The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1911-11-16

Gated property In the slaves, an ides
which he failed to carry to its conclu
sion because OF the unanimous oppo
sition OF his cabinet and OF public opin
Ion at the north. | venture to say
mat there Is no instance in histoD
where the leader Of a great cause IN s
great war, maligned, insulted, tried IN
every way by his enemies. preserved
throughout the attitude OF Cancellation
OF good will, OF charity and almost of
love toward his active opponents 10
arms. II Is this trait OF Lincoln that
today ] would dwell upon, because II
10 what makes the erection OF this
monument here peculiarly appropri
ate
While not one OF the seeding
states, Kentucky was a slave state,
and half her population we're In arms
against the government. She is a
southern state. she has the flavor.
the history. the traditions OF the
south, and here, where Lincoln had
his birth, the memorial TO him finds
It's reason in his wonderful charity
and patience toward those who, as he
thought, In their blindness. we're seek
ing TO destroy the best government
that man ever had. Certain Il is that
the spirit that Gctuated those who
came into control of the policy OF the
dominant party. after his death. was
different from what Lincoln's would
have been. They had the stern. moral.
Puritan conviction that secession was
treason, and that Il must not be con
doned without al least a period OF sub
lection and repentance. The express
sion OF his successor that he proposed
10 make terason odious was true In
dication OF the attitude OF the states
men whose influence was prevailing
In congress OF that day. IL Is clear
that had Lincoln lived his great au-
thOrity and influence would have soft
ened the asperities OF reconstruction,
and would have produced reconcilia-
ton Of the sections at an earlier date
than has been realized; but even
though he did not live. even though
the mad and misguided assassin's bull
LET obstructed aud injured most deep
ly the cause he thought he was pro-
noting, the greatness OF Lincoln's
soul and his character and the infiu-
ence that his words and his deeds and
his attitude still work upon those who
have come after him make his life and
his attitude toward the south and his
love OF those whom he had hardly
time before his death TO regard as
anything but enemies in arms, full OF
a precious Inheritance for them.
The south knows. as the north
knows now. that there is no soul that
Unites them In perfect amity like that
OF Abraham Lincoln. The south
knows, as the north knows. that every
administration that removes another
cause Of Misunderstanding between
the sections. or that brings them
closer together In any way. is acting
under the inspiration OF him who
could love his entire country with I'M
diminished ardor when nearly onehalf
was seeking TO destroy its integrity.
Here. then, at place that knew bat
tie. that knew family dissension. that
knew bloody conflict. that represented
I'm the sharpest and cruelist way a
division OF the sections. here. now that
perfect peace and amity and harmony
prevail. let this memorial be dedicated
as typical OF the love which he. in
whose memory Il is reared, maintain
ed for all Americans. with a kindly,
fatherly patience that has no counter
part since Bethlehem"