Great Falls tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1921-current, 1922-05-31

enlargement, whenever the clouds
gather, there is the image of Lincoln
to rivet our hopes and to renew our
faith. Whenever. there is a glow Of tri-
umph over national achievement there
comes the reminder that but for Lin
coins heroic and unalterable faith in
the Union these triumphs could not
have been made.
NO greater character in all history
has been more eulogized, no rugged fig
ure more monumental. no likeness more
portrayed. Painters and s~culptOrs Dor
tray as these. and no two see precisely
alike. SO. too. is there varied empha-
sis in the portraiture of words, but all
are agreed about the rugged greatness
and the surprising tendency and I'M
failing wisdom of this master martyr.
History is concerned with the things
accomplished. Biography deals with
the methods and the individual attrib-
utes which led to accomplishment.
"The supreme chapter In history Is
not emancipation, though that achieve.
ment would have exalted Lincoln
throughout all the ages. The simple
truth Is that Lincoln, recognizing an es-
tabIished order, would have c~ompromis.
ed with the slavery that existed, II he
could have halted its extension Halt.
Ina human slavery as he did he doubt.
less brought about its ultimate aboIi-
tIon through the developing conscience
of the American people, but he would
have been the last man In the republic
to resort to arms to effect Ms aboli-
ton. Emancipation was a means to
the great end maintained union and ma.
tionaIity. Here was the great purpose,
here the towering hope. here the su-
preme faith. He treasured the inheri.
lance handed down by the founding
fathers. the ark Of the covenant
wrought through their heroic sacrifices
and buIIded in their inspired genius.
The union must be preserved. 1t was
the central thought, the unaftered pur-
pose, the undying intent. the founda-
ton of faith. 1t was worth every sac
rifice, Justified every cost. steeIed the
haert to sanction every crims0ned tide
of blood. Here vas the great expert
menr.p0puIar government and consti-
tutIonal unIon-menaced by greed OK.
pressed In human chatteIs. With the
greed restricted and unthreatening, he
COuIO TEN pOTdFIZ6. when " CUdII6n0e0
federal authority and threatened the
union, it pronounced its own doom. In
the first inaugural, he quoted and re.
his own oft-repeated utternace,
y have no purpose, directly or indi-
to interfere with the institution
of slavery In the states where It ex-
lists. ! believe 2 have no lawful riqht
to do so and ! have no inclination to
do So He believed in maintaining in
the rights Of the states, but he
believed no less firmly in the perpetu-
ity of the union of the states. The
union, having been contracted, could
not be dissolved except by consent of
the parties to the contract. He
the conflicting view points,
policies and c~ontroverted
questions. But there we're constitu-
ionaI methods Of settlement and these
must be employed.
I'm the first inaugural address he
the great general principle
hat:
In our constitutional controversies
re divide into ~majorities and minori-
les. If the minority will not ac-
the majority must, or the gov
rnment must cease. There is no
ther alternative. for continuing the
overnment is acquiesence on the one
ide or the other. If the minority in
UGH a case will secede rather than