Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1922-02-13
ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Should one hundred Americans
be asked to make and defend a
choice Of three men, whose lives
and writings best portray the.
genius and history OF our institu-
tons. we should expect quite
varied results. Three names
might be given promptly. and IN
al likelihood they would be
those OF leaders in great crises,
It least two OF them would. We
suspect that Washington would
re found on most lists, and Lin
.oln as we'll. The President OF
Columbia, in lectures delivered at
Copenhagen University, named
Alexander Hamilton, Abraham
Lincoln. and Ralph Waldo EN-
erson. On this anniversary OF
Lincoln's birth, many a lesson
will be drawn from a life which
makes an especial appeal. as well
as an impression OF strength and,
in real sense. OF charm.
The qualities that made him
great. it must be impressed, were
moral ones, the same kind avail
able for any man In word. II
vas the placing OF principle
higher than any self interest. a
typical illustration occurred in the
dispute with Douglas. douglas
does not care whether this propo-
sition is voted up or down. But
God cares, and humanity cares,
and | care" There was no ex-
alting of self in that. Rather 1t
was that highest kind OF states
manship. which regards not only
the welfare OF humanity on a
large scale. rather than personal
profit. but also the great world
order and movement, i'll which
the present moment is only a
small part.
1t is natural to fall into the
way of supposing that men as
great as he easily welded every
available agency into a tool, with
which to fight one clear cut OBJ
,taclc. 1t is not so. As one re-
views his life. it seems almost as
remarkable that the North did not
crush him as that the South did
not. The political and mercenary
intrigues and jealousies, the at
tacks of the press. the rlvalries
among commanders. the selfish
ness that crippled patriotism. all
these things must have done most
to deepen those lines i'll his face.
The remarkable diary of his Sec
retarv of the Navy. Gideon
Welles. is positively pathetic in
its revelations OF lack of harmony
even in the old saying that great
ness and loneliness go together.
about Lincoln there was, and
is. more than a trace OF awe and
mystery. caused not SO much by
the height OF his position or by
his tragic end as by his greatness
of soul. In literal sense, he
was "other worldly" This was
fundamental fact. contradicted
not at all BY his deep and skill
iul touch with human nature at
all points. His love for the COM
mon people" was as intense as 1t
was because they were part OF
an unseen moral order. Presi-
dent Schurman expressed what
we mean. in saving: Il do not
believe the Union would have
been preserved. had it not have
been for Lincoln's faith i'll God.
and trust in His moral ordering
OF the universe.
Lincoln's Gettysburg speech Is
not more notable for its beauty
than for its solemn humility in the
presence OF a spot which witness
ed heroic self sacrifice. Had we
heard it. we as others might
have been less impressed by it
than by other more "oratorical
efforts of the day. Admiration for
the spirit that breathes through it
is the right kind of a tribute to a
life which must always be a choice
heritage of the American people.