The Cordova daily times., 1922-02-13
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 1922
LINCOLIN'S FAME GROWS

Yesterday was Abraham Lincolin's birthday but as it fell on Sunday it is being generally observed today as a national holiday.
 With every passing year the interest in Ab- raham Lncolin and it is coming to be a world wide interest-increases. From the days of Lowell and Whitman down to the present moment he has been the theme of poet, essayist, novelist, dramatist and biographer. Within the last few years have seen MT. Bacheler's novel, Mir. Drinkwater's play and Lord Charnwood's noble biography. English men hardly less than Americans, have done honor and paid reverent tribute to the mem- ory of the American President and thus this great man, though dead, has proved to be a bond of union between the two peoples, says a writer in the Indianapolis News. The more Llncoln's life and character are studled the larger does his greatness loom. Other men, who made a great stir in the world, have shrunk with the passing years.
 Lincoln's has been growing fame. Nor is 1t fame that was ught-rather 1t was summed. There is nothing manufactured in 1t, as indeed there never is in fame that IS lasting and noble. Here is a man who is honored-and this is a fine tribute to democ- racy-for the sole reason that he deserves to be honored
 Much has been made of the simplicity of Lincon's character, and yet in a sense it was not simple at all. The mystery connected with it has not been conjured up by men desiring to show their ingenuity. He was, as Tenny- son says of the duke of Wellington, "rich in saving common sense," and, Gas the greatest only are, in his simplicity sublme.'' "As the greatest only are''-the qualifying phrase is important. There were depths in Lincoln s nature that never have been and never will be plumbed. To him "who only sees one way at once" Lincoln may seem to be merely a good-natured, tolerant man. Yet, though he overfowed with the spirit of mercy, he could be as hard as adamant when occasion required Humble though he was he could take posit- ion, and hold it with self-assertveness that was sublime. Utterly without pride, he yet trusted his own judgement, and even his in tuitions implicitly. "Rich in saving common sense," he was yet beyond question mystic In what Swinbune said was the greatest threnody in the English language, Whitman spoke of Lincoln as "the sweetest, wisest soul of all my days and lands.' More than any other American, Lincoln had that remarka- ble quality which Arnold praised so highly, "sweet reasonableness.' This character therefore, is not simple, but in the highest de- gree complex The simplicity is found in the moral nature. To follow conscience and do the right was the rule of this man g life There is an appearance of simplicity, due to the fact that the character, composite as it was, was 80 we'll rounded, so marked by totality as to blindment to the struggles by which the unity was achieved. It may be said of Lincoln, as of Brutus, but with much more truth:
 His life was gentle, and the elements
 So mixed in him that nature might stand up And say to all the world: ''This was a man!"
 So, though his was ''in his simplicity sub- 1ime," it was Gas the greatest only are." He was one "who loved his charge, but never loved to lead," and his surely was "the brave old wisdom of sincerity.''
 There are, however, two clements of Lin coln's character that are supposed to be in conflict, but mistakenly 80. It is often won-