The Vinita daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1902-1913, 1909-02-12
THOUSANDS GATHER AT BIRTH
PLACE OF HONEST ABE"
MANY N0TABLEs PRESENT
Log Cabin Where Lincoln First Saw
the Light of Day Principal Point
of Interest. The Address of
President Roosevelt Was a
Notable Feature ofnaiithe
Days Celebration.
BY Associated Press.

by ASSOcldlSu IIeSS.
IIodgeyille, Ky, Feb. 12.-Reyerent
and curious Americans to the mum
Der of thousands gathered today and
dedicated the mean little cabin in
which Liberty wrought her last mira
Gle, the birthplace of Abrahama Lin
coin.
Shortly before noon the train bear
ing President Roosevelt and party
pulled in and the chief executive was
heartily cheered as he took his place
in the parade to the little cabin. The
ceremonies began. with an impressive
invocation, followed by Introductory
remarks by Ex-Governor Folk of Mis-
souri,, who, in turn, gave way to the
president, who delivered the following
address,
We have met here to celebrate the
hundredth anniversary of the birth of
one of the two greatest Americans;
of one of the two or three great men
of the nineteenth century: of one of
the greatest men in the worlds his
tory. The rail splitter, this boy who
passed his ungainly youth in the dire
poverty of the poorest of the frontier
folk, whose rise was by weary and
painful labor, lived to lead his people
through the burning flames of a
struggle from which the nation en-
erged, purified as by fire, born anew
to a loftier life After long years of
iron effort, and of failure that came
more often than victory, he at last
rose to the leadership of the Repub-
lie. at the moment when that leader
ship had become the stupendous
world-task of the time. He grew to
know greatness, but never ease. Sue
cess came to him, but never happin-
ess, save that which springs from do
ing well a painful and vital task.
Power was his, but not pleasure. The
burrows deepened on his brow, but
his eyes were undimmed by either
hate or fear His gaunt shoulders
were bowed, but his steel thews new
er faltered as he bore for burden
the destines of his people. His great
and tender heart shrank from giving
pain: and the task allotted him was
to pour out like water the life-blood
of the young men, and to feel in his
every fiber the sorrow of the women.
Disaster saddened but never dismay-
ed him. AS the red years of war
went by they found him ever doing
his duty in the present, ever facing
the future with fearless front high
of heart and dauntless of soul Un-
broken by hatred. mistaken by scorn,
he worked and suffered for the peo-
pie Triumph was his at the last
and barely had he tasted it before
murder found him, and the kindly,
patient. fearless eyes were closed for
ever.
AS people we are indeed beyond
measure fortunate in the characters
of the two greatest of our public men
Washington and Lincoln. Widely
though they differed in externals, the
Virginia landed gentlemen and the |
Kentucky backwoodsman. they were
alike in essentials, they were alike in |
the great qualities which rendered |
each able to render service to his |
nation and to all mankind such as no |
other man of his generation could or |
did render. Each had lofty ideals, |
but each in striving to attain these
lofty ideals was guided by the sound |
est common sense. Each possessed |
infexible courage in adversely, and a
soul wholly unspoiled by prosperity.
Each possessed all the gentler virtues
commonly exhibited by good men who
lack rugged strength of character.
Each possessed also all the strong
qualities commonly exhibited by those
towering masters of mankind who
have too often shown themselves de-
void of so much as the understanding