ABRAHAM LINCOLN.

America is in a singularly fitting mood to observe the one hundred and tenth anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. The great principles of progressive civilization, which he firmly upheld during the dark days of the Civil War, are strikingly analagous to those which this nation has maintained in the war just brought to a successful conclusion. When Death cut short the full but unfinished career of Lincoln, thereby bringing loss equally to friend and foe, his plans for national reconstruction were based upon the lasting principles of "malice toward none, charity to all, firmness in the right." In a broad sense these are the ideals which America is even now staunchly upholding at the Peace Conference as the only tenable program of international reconstruction.

Our mood of appreciative understanding has been further prepared for the memories of today by the service of Sunday, held in honor of a man who, like Lincoln, seemed to combine within himself those qualities which we are proud to call "American." No other great leaders of this nation have ever typified so well its distinguishing characteristics. It is significant that the highest honor payable to subsequent leaders of America has been to compare their qualities with the exemplary ones of Lincoln.