The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-02-10

The following speech of Congress-
man Smith which was delivered in the
House of Representatives last April
is appropriate to Lincoln's Birthday
and is taken from the Congressional
Record of April 5-12, 1916:
Mr.. Chairman, under ordinary cir
cumstances, after hearing the able and
exceedingly interesting speeches of
Hon. Jos. G. Cannon and the Hon.
Isaac R. Sherwood and others upon
the life and deeds of Abraham Lin
coin, would not be so persumptuous
as to attempt to add anything to what
has already been said about "the great
est memory of our EARTH"
The transfer by the patriotic COM
monwealth of Kentucky of the log
cabin in which Lincoln was born to
the gentle care and protection of the
United States is no ordinary occasion.
I never expect to witness a more
patriotic and inspiring scene. 1t is
an event that arouses in every Amer
lean heart a desire to give expression
to the love and veneration in which
he not only holds the great emanci-
pator but everything connected with
his life from childhood to the grave.
From the fullness of the American
heart the mouth speaketh of the
things that make life worth living; of
the things that ennoble and sanctify
Gods heritage to man.
Would that I had the ability to de-
pict for you my hearts image of Abra-
ham Lincoln; it would fill you with
thanksgiving to Almighty God for hav-
ing sent in the hour of our country's
direst need, Abraham Lincoln-the
greatest power for good and the great
est leader of men since Christ-"a
Christ in miniature" said Tolstoy.
Filled with such emotions, know
that my generous and patriotic col
leagues will bear with me while in
my humble way on this historic day
lay a sprig of laurel on the tomb of
one of our own kind and generation
the immortal Lincoln-the friend of
men.
Born of humble and illiterate par
entage, on Nolan Greek, in wild and
unsettled hickory forest of Kentucky,
in this rude cabin-a very strange and
unlikely place for the birth Of the
Nations saviour. From this lonely
home in the wilderness, devoid of
books, schools and churches, and even
of the stimulus Of educated compan-
ions, this incompatible child of the
forest by sheer force of character ad.
vanced step by step in knowledge and
statecraft until he reached the high.
est position in the gift of the greatest
nation on earth. And this, too, at a
time when that nation needed its
greatest genius to save it from self
destruction.
These inspiring exercises testify
more eloquently than any words OF
mine how completely he restored the
Union as it was before the mighty
rebellion, in which he was the match
less leader. Today the Southland is
vying with the Northland in paying
homage to the memory of the pre-
server of our Commonwealth, it's flae
and free institutions. If the shades
of the venerated and martyred Lin
coin could witness this scene of {
reunited and happy people, its cup o.
joy would overflow.
His was a life filled with greatness
and sadness-free from malice, jeal
ousy and revenge.
His solicitude for the welfare of th'
South after the fall of the Confeder
acy was beautifully expressed in thes'
words:
II want the people of the South t.
come back to the old home, to sit dow
at the old fireside, to sleep under tn
old roof, and to labor and rest AM
worship God under the old flag. Fo
four years have seen the flag of ou
Union riddled with bullets and tori
with shell and trailed in the dust be
fore the eyes Of all the nations, an
now am honing that It will pleas