973.7163 GRf67a Ranki n, Henry B. The Abraham Lincoln Uni versi ty LINCOLN ROOM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY MEMORIAL the Class of 1901 founded by HARLAN HOYT HORNER and HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER The Abraham Lincoln University Address by HENRY B. RANKIN AT LINCOLN'S TOMB Opening the Campaign To Raise a Million Dollars May 15, 1924 LINCOLN ROOM UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS LIBRARY MEMORIAL the Class of 1901 founded by HARLAN HOYT HORNER and HENRIETTA CALHOUN HORNER Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2012 with funding from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign http://archive.org/details/addressbyhenrybrOOrank Address by HENRY B. RANKIN Opening the Camprn&n To Raise a Million Dollars To Establish c Uhe Abraham Lincoln University Springfield, Illinois "Wise councils may accelerate, or mistakes delay, but sooner or later, the victory is sure to come." Lincoln, 1856. Lincoln University, 1924. May 15, 1924 Printed for BARKER'S ART STORE Springfield, Illinois By THE EDW. F. HARTMANN CO. Springfield, Illinois Limited to 200 copies, of which this is No. Zo This address was prepared at the request of the Trustees of The Abraham Lincoln University, by Henry B. Rankin. It was delivered at Lincoln's Tomb on the occasion of placing a wreath on the sarcophagus, May fifteenth, nineteen hundred twenty-four. No occasion, event, or op- portunity in Springfield since the Nation brought Abraham Lincoln to his home in this City, that his body should be with us for- ever, equals in importance the purpose that brings us to this tomb on the anniver- sary of his last home- coming. We are here today to place a wreath on Lincoln's tomb as a pledge at this place, as in his presence, and from this hour, "that we here highly resolve" and bear away with us from this sa- cred occasion, an inspiration that there shall arise in this City Lincoln loved so sin- cerely, a monument more enduring than the granite shaft at which we now rev- erently stand. "It is alto- gether fitting and proper that we should do this." Beside this tomb and with us are the First Trustees whose delightful work be- fore them and their succes- sors, is to organize, erect and endow as monumental to his life and services, The Abra- ham Lincoln University in this Capital City of Illinois as a Memorial to perpetuate here in our City, by and in human hearts and minds, the warm pulsations of patriot- ism of which Abraham Lin- coln was so inspiring an example. Oh, Lincoln! We are here to meet you again. More than sixty-three years ago the Nation took you from us for its President, as an un- tried man. You took the reins as Chief Executive of the Nation in perilous times from the trembling hands of a retiring President. You measured up to the task. Though you had a Quaker's hatred of war, you said to those who would rend the Union asunder: "We will not go out, and you shall not." Through four long years, your endurance, your fertil- ity of resources, your mag- nanimity, your patience, were sorely tried, but never found wanting. Never rash, never vindictive, keeping a kind heart, but a firm hand toward friend and foe alike, you became more and more firm under each successive disaster, whether by political foes in legislative halls, or military campaigns amid fire and blood and tears. Oh, Lincoln! Fifty-nine years ago the Nation brought back home to us your lifeless form to rest forever here among your neighbors and friends. You were returned not as ours any more, but the Nation's; nay, not this Nation's only, but the World's. We raised this shaft of granite above you amid the anguish of sad thoughts and bitter, but proud tears. We hold sacred to preserve as you left it, the humble home you had among us. We have inscribed bronze tablets at all places in our City made sacred by events in your life while living here. The State of Illinois on its Capital Grounds has builded you its Centennial Memo- rial. Last, but greatest of all, a grateful Nation at its Capital presented to the World one of the most magnificent memorials ever erected to man. But we cannot rest satis- fied by these expressions of our devotion and our appre- ciation of your character and services. They all are only reminders of you. Oh, Lin- coln! You were too warm of heart and vital through your life to be measured in death by granite and bronze. They, each one, are as voiceless as your silent lips are now be- neath this shaft of granite. [The wreath is placed on the sarcophagus] By this wreath we place on Lincoln's tomb today, we wish to symbolize The Abra- ham Lincoln University. This wreath has no end in its intertwining circle. Xo part in it is so large as claiming to be all; nor leaf, nor twig, so small as not to be an es- sential part. So may and will be built, this Abraham Lincoln University for the Ages, with no contributors so large as to think they are all of it, nor none so small but what thev are forever to be a part of it. Lincoln, oh, Lincoln! We are here today to place this wreath above you, to witness and consecrate our resolve by its endless circle that we shall in this City build an University home for the in- dwelling of the Abraham Lincoln spirit, and whose sa- cred halls, rooms and spa- cious grounds shall be filled with the young men and women who will come after us. Here is to be an Univer- sity "of the people," erected "by the people," for the com- mon people of whom you said, "God must love because He made so manv of them." m It shall be built and from its classic halls in vour home city, there will go forth a current of never ending in- telligence to valiantly broad- cast the Lincoln message that this Nation shall have at every call, for all times, "new births of freedom," and "shall not perish from the earth." Standing at Lincoln's tomb today and pledging the build- ing of an University bearing his name and inspired by his spirit and devotion, we are admonished by his life to overcome all difficulties and discouragements in the spirit with which he met those be- fore him. Let us recall Lin- coln's words uttered in the dark days of his strife in 1856 when he faced at his old home near New Salem an audience of his turbu- lent neighbors and former friends, who were then no longer such. To them he said, with calm assurance, what can be, what must be, our watchword in this endeavor: LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS "Wise councils may ac- celerate, or mistakes delay, but sooner or lat- er the victory is sure to come." With this inspiring slogan we pledge at this tomb today our devotion to the founding of an University in memory of our most illustrious citi- zen and the Nation's First American. "It is for us to be here dedicated to the great task before us " Looking back across a cen- tury of American history, no other personality towers so high in the admiration of mankind, or casts so benign a light upon the character and destiny of our Republic, as that of Abraham Lincoln. He stands today, more than a century after his birth, the most unique and unforget- able figure in our history and one of the mighty spirits of the race. He rendered not only unto Caesar the things that were Caesar's, to the States the things that were the States'; but he stood above those of his time in waiting patiently, serenely, inflexibly, to lead his coun- trymen to render to God the things His justice required in national life. Such a man the time and the task demanded, and God in His providence gave to his country and his race, Abraham Lincoln. He was equal to every opportunity, he accomplished his mission, and of his influence, on and through this University, there will be no end. Bs, UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS-URBANA 973.7L63GR167A C001 ADDRESS BY HENRY B. RANKIN, OPENING THE 3 0112 031822023