The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-02-17


 each mans own merits and achievements that he should be judged. Even the sex- pression of expert historical opinion does not say the final word, for, despite that opinion, the world either remembers man or it forgets him. If it forgets him, the verdict is one scarcely to be gainsaid. Needless to say, Abraham Lincoln IS not forgotten, and his impress upon the though of the nation is still strong. Even his personality is so compelling that it is believed he would be generally recognized were he suddenly to return to the flesh and walk down the streets of any American city. For he IS one of the nations great Americans, without distinction of creed or section. " 5a
 That the press of the North would hail him with expressions of high esteem was only to be expected. That the press of the South should grant him a full meas ure of recognition is proof that the South possesses breadth of view that has not been characteristic of every nation to- wards those whom formerly it opposed on the field of battle. Thus the New Orleans Times Picayue: .''Had Lincoln livedv For us of the South no phrase is more poignant. Strange paradox of his tory, that through the untimely, tragic death of him whose election precipitated the high argument of arms, and whose will imposed the decision, renewed unity was delayed near generation, and the scars of war were scared anew by the needless, pitiless errors of the reconstruc- tion. Yet the spirit and the impulse of Lincoln, after all, wielded from his grave the healing touch. His words, and those of Grant and Lee, are text and guide for the spirit of the America of today" As to Lincoln's rise from obscure ori- gin, the Nashville Banner says of his forebears: "None were prosperous They showed little capacity and no ambi- ton. They owned no property and were unlearned. T hey were of the class known as poor whites. The evolution of Lin coin from such forebears is miracle in which God had hand. The lad early showed a desire for knowledge and his industry, based upon determination tc succeed in life, was marvellous. It was long journey for him from penury to high place. No obstacle daunted and no disappointments caused him to be downcast." The Dallas News finds that "in time of questioning and suspicion it is wholesome to turn our thoughts away from corruption and the contami- nation of gain, away from betrayal of nations trust and of a nations interests and center our reflections for little while upon the life and character of a man of sincerity, fidelity and courage. Such a man was Lincoln" i+
 While warmly declaring that ''no heart that is American to the core, no soul that throbs with the spirit of liberty, can escape today the vibrations which the memory of Abraham Lipcoln starts in motion. Despite the fact that this heroic figure is receding rapidly into the past, it still abides with the present gen. eration as an inspiration to lofty patriot ism," nevertheless the Tampa Tribune ii disturbed by the fact that "there is a feeling that Lincoln is assuming the qualities of a demi-god, that he sits upon an Olympus, majestic and inspiring, but so remote. from the conception of the human mind that it is impossible to re- gard him as a, human being. Such an unsatisfactory attitude must come from a lack of knowledge of the man. .. Lin coin serves posterity best by being re- garded as man, just as he served his contemporaries best by possessing the plain human qualities"
 Estimates of Lincoln's qualities are numerous. According to the Washing ton Star: "Lincoln was peculiarly quail fled to meet the greatest crisis in the nations history. Gentle of spirit, yet firm in determination; quick to perceive justice and to administer it, yet tolerant of faults and merciful in punishment; gifted with a broad vision, yet capable of grasping details, he was precisely the right man for the emergency" As to the interest still taken in Lincoln the Cleveland Plain Dealer illuminatingly declares: Anyone trying to collect every work written to depict the charac- ter of Abraham Lincoln would have by now a sizable library and one that still grows from month to month. If people did not buy, assuredly publishers would not publish. And this harvest of biog- raphy, interpretation, commentary and personal reminiscence, taken into mil lions of American homes, means better understanding of life which, though it ended fifty-nine years ago, is still po- tent factor at every American hearth stone"
 There is noticeable tendency on the part of the press, both North and South, to emphasize the need of men of the ca pacity of the Lincoln who died more than half a century ago, and of the Wilson who died only the other day. In this vein the Chicago News: "Never has the world needed statesmen and guides of the type of Lincoln more than it does today. The problems pressing for solu- ton are perplexingly difficult, but in telligence is not lacking in contemporary statesmen. What is lacking is moral genius-elemental probity, disinterested- ness, faith and courage. What is needed in politics and diplomacy is more of the spirit of Lincoln" -L.
 That the people of this nation would welcome a different type of statesman than some that have recently been in the public eye is undeniable. It is signifi- cant that the stories of Lincoln that have