New-York tribune., 1922-05-31

7 &
/ Unions salvation.
His faith was inspiring his reso-
luton commanding, his sympathy re.
assuring. his simplicity enlisting, his
patience unfailing. He was faith
! patience and courage. with his head
above the clouds. unmoved by the
F., storms which ragged about his feet
mo leader was ever more unspar-
| ingly criticized or more bitterly as.
sailed, He was lashed by angry
tongues and rdiculed in press and
speech until he drank from as bitter
a cup as was ever put to human lips
but his faith was mistaken and his
patience never exhausted. Some one
sent me recently an illuminated and
| framed quotation which fell from his
| lips when the storm Of criticism was
at its height:
"If were trying to read he said
much less answer. all the attacks made
on me. this shop might as we'll be
closed for any other business do
the bestsI know how, the very best
| can; and mean to keep on doing
it to the end. If the end brings me
out all right. what is said against ne
Will not amount TO anything. II the
end brings nc out ali wrong. ten
angels swearing | WAS right would
| make no difference
"He knew. of course, before the as
sassin robbed him of fuller realization,
! that the end was bringing him out all
right. He knew when swords were
sheathed and guns laid down that the
I Union he saved WAS riveted anew and
made forever indissoluble. He knew
that in the great crucible of fire and
blood the dross had been burned from
the misdirected patriotism of seeding
| states and the pure gold restored to
shining stars in dear Old Glory again.
He knew he had freed a race of bonds
men and had given to the world the
costly proof of the perpetuty of the
American Union. But cannot restrain
the wish that he might somehow know
OF the monuments to his memory
throughout the world and that we are
dedicating to-day, on behalf of CRATE
full nation, this matchless memorial,
whose forty y-eight columns, represent
ing forty eight states, in the concord
Of union. testify that the end brought
him out all right
Popular Government Abused
"Refecting now on the lampooning
and needless attack and unjustifable
abuse which bruised his heart and
tested his patience, we may accept its
expression as one of the abused priv
leges under popular government, when
passion sways and bitterness inspires
but for which there is compensation in
the assurance that when men have
their feet firmly planted in the right,
and do the very best they can and
keep on doing it, they come out all
right in the end, and all the storm
does not amount to anything
He rose to colossal stature in
day of imperilled union. He first ap-
pealed. and then commanded, and left
the Union secure and the nation su-
preme. His was a leadership for
great crisis, made loftier because of
the inherent righteousness of his
cause and the sublimity of his own
faith Washington inspired belief in
the Republic, in its heroic beginning:
Lincoln proved it's quality in the heroic
pre- servation. The Old World had won.
dered about the New World expert
ment, and was quite ready to proclaim
its futility when the Civil War was
threatening but Lincoln left the Union
unchallenged for all succeeding time.
Not only was our nation given new
birth Of freedom, but democracy was
given new sanction by that hand of
divinity itself which has written the
rights of human kind and pointed the
way to their enjoyment
Abraham Lincoln was no SUPER
man. Like the great Washington,
whose monumental shaft towers nearby
as tlt companion to the memorial
We dedicate to-day, the two testifying
the grateful love of all Americans to
founder and savior-like Washington.
Lincoln was very natural human
being, with the frailties mixed with
the virtues of humanity There are
neither supermen nor demi-gods in
the government of Kingdoms, empires
or republics. 1t will be better for our
conception of government and it's in
sttutions if we will understand this
fact. 1t is vastly greater than finding
the superman if we justify the con,
hdencc that our institutions are
capable of bringing into authority, in
time of stress, men big enough and
strong enough to meet all demands.
Came From Humble Home
"N Washington and Lincoln offered
outstanding proof that a representative
popular government, constitutionally
founded, can find its own way to saliva
ton and accompl plishment In the very
beginning our American democracy
turned to Washington, the aristocrat
for leadership in revolution and the
greater task Of founding permanent
institutions. The wisdom of Washing
ton and Jefferson and Hamilton and
Franklin was proved when Lincoln, the
child of privation, Of hardship, of
barren environment and meager op-
portunlty, rose to unquestioned leader
ship when disunion threatened.
Lincoln came almost as humblv as
| the Child of Bethlehem. His parents
were unlettered, his home was devoid
OF every element of culture and re-
fnement He was no infant prodigy.
no luxury facilitated or privilege
hastened his development but he had
a God-given intellect, love for work.
Willingness to labor and purpose
to succeed.
photographers differ about his ambi
hon, but Herndon, who knew him as
did no other, says he was greatly am
bilious. | can believe that. Ambition
is commendable attribute, without
which no man succeeds. Only incon-
siderate ambition imperils.
Lincoln was modest, but he was
sure of himself and always greatly
simple. Therein was his appeal to the
confidence of his country. When he
believed he was right nation believed
him to be right and offered all in his
support.
His work was so colossal. in the
face of such encouragement, that none
Will dispute that he was incomparably
the greatest OF our Presidents He
came TO authority when the Republic
was beset by foes at home and abroad
ard re-established union and security.