The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1911-11-11

! W.
Enshrining the log cabin in which
Abraham Lincoln first saw light. ar
imposing granite memorial to the wal
PRESIDENT was dedicated here yester
day and accepted for the nation by
President Taft.
The memorial stands where the
cabin it shields was originally built
by Lincoln's parents. 1t is on the
farm on which Thomas Lincoln and
Nancy Hanks settled after their lone
journey from Virginia.
| The exercises were, in a measure
a continuation of those begun day
before yesterday at Frankfort, when
a statute of Lincoln was unveiled in
the state capitol. The ceremony here
however, marked the contamination
of a nationwide movement to convert
the LincolnI birthplace into a national
preserve. .f.=. .,.
Throngs Witness Ceremonies.
Throngs from all parts Of the Unit
ed States witnessed the acceptance OF
the memorial and farm for the ma.
ton by President Taft Former Gov.
ernor Folk of Missouri who is presi.
dent of the Lincoln Farm Associa.
ton, began laudation of Lincoln, and
to this was added tribute by Presi-
dent Taft, Governor Wilson, Senator
Borah and Major General Black, for
mer commander of the Grand Army
of the Republic.
The great granite building occu-
| pies the site of the cabin in which
| Lincoln was born 102 years ago, near
the center Of the farm
| Cut into one wall of the memorial
hall are these words:
Here, over the log cabin where
Abraham Lincoln was born, destined
to preserve the Union and free the
slaves, a grateful people have dedi-
Gated this memorial to unity, peace
and brotherhood among these states"
All Needed Funds Provided.
Within is the rude cabin of logs,
the same that the newly. welded Lin
! coins built when they took possess
sion of the farm.
Robert J. Collier, chairman of the
executive committee of the Lincoln
Farm Association, has written Gov
ernor Wilson, formally notifying him
that the memorial, costing $4,000,
has been erected and paid for, and
that a fund of some $4,000 has been
| completed and invested in safe Sc
| curities, the income to provide the
| necessary maintenance fund.
Governor Wilson, who made public
| last night his reply, has accepted the
| trust in the name of the common
wealth, provided only that formal
transfer await the action of his sue
cessor, Governor McCreary, and the
next state legislature. The acceptance
| of the gift of the nations chief execu-
tive completed the transfer.
Address of President Taft.
"There is nothing so fascinating,
| on the one4hand, and nothing so diff
cult, on the other, as the tracing by
heredity of the development of gerius
and real greatness said President
Taft, beginning his address. He con-
| tinued:
Perhaps this is because there are
so few instances in history that
prompt the search. The explanation
of Lincoln and his wonderful char
acter from his origin and environ
ment is almost as difficult as the
explanation of Shakespeare; but the
passion of the world grows for more
| intimate knowledge of his personality
| and a deeper inquiry into the circum-
stances of his wonderful life.
Few men have come into public
prominence who came absolutely from
the soil, as did Abraham Lincoln. 1t
| is difficult to imagine the lack of
comfort, accommodation, and the ne
cessities of life that there were IN
| the cabin in which he was born. With
| an illiterate and shiftless father, and
mother who, though of education
and force, died before he reached
youth, his future was dark indeed. In
for him, however, he had a woman of
strength of character and of educa-
ton enough to assist him.
Knew Plain Peoples Woes.
| The almost squalor in which he
passed his early life made him famil-
lar with the sufferings, thoughts and
sympathies of the plain people,; and,
when he came to great power, his
understanding of their reasoning and
of their views gave him an advantage
| in interpreting their attitude which
cannot be overstated.
His evident sympathy for the col
Ored race, his reused sense of justice
in their behalf, his earnest passions
to secure them freedom and equality
of opportunity had their inspiration
in the sufferings and limitations of
his own early life
{ He was not slow, but he was eau
Z: tious, deliberate, attentive as beftted
| one who insisted on establishing ev-
cry proposition that he adhered to by
original reasoning from fundamental
postulates. The lucidity and clear
ness of his thought manifested itself
in the simplicity, directness and clear.
ness Of his style.
He had imagination and he loved
poetry. He had the rythm of language
and though purely self-educated these
circumstances developed a power OF
literary expression that the world, and
especially the literary world, has
come fully to recognize and enjoy
"Mind Luminous With TRUTH"
He was lawyer, and a. good one
He studied his cases hard, and he
prepared his arguments with the force
and clearness that might have been
expected from one of his mental
makeup. His mind was luminous
with truth. His conscience was gov
erned by devotion to right, and the
tenderness of his heart was only re
strained by his intellect and his con
science
The story of his dealings with Nc