Year: 1865

1t is fitting that we should thus come
together. 1t is is fitting that we should
mourn for we have lost a great and good
man. 1t is fitting that we should observe
a National Fast, for we have as a nation
been bereft of our best friend. 1t is ft-
ting that we should by every testimonial
in our power do honor to his memory, for
he was worthy of the best honors we can
pay him.


1t is not my purpose in discussing the
character of President Lincoln, to enter
upon review in detail of the several i'm
portant acts of his Presidency, much less
to speak of his political career or tenets.
This is not the time nor place for such
discussion The great questions which have
divided the opinions of men and still di-
vide them are of too recent occurrence to
be settled absolutely. When the acerbity
of the contest shall be past and the light
of experience shall have been shed upon
what is now only probiematical, then His
tory will make up its verdict upon what
is now on trial and then only can be de-
termined which of us is now in the right
and in what measure we are So While
we do as partizans, / trust, stoutly main
tain our own views of the right as in our
consciences they seem to u.s. it is not as
partizans that we come here to-day to
mourn our great national calamity.


1t is not of Abraham Lincoln as Pres
ident elected by the Republican party. not


as the advocate of Negro Emanci-
patton, nor of any other political act that


| would speak, but of him as a man aud
patriot I would call your attention
to his individual greatness and goodness,
Of that worth and excellence which be-


long exclusively to him and not to those


political actions which he shared in COM


mon with the great numbers who advo-
Gated the same policy. To his individual


worth be it said to their credit, none have


borne more willing testimony than his po-


litical opponents.


| know indeed that of the hundreds


who stand in my place to-day tc


speak eulogy of him, very many have


come to claim for him undying fame for Q


single act Of his administration which


they claim to have been the browning


glory of his greatness. am not one O.


these. In this behalf he is not entitled


to the praise nor the blame. He was only


the exponent of great popular feeling
mightier than he or any other man. ]


in that act there be any glory of grea


good accomplished he must share it will


the great numbers that strove for the sam
end. If, on the other hand, it shall final
!, ly be determined as / have more thai
feared that there has been somewhat 0


precipitancy, and we fail in the realization
of all the great good we have sough
for, not on him alone is the responsible
! ity.


, | have said he was great man. I
, properly appreciate the measure Of hi
greatness we must take into account th
, circumstances that have attended his pub
, lie career, we must regard the magnitud


of the struggle in which we were engage
and the immensity of the difficulties an
dangers which beset him.


t When the sea is smooth, an OF
dinary sailor can steer ship but whe
storm arises and the great deep is dis
{ turbed, then there lis need of strong
skillful man at the helm. TO the physi
: clan who heals us Of a common sicknes
we feel grateful, but when we are sick ur
to death we have large gratitude to hir
5 who restores us.
t 70 be the successful leader Of ten thoui
s and men in an ordinary army is post
/. honor. He who can do this successfully
. is entitled to far more credit than comes
Q the lot of us ordinary men. Still such
: man must share his reputation with thou'
a ands of others who have done the sam
s thing But when Xenophon at the hea
0 of ten thousand Greeks by his skill an
{ address withdrew from the heart Of Persi
r avoided tho dangers that beset him an
a baffled the hosts that were sent again
Q him, he gained immortal fame, and of q


the captains of ten thousand men his stol
:. ,ho oveatest the world has ever seem