The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

rest, let US here pledge eternal fealty
to the principles for which that man
lived and died"
It is a rash man who would attempt
to measure him. I have bought all
the books that have ever been writ
ten, SO far as I know, that could tell
me anything about him. I have tried
to hear every lecture that has ever
been given about Lincoln. I have
heard the lecture of Bishop Fowler
the Puritan, by Colonel Waterson, the
Cavalier, and by Ingersoll. the Corsair,
but 1 believe it remains yet for the
proper eulogy to be pronounced upon
Abraham Lincoln, and l am inclined
to the opinion that when that eulogy
shall be pronounced it will be pro-
nounced by some son of Ham, some
brother in black, some son of the
emancipated race. The world waits
for that eulogy.
Birth of Civilization.
But, ladies and gentlemen I should
be recreant to the trust imposed in
me at this hour if I should not say
something of a practical nature to the
youth of this capital city on this Sab
bath afternoon in the presence of this
great memory, and this greater flag.
I'd like to speak to the boys and girls
of Kansas and tell them what Abra-
ham Lincoln and these old soldiers did
for American civilization. George
Washington was present at the bloody
birth of American freedom, but Abra-i
ham Lincoln was present at the blood
Ter birth of American civilization For
be it remembered, that we had no
American civilization prior to eighteen
hundred and sixty. We were a con-
glomerate; England could have claim
ed George Washington, Webster was
composite so far as nationality was
concerned. Calhoun was a cross be-
tween an Irish Calvinist and a French
Huguenot.. I insist that Abraham
Lincoln was the first great American.
will tell you why. Ever since Christ
died on Calvary two great types of
governmental life have been strug
Cling for the supremacy. One of them
was autocracy, the other was demec-
racy. During many of the centuries
the people asking for democracy didn't
know just what it was they wanted,
but they wanted something. These
other in the history of nations. These
two types waged war in England.
They showed this in these fearful
feuds that sent Charles First to the
block and invested Cromwell with
more than regal power These were
transplanted to American soil. The
Puritan when he moored his bark on
wild New England shore, brought
with him democracy. And when the
Cavalier came and landed on the
banks of the James river. he brought
with him democracy. Ard these two
civilizations struggled for life on
American soil.
The moulds in which GU. forefath
ers were run were gigantic. majestic,
colossal on both sides, but they were
radically different. One was a Puri-
tan, and the other a Cavalier. And
we know that when two trains of that
kind try to pass each other on the
track there is hound tn he from
BILE. The friction between these two
types of civilization struck sparks of
fire during our whole national life.
True, they laid aside their differences
when they laid the foundation of this
republic. Together they poured out
their blood in an unstinted tide at Val
ley Forge and at Yorktown, but when
it was all over the Puritan was still
a democrat and the Cavalier was still
an autocrat. The friction went on,
and you saw the sparks flying again
in 1920, in the Missouri Compromise
bill. We saw it in the Dred-Scott de-
olson, the fugitive slave law, and if I
cal memory, there were some sparks
flying in Kansas during the sos
The friction kept on till it burst
into that mighty confagration, the pa
thetic ashes of which slumber today
in the sandy reaches that stretch
from the Potomac to the far-off Rio
Grande. I want to tell the school
boys and girls of Kansas that they
must revise their historical notions
that the Civil war was fought over
slavery. You men know that the
South would not fight to keep the
negro in slavery, and the North would
not fight to free him from slavery. but
will tell you what they would do.
The South would fight for state