The McCook tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 1886-1936, 1909-02-12

Whether or not he was the first, b
was Mt least the most conspicuous
And how fully he was u type Of th
national life, even ~embodying some o
our faults! He came from the common
people, as do we; was eloquent, as w,
try to be; told stories, which has be
come q national habit; even played tn
great American game of ball. The on
place that he did not include our vice.
Is that he did not indulge in that otheI
; great American game of poker. Doug
las says he drank, but Douglas Is no
the best authority. Others deny thu
statement. If Lincoln drank at all &
was but mildly and the habit wa!
abandoned in his mature years. Nei
ther did he use tobacco. In these mat
tiers 1t may be objected that he was
not the American type, but at least ht
was u ideal type, expressing US a.
u best, if not at u worst, and, lei
us hope, he was the type of our future
man. Tobacco, whisky and poker arc
not absolutely essential to u great man
hood, while the LincOlnian qualities
are. Perhaps we shall slough off some
ephemeral faults, but the great, dura.
bic, elemental traits that he had as q
model for all of us must remain.
This genius of Americanism, which
is giving a new spirit to other lands,
he came not only to typify. but to pre-
serve. Paine, Franklin, jefferson,
Washington and the rest had given it
statement and initial form in the be-
ginning. Lincoln, with Garrison,
Grant, Seward, Stanton and their CO.
workers, came to give it restatement
and to save and enlarge it's form.
Lincoln saw what we must all see II
We comprehend Americanism 1t all,
that Il nation has brought a new pO-
litical gospel which is to revolutionize
all nations and ultimately make a re-
public of the world. AS n consequence
brought a new Industrial and social
gospel, 1t is no idle boast to say that
it a become worth while living since
America has appeared on the stage.
America is not alone responsible for
this, any more than Lincoln was re
sponsible for all the happenings of his
era. She is only the type and most
conspicuous fact of this new age, just
as he was the type and most conspicu-
u individual in our civil war crisis
and just as he is rapidly becoming the
type and most conspicuous entity of
our nation itself.
Lincoln specifically stated that his
mission, or, rather, his purpose, was
neither to preserve nor destroy slavery,
but to save the Union. The Union was
and is the body polite incarnating the
national soul. 1t is the vessel holding
the precious ointment, the temple con
tanning the holy of holes, the form ex-
pressing and perpetuating liberty.
1t was not merely the loss of Il few
states that Lincoln faced and pre-
vented. 1t was the breaking up Of
this body. the escape or destruction of
this American genius, the change of
Our national life. To the one who saw
what blessings American liberty, de-
mOcracy and cOnStructiveness would
mean to the future of the entire race
this would seem the greatest work that
man could perform. America was and
is the key to the worlds new civiliza-
ton, the prophet of political equals
all round the earth, the f%Orerunner of
man-free, intelligent, energetic, con-
fident, redeemed and awakened man
man. the racial man, climbing the lad
der toward the type Of Il Lincoln.
1t did not happen by accident that
the men who directed u Revolution
constituted the greatest group seen on
surrounding the NaZarene. Such a
great inception ean a greater mis-
sion. To measure that mission and its
influence on all men will require cen
On this new stem of Americanism,
this new plant of democracy growing
in a fresh soil, men of the stamp of ;
Lincoln were the natural and inevita-
bic fruit. lie is perhaps the most COM
plete example, but he is by no means
NlOhS. SlIu LII Tic Dc-
he is Il type. Thousands ap-
him; none perhaps reaches him
in all things. Studied from every
standpoint, he IS about the most salts
human sample produced not only
by America, but Dy modern times-the
most satisi. ins when measured by the
intellect, b. tie heart or by the soul.
This is net mere fulsome eulogy. 1t is
inevitable conclusion that is forced
any student who goes deeply into
he nature OF Abraham Lincoln.
Happy is the land that has such a
man I0r its hUmaniZed symbol.
That the people felt Mr. LincOin's
Universal Ameriyanism was shown by
he overwhelming grief Of ali sections
1t his death.
OF the assassination itself and of the
scenes succeeding it it is unnecessary
o speak here. All this has become Il
,art OF the folklore of the race. At
his length OF time. however. three
hings stand out prominently-the sor-
of the private soldiers, of the ne
and Of the plain people. In
Washington along the line ~fI.lyaIsaj