The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1909-02-12
ENTIRE NATION
tcontinnsd from page i,

when the President had spread &c.
mellt on rs side with silver tfowsl
silence fell upon me asembiags
when the Invocation was delivered
ana following ms former Governor
Fol-. 81 Missouri Who Is president
of the Lincoln Memorial Associa.
Ifion, uttered some introductory ri.
marks. He was followed by presI.
dent Roosevelt. Who lasd the corner
stone. K
The President Welded to Govern.
or Wilson, soh spoke on behalf d
Kentucky for her ssatest SON
General James Grand Wilson. for
the Federal army General Luke i.
Wright for the Cont derate army
were then heard. The President
and other dignitaries boarded their
special train at 1880 O'Clock, leaving
the people to return to Louisville
by other trains and the ceremonies.
until William d. Taft in April dea.
icates the complete memorial hall.
was ended.
President Roosevelt spoke as fol-
lows I.
We have met here to celebrate
the hundfedth anniversary Of the
birth of one of the two greatest
Americans: one of the two or three
greatest men Of the nineteenth CEN
tury; Of one OF the greatest men In
the worlds history. This rail-spiit-
ter, this boy who passed his un-
calmly youth in the dire poverty Of
the poorest of the frontier folk.
whose rise was by weary ana painful
labor, lived to lead his people
through the burning flames of a
struggle from which the nation
emerged, purified as by fire, born
anew to a lofties 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 Republic. at the moment when
that leadership had become the stu
penduous world-task OF the time.
He grew to know greatness. but new
er ease. Success came to him. but
never happiness, save that which
springs from doing well a painfni
and vital task. Power was his,
but not pleasure, The burrows deep
ened on his brow, but his eyes were
undlmmed by either hate or fear.
His gaunt shoulders were bowed,
but his steel thews never faltered as
he bore for burden the destinies 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-biood Of the
young men, and to feel in his every
fiber the sorrow of the women. Dis
aster saddehed but never dlsmayed
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 danntless OF soul. IN
broken by hatred, mistaken by
scorn, he worked and suffered for
the pople. Triumph was his at last;
and barely had he tasted 1t before
murder found him. and the kindly,
patient, fearless eyes were closed
forever.
"As people we are indeed beyond
measure fortunate in the characters
Of the two greatest of our public
men, Washington and Lincoln.
Widely though the different exter-
mails, the Virginia landed gentleman
and the Kentucky backwoodsmah,
they were alike in essentials, they
were alike in the great qualities
which render each able to render
service to his nation and to all man
kind 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 soundest common
sense. Each possessed infiexIble
courage in adversely, and soul
wholly unspoiled by prosperity.
Each possessed all the gentler vir-
tues commonly exhibited by. good
men who lack rugged strength OF
character. Each possessed also all
the strong qualities commonly ex-
hibited by those towering masters Of
mankind who have too often shown
themselves devoid Of SO much as the
understanding of the words by
which We signify the qualities Of
duty, of mercy, Of devotion to. the
right. of lofty disInterestedness In
battling for the good Of Others.
There have been other men as great
and other men as good; but In All
I 4