Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 44, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 7 February 1908 — LincoIn's Specific Life Work. [ARTICLE]

LincoIn's Specific Life Work.

One often thinks of hia life as cut off, but no great man sines Cmsar baa teen his life work ended aa did Lincoln. Napoleon died upon a desert rock, but not until Anaterlits and Wagram had become memories, and the dust of the empire even aa all dust. Cromwell knew that England had not at heart materially altered. Washington did qot know that he had created one of the great, perhaps the greatest, empires to be known to man. Bat Lincoln bad a aped lie taak to do—to save bis country and to make it free —and on that fateful 14th of April he knew that be had accomplished both things. There are those who would say that chance put this man where he waa to do this work. To the thoughtful mind It was not chance, however, but design, and that the design of which all greatneaa is a part. War is indeed the crudble of the nations. It is the stndgnt of ■ century hence who shall properly place the Civil War In American history. But, whatever tbit place be, there can be no doubt of the position In It of the war President. Like William the Silent, bis domination of all about him was a matter not. of personal desire, txtf of absolute and constant growth. Thar* are few

more Interesting characters in history than Lincoln. There is none who in quite the same manner fits himself so absolutely into his circumstances. It is the highest form of genius that so produces as to make production seem effortless, and it is perhaps the greatest of all tributes to Lincoln that what he did seems sometimes only what the average man would have done in his place.