Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-02-13

triumphant democracy!
Eulogy In Verse.
''If such eulogy were needed or
could be useful, it could best be found
in the noble and lofty verse of our
greatest poet-words in which, if you
will bear with me, will close:
For him. her old worlds molds aside
she threw,
And, choosing sweet clay from the
breast
OF the unexhausted west
With stuff untainted shaped hero new,
Wise, SteadfaSt in the strength of God
and true.
How beautiful to see
Once more q shepherd of mankind in
Who loved his charge but never loved
to lead;
One whose meek flock the people joyed
to be,
Not lured by any cheat of birth.
But by his clear-grained human worth,
And brave old wisdom of sincerity!
They knew that outward grace is dust;
They could not choose but trust
In that sure-footed minds unfaltering
skin,
And supple tempered will
That bent like perfect steel to spring
again and thrust.
His was no lonely mountain peak of
mind
sea mark now, now lost in vapors
blind;
Broad prairie rather, genial. level
lined
Fruitful and friendly for all human
kind,
Yet also nigh to heaven and loved of
Hottest stars.
Nothing of Europe here,
Or, then. of Europe fronting mornward
still,
Ere any names of serf and peer
Could natures equal scheme deface
And thwart her genial will
Here was a type of the true elder
race,
And one of Plutarch's men talked with
us face to face.
praise him not; it We're too late;
And some innative weakness there must
In him who condescends to victory
Such as the present gives. and cannot
wait
Safe in himself as in a fate.
So always firmly he;
He knew to bide his time,
And can his fame abide,
Still patient in his simple faith sub
lime,
Till the wise years decide.
Great captains, with their guns and
drums,
Disturb our Judgment for the hour,
But at last silence comes;
These are all gone, and, standing like
tower,
Our children shall behold his fame.
| The kindly-earnest, brave, foreseeing
man,
Sagacious. patient, dreading praise, not
blame,
New birth of our new SOIL the first
! American.
| Readings by Rexdaie.
The address of Judge Brown was
followed by readings by Robert Rex
dale. who gave as his first number the
| hn cd tn I
years ago. This was followed by his
new lines, when the Mississip Was q
lGleat Highway" and in response te
the applause he read my Old Dutch
lStein."
Lincoln, the Statesman"
Lincoln, the Statesman" was the
subject of John E. Northup, assistant
states attorney of Cook county. Mr.
Northup paid very eloquent tribute
to Lincoln. not only as the states
man, but as the man. He spoke of the
!, attitude toward Lincoln when he as
dency, and how he controlled the sit
uation at all times, even in the face o
the most general opposition, and evel
II when the members of his own cabine
deserted him. He showed how the ain
of Lincoln was to save the union, an
!, how he did not agree with those VIII
. aimed to free the slaves without mair
! ltaining the union, nor with those VIII
( would not save the union without free
r ling the slave.
: The great quality of Lincoln, Nj
J. Northup held was his sublime compa:
sion and his sympathy. He shove
the effect of this in the deep loyalt
of the north, and the faith in him tina
d the whole federal army had through
6 out the war. This faith and love {
the soldiers, Mr. Northup maintained
k was greater than was ever before gil
It EN- to any commander.
). Lincoln. he said. was in some r
II spects the greatest friend the sout
e ever had He was even a create
friend of the south than was the CHI
sen southern leader, Jefferson Davis.
Continuing the discussion of Lincol
as a statesman, Mr.. Northup DISGUISE
briefly some of Lincoln great state p
d pers, and particularly his first inaug
raj address, in which he said If thel
c must be war, the south must be IL
laggressor.
D. Mr.. Northup discussed what Linco
n. might do if here now, and what he
3 would his influence be in the solutie
u of the present and future problems
d the country. 'If the same patriotism
r. the same forbearance and the san
vision characterizes the statesmen
II today, no demagogue. however cleve
Il will ever be able to tear down this n
al ions Institutions he said.
y That Lincoln felt his destiny, WI
shown by the speaker IN quotation
from some of his addresses, and fro
I'd the fact that he had peculiar dream
of pending disaster. Mr.. North
tspoke briefly of the dream the mig
sr. before the assassination, and of Il
al events of the day of the tragedy. ''v
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