The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1911-11-30
Whence Cometh Genius?


Kentucky early this month, when
the r.de cabin in vl'ct Abraha n
l.inco.n was toTn was ds dicated as &
memorial II peace an brotherhood
among the s:Aies whose IL ity the
Martyr President was :os.:,Eental in
preserving. AID the farm up n which
!: stands WAS made a n";i.nal park,
President TAT: stated that nothing
was so fascinating. FAC yet SO dir
ficult. as the tlacin. b heredity o.
the development of gtr:us and reli
greatness. aod.ng tina, 'the explana-
ton of Lincoln aaf Ii: wonderful
character from his or's.L and ell
Tironmcnt is almost 80 difficult rs
the explanation If Shakespeare.
And the president, after eulogizing
the simple and cnb!jnle character OF
the Martyred Line DIN. concluded MS
grafton with the words: 1.-The
great reason for the present memoir
ial Is the constant reminder it furn-
ishes of the hnexralEed and unplain-
able growth aid development, from
the humblest and hcmeliest soil, Vt
Lincoln's genius. intellect, heart and
character, that have claimed the
gratitude of his coIntrymen for the
good he worked WITH them, and awak
ened the love and devoted admiration
of world
1t Is practically safe to assume
that Linco,n's profound sense of JUS
tice, his keenress of perception and
lucidity of thought, his simple yet
effective style of literary expression,
his originality CT mind, his sensi-
tive conscience and his tender heart,
were not inherited from his illiterate
and ne'er-do-well father, nor from
his more capable, though scarce dis
tinguished mother, Eol is it prob
able that they were inspired by his
environment, which in his early life
was one of extreme poverty and al
most squalor.
others hes ides President Taft have
marvelled at the issuance of an Abb
raham Lincoln from source SO COM
mOn-place and sordid, and the ad-
vtrates Ct the theory that mental
and moral Qualities are transmitted
by wav of physical heredity are IN
deed hard pressed to explain his or
igan, or that of Shakespeare and
a Mozart. likewise, to point out
the descendants to whom these gen
fuses have handed down their remark
able talents. 1t is a somewhat puz-
cling fact, tul fact, nevertheless,
that not only the parents, but also
the children Of genius are very fire.
auentlv lelow rather than above
the med,ocre and ordinary.
Ii we are to look to a more re-
mote ancestor for the source of Lin
coins greatness, who was that an
cestor, and why has not the world
heard OF his superior ability, and
why did 1t remain for the poor and
obscure son of shiftless Thomas Lin
coin, and foiceful but not unusual
Nancy Hanks, to manifest those sx-
traordinary qualities? Why is one
man an intellectual giant, and an
other a fool? Why is one man a
saint without apparent effort, and
another criminal from childhood?
These are questions that not only
students of heredity but also psy-
biologists. philosophers, and religion
lists have found 1t difficult to On
swer to the entire satisfaction OF
manv of the close observers of hum
anity and the conditions under which
It fluids itself. The problem Of
physical, mental and moral inequali
ties has wrung the hearts and tax
cd the minds OF sage and philanthropy
ist, as we'll as Of lesser folk. Many
thousands, or, more accurately, mil.
lions. of Orle ntals believe that the
growth Of every individual may be
traced through /, long series of earth.
lives, or inca, nations. by means OF