The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1909-02-12
|Roosevelt's ] ribute
to Abraham Lincoln

many social and Industrial problems,
requiring to al. especial degree the
mplnatlon of indomitable resolution
with cool-headed sanity. We can pro-
tit by the way in which Lincoln used
both these traits as le strove for
reform. We can learn much of value
from the very attacks which following
that course brought upon his head,
attacks alike by the extremists of rev.
olution and by the extremists of reac.
tlon. He never wavered in devotion
to his principles, in his love for the
Union and in his adherence of slav-
cry. Timid and lukewarm people
We're always denouncing him because
ne was too extreme; but as matter
OF fact he never went to extremes, he
worked step by step; and because of
this the extremists hated and denounc-
ed him with a fervor which now seems
to us fantastic in its dedication of the
unreal and the impossible. At the
very time when one side was holding
him up as the apostle of social revo,
luton because he was against slavery,
the leading abolition denounced him
as the slave hound of Illinois" When
be was the second time candidate for
President. the majority of his oppo-
nents attacked him because of what
they termed his extreme radicalism,
while minority threatened to bolt
his nomination because he was not
radical enough. He had continually to
check those who wished to go forward
too fast, at the very time that he over
rode the opposition of those who wish
ed not to go forward at all. The goal
was never dim before his vision; but
he picked his way cautiously, without
either halt or hurry, as he strobe to-
ward 1t, though such morass of
difficulty that no man of less cour-
age would have attempted it, while it
would surely have overwhelmed any
man of judgment less serene.
Yet perhaps the most wonderful
thing of all, and from the standpoint
| of the American of today and of the
| future, the most vitality important, was
the extraordinary way in which Lin
coin could fight valiantly against what
he deemed wrong and yet preserve I'M
diminished his love and respect for
the brother from from he differed.
In the hour of a triumph that would
have turned any weaker mans head,
| in the heat of struggle which spur
red many good man to dreadful vim
/ dictiveness, he said truthfully that
so long as he had been in his Office he
had never willingly planted thorn in
any mans bosom, and besought his
supporters to study the incidents OF
the trial through which they were
passing as philosophy from which tc
learn wisdom and not as wrongs to be
avenged: ending with the solemn ex
hortation that, as the strife was over
all should reunite in common ef
fort to save their common country.
He lived in days that were great and
terrible. when brother fought against
brother for what each sincerely deem
ed to be the right. In a contest sc
i grim the strong men who alone car
carry it through are rarely able to dc
Justice to the deep convictions OF
those with whom they grapple in NOR
tai strife AT such times men sec
through a glass darkly; to only the
rarest and Hottest spirits is vouch
safed that clear vision which grad
ually comes to all, even to the lesser
or1n fod
and wounds are forgotten and peace
creeps back to the hearts that wer'
hurt. But to Lincoln was given thi
supreme vision. He did not hate thu
man from whom he differed. Weak
ness was as foreign as welcomes t.
his strong, gentle nature; but hi
courage was of quality so high tina
1t needed no bolstering of dark pas
sion. He saw clearly that the sam
high qualities, the same courage AM
willingness for self-sacirifice and dc
,, votion to the right as it was give
them to see the right, belonged bot
to the men of the north and to tn
men of the south. As the years rol
by. and as all of us, wherever W
!, dwell grow to feel an equal pride i
the valor and self-devotion, alike Q
: the men who wore the blue and tn
! men who wore the gray, so this Who'll
, nation will grow to feel a peculla
! sense of pride in the man Whos
blood was shed for the union, his pee
pie, for freedom, race, a lover OF NJ
:, country, of all mankind the mightles
! of the mighty men who mastered IN
mighty days.