Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-12
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
Today Is h

Today is the anniversary Of Idncoln's birth. More
than half a century has passed since the great war presi.
dent laid down his life, saddened by the tragic events Of
the war which had been waged for the preservation of
the union. cheered by the knowledge that the danger
had been averted. and that, whatever problems remained
to be solved. the inseparability Of the union Of states
was established.
Lincoln was . man Of peace. No man ever detested
war more than he did. He could have averted the civil
war. A word from him at any time before the war act
ually began. and not . shot would have been fired. At
a word from him at any time during the conflict hos
ttlities would have ceased and the lives Of Thousands Of
his fellow men would have been spared. Yet, with all
his horror Of war. with all his vast human sympathy,
and in spite Of the opportunities Of Thousands in public
and private life, he s~teadfastly refused to utter the word
which would have preserved peace at the sacrifice o.
principle.
Lincoln hated war, but when the principles which he
believed to be essential to the preservation Of human lib
erty could be defended in no other way he did not
shrink from war. And when war came, there was in the
mind Of 1Ancoln no thought Of yielding. Of temporizing,
of compromising: He insisted that the war should go on
until 1t ended in victory for the nation.
In his memorable Gettysburg address Lincoln said
that 1t must be determined whether any nation conceived
and dedicated as ours had been could long endure. The
victory for the union cause was hailed as a nnal DISPOSE
ton OF all questions on that point. The nation has been
established, it had been threatened with . division, the
forces within it which made for cohesion had held it to-
sether, and there was N assumption that the last great
problem relating to the existence Of the nation had been
solved. Half a century later We are confronted by an
other problem involving both the independent existence
Of the nation and the cohesion of its own elements. We
are rnenaced BY the ambition Of autocrats who hold that
they have a divine commission to rule the world.
Throughout much Of Europe the rights for which the
founders Of this nation contended have been tramplea
under foot. The rights Of independent peoples to live
their own lives and manage their own affairs has been
denied. Human beings by the hundred thousand have
been carried into . slavery with which the slavery Of the
black man incur southern states did not compare. AZ
was true fifty years ago, the forces Of freedom have lined
themselves up for a struggle to the death against the
spirit Of autocratic rule. Our nation is menaced with all
other free nations. and with those nations 1t has taken
IT. place in defense Of the principles on which ali free
sovernment 10 founded.
Were Lincoln with US today he would stand where Ne
stood In the former struggle. and whore the president Of
the nation stands now. He would have insisted that at
any coK. 1T any acrihcs. We must continue in the neht,
putting forth such EFFORTS ~ We have never bsfore been
called On to put forth. spending money. shedding blood,
enduring and laborins until the end, in order that there
may be removed from the lives Of men this menace, which
~ hops may be the last Of It's kind, this menace to the
freedom AID IL happiness and very lMs Of humanity.