln supremely a spiritual affair,
and not chiefly an affair of geographl-
| cal boundaries and constitution and
law. Lincoln was himself an incarna-
tion OF the soul OF America. Lincoln 8
very life makes 1t possible for every
one to look at his career and know
| what America means. That was eX-
acty what he unconsciously wished
| Ia be and was. That was what the
| whole manner and spirit OF his life
made him, inevitably The very ma
tion as a spiritual life and growth
came into this mans soul and possess
| Ell him. All his study OF law and poll
tics and history was. from the begin
| ming, deeply sympathetic, He brought
TO that study not only all the powers
of his mind. but also the longing or
MS heart, all the aspiration of his
soul. There never has been a more
ideal student than he. and there Isn't
an educational institution In the
~orld which can ensure to It's students
the results which Lincoln achieved
by the light of flaming pine knot or
out under the arching dome of the
sky. He did not simply know, he felt.
That Is the secret OF the marvellous
results which he achieved He did
~ ol l11r L.
the books he read, through the his
toIy of the nation, as he felt his way
through them all. His whole educa-
tion was a moral and spiritual eX-
rcrience as II must be for any man
or woman before IT can be called an
education. 1t was the growth OF his
own soul. That was the reason why
that fragmentary speech at Gettys-
burg. written with nc extended pre-
paration, and occupying only three
minutes in its delivery, has proved
immortal while the brilliant and
scholarly oration of Edward Everett
president Of Harvard university, de-
liYered the same day at the same
Jlace and occupying two hours. is un-
read and unknown. Not all the cul-
ture of New England nor all the edu-
cation of our oldest university had
done for Edward Everett what the eX-
oerIence of the frontier had done Tor
Abraham Lincoln. In the one case, IL
vas merely a product OF books, OF
reading. Of mere intellectual achieve
ment. that spoke. In the other case,
It was the soul that spoke. Edward
Everett. the president of Harvard col
lcge, had never been in communion
with the soul OF democracy, had never
heard the call of brotherhood. But
Il was exactly this which had been
tie very core of the life and educa-
ton OF Lincoln All his life had he
been In closest communion with the
scul of democracy, through all his
years had he been answering the call
of brotherhood. That IS the whole
story of Lincoln. as man, as states
man. as the noblest product OF Ameri-
ca 1t was this that made him from
an early moment In his life so eVi-
dently man OF sorrows. That was
what gave his face its expression of
sadness. Only man who thinks and
feels can be sad. The thoughtless can
not know the meaning of sadness. But
no man can be sensible OF the deeper
meaning and nobler possibility OF lie
and not be sad
AS we have seen In the case OF
Jesus exactly so In the case OF LIN
coin, the call of brotherhood meant
for him change OF occupation None
OF the occupations which seemed TO
1T other men ever fitted him. No trade
or profession In which it was so easy
for ordinary men TO lose themselves
was ever big enough for him, None
OF these could be or ever was the
chief concern to him. He never at
tempted to fill an office or perform an
occupation whose limits he did not
exceed. He never could be anything
as most other men were. He could
not be a lawyer as other men were.
1t has been universally declared OF
him that he always saw the equity OF
cases. Technicalities and prece-
dents did not appeal TO him. No man
ever used the presidency as he did.
And the explanation Of the whole
matter lies solely in this fundamen-
tai fact of his life. that he cared
supremely for the soul OF things, that
he always felt the spiritual truth OF
the world. that beneath all forms and
under all events he heard the one
divine call of brotherhood,
1t Is a most significant thing that
none of us can know about Lincoln
and not feel reverent There is that
in his character his spirit, his life.
which compels universal reverence
and love. Why? Because in him your
moral Sirthright and mine and every
ones came to Its blossom and fruit
age. Because We insLInctively know
that to live things, to hear and obey
the call of all-inclusive brotherhood,
is the great achievement of life.
But our time today Is wasted In
thinking of Lincoln and we but adver
tise our hypocrisy when We even
profess to revere him, unless we are
prepared to sec that the same sacred
law Of life is perpetually present, is
the law TO which alone we may
worthily adjust ourselves, the law
which alone can make life for you
and me good thing; the law that
declares brotherhood to be the su-
ITcme and sacred need OF the world
and the accomplishment of brother
hood Is the one purpose which can
Justify our existence or the existence
of any sort Of human institution what
Soeyer-that brotherhood Is the goal
toward which the world ia moving