Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1917-12-09
LINCOLN EULOGEEDs
ByIGREAT FRESHMAN

Oh hLNNr IC1Ai(s IL, DSC' O. oIdhu'
ing at the tomb of Abraham Lincol2
today T. P. O'Connor, member of the
British parliament, declared in an adj
dress that there never was a moment
in the history of this country since
the death of the illustrious man by
whose ashes We stand today when
the inspiration and lessons of his life
were more needed by his people and
his country
LAS a man." declared Mr.. O'Connor,
Lincoln stands as much alive as
though he were still among us. He is
flaming torch which leads on the
inner soul of every American, whether
he is standing by the honor of his
country i'll his work at home or
marching over barbed wire trenches
against shell and cannon, to wounds
or death. What American can be
cowardly when his courage inspires
What American can be selfish when
lis utter unselfishness is recorded in
every page of his history? What
American can prefer the claims OF am
bition or party in face of his forget
fitness of all personal and partisan
feeling before an imperilled nation?
What American can entertain or toler-
ate the very thought OF divided al
legiance in face of his passionate ma
triotism and of the inflexible resolu-
ton with which he fought for a united /
nation?
'Can any man doubt where he would
stand if in the crisis through which
his country is now passing was still
its ruler? What was the first and
most fundamental of Lincoln's con-
victions? Was it not passionate love
OF liberty and passionate hatred CT
Is there any difference in e5-
sentials between the enslavement OF
the negro and such enslavement as
Germany today breaches in her gospel
O. world dominion, and practices while
her sinister master lasts in Belgium,
France and Serbia, as her blood-stain-
ed partnes does in the plains and
of Armenia?
To-day, as Lincoln said, two prin-
ciples stand face to face and viii ever
continue to struggle, the common
right Of humanity and the divine
right of kings, or, as TO would say,
the Kaiser and the liberty of the
world Today as Lincoln said, there
is but one duty-to fight 1t is true
today, as it was in Lincolns day, that
though hitherto in the worlds history
might made right 1t is for us and
for our times to reverse the maxim
and to show that right makes might )
81 know he said, that Liberty is
right and so do we Like him, we
hope that peace will come soon. but
like him, We want it to come so as |
to be worth the keeping in all future |
time Finally, can we do better than I
obey the imperishable appeal from
Gettysburg, to dedicate ourselves so
that the nation may have a new birth |
of freedom and that the government
OF the people, by the people, and for
the people, shall not perish from the
earth.
Spirit of Lincoln, l do not call upon
you to come today to us from this
tomb of yous. Your spirit has never
left us. in hours of solitude when
we are thrown back on our own souls,
that spirit has ever whispered to our
inner ear words of comfort and appeal
Rather let me say to your people thet
it is for them to be of, and in, and
with, your spirit, so that, like YOU,
they may be worthy of this great hour
in their history. and, like you, be ready
to strive, and hope, and suffer. to
the end"