The Washington herald., 1922-05-31

: VI W6snin > tou anu sCnCfBoH
and Hamilton and Franklin was
proven when Lincoln. the. child
OF privation. OF hardship. Of
barren environment and meager
opportunity. rose to unques-
TONED leadership when disc
union threatened.
Had High Ambition.
Lincoln came almost as hum
bly, as The Child of Bethlehem.
His parents were unlettered.
his home was devoid of every
element of culture and refinc-
ment. He was no infant prod
ICY, no luxury facilitated or
privilege hastened his develop
ment. but he had a God d-given
intellect. love for work. a
Willingness to labor and a pur-
post to succeed.
Biographers differ about bis
ambition. but Herndon. who
knew him as did no other. says
he was greatly ambitious.
can believe that. Ambition ts
.eommendabte Ett:ibu:s. with
out which no man succeeds.
Only iuconsiderste ambitioa I'm
perils.
Lincoln was modest. but he
was sure Of h,msAls. and always
greatly sinp,e. Therein was his
appeal to the condence Of his
country. When he believed ne
was right nation believed him
to be right. and offered all In
his support.
His work was so col ,ssll. In
the face of such discourage
ment. that none will dispute
that he was incompa rabTy the
greatest of our Presidents. He
came to authority when the Re-
public was beset at home and
abroad. and re-established union
and security. He made that
gesture OF his surprising gem
erosity which began reunion.
Let us forget the treachery. cor
ruption and Incompetence with
which he had to combat, and re-
call HE wisdom. his unselfsh-
ness. his sublime patience.
Resented No .Caiumries.
He resented no calumnies
upon himself; he held no man
his enemy who had the power
and will to serve the Union, his
vision was blinded by no jeal-
ousy. He took his advisors
from among his rivals, invoked
their patriotism and ignored
their plottings. He dominated
them by the sheer greatness of
his intellect. the sinSleness and
honesty of his purpose. ana
made them responsive to his
hand for the accomplishment OF
the exalted purpose. Amid It all
there was a gentleness, a kind
} ness. a sympathetic sol Nv.
which suggests a divine intent
to blend mercy with power in
supreme attainment
This memorial, matchless trib-
ute that II is. Is less for Abra-
ham Lincoln than those of us
today, and for those who follow
after. His surprising compen-
sation would have been in liv-
ing. to have his ten thousand
sorrows dissipated in the rejoic-
inGs of the succeeding half CEN
tury. He loved his boys" in
the army, and would have rev.
eied in the great part they
played in more than a half ceu-
tury of the pursuit of peace and
concord restored. How he
would have been exalted by the
chorus of the Union after "the
mystic chords" were touched
by the better angels of our ma
ture"'
Honored in south.
How it would comfort his
great soul to know that the
States in the Southland Join
sincerely in honoring him. and
have twice. since his day. Joined.
with all the fervor of his own
great heart. in defending the
flag, How II would soften his
anguish to know that the South
long since came to realize that
a vain assassin robbed II of its
most sincere and potent friend
when II - was PROSTATE and
stricken, when Lincoln's sym
pathy and understanding would
ave helped to heal the wounds
anu Tue SCdTS ana SDeeu
the restoration How with his
love Of freedom and justice, this
apostle of humanity would have
found his sorrows tenfold re-
paid to see the 100. 100000 to
whom he bequeathed reunion
and nationality, giving Of their
sons and daughters and all their
fortunes to halt the armed
march OF autocracy and pre-
serve civilization. even as he pre-
served union!
More. how his great American
heart would be aglow to note
how resolutely we are going on,
always on. holding to constitu-
tioRal methods, amending ts
meet the requirements of a pro-
gressive civilization, clingi1g -
majority rule. properly re-
s'-~Ircd which is THE. only true
sovereign Of free people," and
working to the fulfillment g
the DESTINY of the worlds great
est republic!
Fifty-seven years ago this
people gave from their ranks,
sprung from their own fiber,
this plain man, holding their
common ideals. They gave him
first to service of the nation in
the hour of peril. then to their
Pantheon of Fame. With them
and by them he is enshrined
and exalted forever.
Today. American gratitude,
love and appreciat' give to
Abraham Lincoln this lone