New Britain herald., 1929-02-11
SAYS NATION NEEDS
 MEN LIKE LINCOLN
Rev. I. \. Croeoe Sos Room for
 Mort Honest Ab' Type

The nation today needs more men and women with the outstanding qualities of Abraham Lincoln, ac- cordiny to Rev. Theodore Ainsworth Greene in . Lincoln's Day address at the First Congregational church yes- terday morning.
 Lincoln was a man appointed by Providence to fill time of great need. according to the minister. who described the Great Emancipator as "A man sent from God"
 He said in part:
 sGod, in His infinite wisdom. Is forever doing great things Gods greatest gift, however, to any group or generation of men is a great soul. Every high achievement in human history can be traced back to this There was a man sent from God.
 ''To find truth and goodness set forth in flesh and blood is the most Inspiring sort of vision you and I can ever have. Incarnation. the business |of making the divine attributes live lin . man, all this is Gods favorite method of bringing progress to pass upon this earth.
 "We talk sometimes boastfully about Americas power and strength today. We speak of her material blessings, her wide expanse of terri tory. her protecting seas. her indus tries, her natural resources. And these are all vast and important. ] would not belittle them for a mo- Ynent. Nevertheless. the greatest blessing America has received out of Ill the wealth heaped upon her by the generous years is not any of these material possessions. The Kreatest American asset. we can boast, is this: Tha> our. American Ideal has taken human form. In this respect. our country is blessed above most of the other nations.
 "I believe we may claim truly. that In no nation since Israel have so many great ideals taken shape and born fruit in great lives as right here VI Vut oW u VI @ei''N' ANe@ There are glorious names in Eng lands history to he sure! Yet is there pne name in all England's roster. of whom the British people would unite to say, we would have all Eng ismen like him?' I doubt it. Crom- we'll. Wellington. Gladstone. Bright. hot ono of these men would be talk en by Englishmen of every class and rank. as representing in any satis- factory way the British ideal.
 'Rut America has one man. who n his own person. sets forth large part of our national ideal. This very week We celebrate the 1o0th anniver- tary of his birth. There was a man sent from God. whose name was Abraham Lincoln.'
 ''I do not mean for moment that we would either deify or worship his plain man Of the people, as the Romans once deified their emperors. Bod forbid! One cannot help sus- pecting that Mr. Lincoln himself pith his keen sense of humor. would be the first to laugh at such a possi- bility. Lincoln. as we know him to- Hay, is to some extent an ideal that has grown. Let us take that for granted! Nevertheless. l claim with ho fear of dissent in this audience. that we can desire nothing better for America than this: That all our peo- pie shall be like Abraham Lincoln in his great and noble qualities.
 "I believe that in Lincoln we see he type, the standard. the ideal Americanism, which we may all do well to seek in ourselves and our eaders. Franklin K. Lane was right when he declared few years back hat ''rhe best definition of Amcri- fanism is getting people 10 look at America with the eyes of Abraham 4incoln'
 Ut is well for us, preceding the anniversary of his birth to stop and mink together briefly Of certain qualities in Lincoln's character, which we very much need right now Il America. What are these quali- ies, which stand out most vividly as we consider the character and the eareer of this great leader?
 ''First of all, let us place among 4incOln's admirable qualities his in- katiable ambition! But do not mis- understand him. here. Other men, Aaron Burr. Napoleon, Kaiser Will lelm for example, have been ambi- ious in a way which has cugsed hem and their countries. But this nan Lincoln had one unauenchable hmbition. 10 make the most and the vest of himself!
 Tt stirs and stimulates every honest soul. to watch how this man makes hts way against all obstacles until he has revealed, at last, for all he world to see. the greatness latent n him.
 Take the simple story Of the young Lincoln making himself the master of our English tongue. How p::instakingly and thoroughly he kaye himself 10 his task. writings words with charcoal on bits of board. reading on and on into the night by the light Of pine knots, practicing his speaking in the woods lonc with only the tree to listen: put of all this earnest effort shines
 spirit determined to be excellent.