The Julesburg grit-advocate., 1912-02-15
LINCOLN'S CENTENARY
The Secret of Lincoln's Greatness
By WILLIAM NJ. DYE

name of every loyal American, loved
and revered by all the civilized world,
is too we'll known to require me at this
time to go into detailed account of his
early life, scarcely necessary to say.
that he was a Keutuckian by BIRTH an
Indianian by emigration as youth,
and an IHinosian by choice, but an
American patriot in the interest Of all
the people.
So much has been said and written
concerning this great man, so many
eloquent tongues and gifted pens have
paid him homage; and it being my per-
sonal misfortune, forwhich in no way
am responsible, not to have been born
for several years after his assaslna-
ton, | frd it difficult to contribute
anything new, or even fresh. which has
not been said or expressed in substance.
So, in the Language of charade,
There is nothing new under 'he
sum- have proceeded to CLEAN from
all sources.
| have purposely forgone the pleas
urc of indulgng in the recitation Of his
favorte stories; or of attempting to
portray his hardships. successes and
failures. But have tried to contine this
address to his Better-Self and the
Secret of His Success, which to my
mind was his goodness.
In some respects the year 1909 was
the most eventfui year of the Nine
teenth century. Its eventfulncss lies
in the fact that it was the birth-yea Of
several of the most i!lustrous men born
during that Century. 1t gave to poet
~ the erratic but brilliant Edgar Allen
Poe, the Witty Oliver Wendall Homes,
ard the great lyric master, Alfred Ten
nyson. To music it gave Chopin and
Mendelssohn. To science. Darwin: to
uel +. Smith, who wrote, MY Country
'Tis of Thee, Sweet Land of LIBERTY
but He who is most memorable to
America-its union. Liberty and Free.
dom. was given on the 18th day of
February, 1909, not only to America
but to the world, the great hearted pa
triot and friend of the oppressed
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Great men are more to be rcvcred
than great principles. In the abstract
principles are powerless. it is only when
-, ht,v h.t
they become potent. SO it came to
pass that the mighty principles which
under-lay the ''irresistible conflict
found their incarnation In the life and
labors of the immortal Lincoln.
Are we not more inclined to think of
Lincoln as 4 lawyer, as an lnimitabIe
story. teller, or a gifted orator! A
courageous Legislator and far-sighted
Statesman? Or possibly we recall him
more vividly as Il great hero of human
liberty and freedom; sympathetic ard
tender to the oppressed: but, have we
thought of him as deeply pious, natur-
ally religious. and highly Christian in
Character. during the most strenuous
part of his life? 1t is to this character
istic part of his life. that we wish to
call your attention on this occasion.
Therefore we affirm that:
His greatness originated in his good
ness. 1t is true he was well born. to
which inheritance every hoy and girl is
Justly entitled. No persons have any
divine right to become parents, know
ing that both or either of them are
afflicted with some constitutional NAL
aty, which is likely TO be transmitted
to poStcrlty. and thereby propagate in
bicility. disease and suffering. No
more have they the right in the sight
Of God. to rear their children in i'm
moral, debascd, and degraded homes;
blaclencd by wifUi vice. ard be
smirched by hcinouS crimes. Such en-
vironmeuts for the beginning Cf child
hood and Youth. are crimes against So
y c.uty, and outraGCs against common
decency, which make difficult. the lar
gest possibility of any boy or girl. say
ing nothing of personal obligations to
to the state and nation as citizens
But in these respects Lincoln was mos t
blcssediy favored. While he was born
in an extremely poor and humble. but
amost respectable home: thereby. be-
ing greatly inconvienced by his inheri-
ted poverty. But after all who knows
but that it was the surmounting of
these undesirable difficulties, that de-
veloped his strong mental faculties. his
noble moral qualities, his natural re-
ligious tendencies. and eventually, rip
ened into a most beautiful Christian
Character. during the last years of his
earthly existence, maturing simple
child-like faith in God: giving him the
courage of his best conviction. the in
despensible characteristic in every ag-
gressive citizen. who leaves a lasting
impress upcn the world for good.
Continued Next Week.