The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1917-12-06
Appeal of Emancipation Alive
Today as in His Time.
Britisher Delivers Stirring Ad-
dress at LincOIn's Tomb.
PEOPLES ARE SLAVES TODAY
In Belgium, France, Serbia as
Were Negroes in South.
The Struggle Continues Today;
AutOcracy VS.. Human Liberty.

Springfield, ILL.,, Dec. 6.-Standing
at the tomb of Abraham Lincoln to-
day 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 nlustrious 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'Con-
nor, Lincoln stands as much alive
as tho he were still among us. He
is a flaming torch which leads on the
inner soul of every American, wheth-
er he is standing by the honor of his
country in 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
his utter unselfishness is recorded in
every page of his history? What
American can prefer the claims of
ambition or party in face of Ms for
getfulness of all personal and par
tisan feeling before an imperilled ma
ton? What American can entertain
or tolerate the very thought of a di-
vided allegiance in face of his passion
ate patriotism and of the inflexible
resolution with which he fought for
united nation?
His Passionate Love of Liberty.
Can any man doubt where he
would stand if in the crisis thru
which his country is now passing he
was still its ruler? What was the
first and most fundamental of Lin
coins convictions? Was it not passion
ate love of liberty and passionate
hatred of slavery? Is there any diff
ference in essentials between the en-
slavement of the negro and such en-
slavement as Germany today breaches
in her gospel of world domination, and
practices while her sinister mastery
lasts in Belgium, France and Serbia,
as her blood-stained partner does in
the plains and mountains of Armenia ?
To-day, as Lincoln said, two prin-
ciples stand face to face and will ever
continue to struggle, the common
right of humanity and the divine
right of kings or, as we 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 Lincoln's day, that
tho hitherto in the worlds history
might made right it is for us and for
our times to reverse the maxim and tC
show that right makes might.
Shall Not Perish From Earth.
II know he saiC, that liberty is
right and SO do we. Like him, we
hope that peace will come soon, but
like him, we want it so to come "a.
to be worth tn keeping in all future
time Finally, can we do better thar
obey the imp~ rishable appeal from
Gettysburg to dedicate ourselves 81
that the nation may han a new birth
of freedom and that the governmc='
of the people, by the people, and fol
the people, shall not perish from the
earth
Spirit of Lincoln, I do not cal
upon you to come today to us from
this tomb of yours, Your spirit ha.
never left us. In hours of solitude
when we are thrown back on our owl
souls, that spirit has ever whispered
to our inner ear words of comfor
and appeal. Rather let me say t.
your people that it is for them to b'
of. and in, and with, your spirit, 81
that like you, they may be worthy o