SPEECHES & WRITINGS FILE Remarks on Lincoln ... Before The Alumni Association of Walden University, Feb. 5, 1909 Remarks on Lincoln in Connection with an Address Delivered at Nashville Tenn. Feb. 5, 1909 before the Alumni Association of Walden University. One week from [ago] to night 100 years ago was born that great and good man who from whom are descended the 10,000,000 colored people in the United States with one stroke of his pen struck the shackles from 1,000,000 slaves. to day. Surely, there could be no more opportune time for enumerating the reasons which we, as a race, have for looking upon the bright side of life, for taking an inventory of our blessings than during the week in which we celebrate the 100th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln. Next week the children in all the public schools in the North, East and West, the students in all the colleges and universities, the greater orators of the present day will extol the virtues and sing the praises of that man who was called upon to preside over the destiny of his country in the hour of her gravest peril and deepest despair. Among the vast multitude of Americans who will vie with each other in honoring the memory of Abraham Lincoln, none will speak his name with more affectionate reverence and more genuine gratitude than will the sons and daughters of the slaves who[m he was] largely thru his instrumentality and sagacity were lifted into freedom from the most debasing and cruel bondage that has ever blighted and cursed a race. I was almost prsuaded to confine myself exclusively to the life and works of Abraham Lincoln. There are many conditions in his life which should appeal especially to the colored people [youth] of this country. There are many things which should inspire and encourage them. With the single exception of Frederick Douglass no American has ever. reached eminence from an origin as humble and unpromising as that from which Abraham Lincoln sprang. It would be difficult to find a colored boy in the United States born into poverty more pinching and grinding than that in which Abraham Lincoln passed his childhood and youth. Mr. Lincoln's whole life which was a constant warfare against obstacles that must often have seemed to him insurmountable and against trials and tribulations that must often have seemed greater than he could endure fairly bristles with lessons in fortitude and patience and courage and faith and above all with splendid examples in that tireless energy and invincible determination to triumph 2 over the powers of evil which enabled him finally to wrest victory from the very jaws of a hostile fate. It occurred to me afterwards, however, that since appropriate exercises to commemorate the Lincoln centenary had already been arranged in your city without reference to this address, I had better confine myself to a review of the evidence[s] of progress which we have made as a race, since the emancipation proclamation had been was signed As fascinating therefore, as is the subject of Abraham Lincoln's life, and as profitable as a study of it would be, I shall turn from it to tell you why I am an optimist in spite of the many untoward and tearfully discouraging conditions which have arisen since Mr. Lincoln went to his well-earned rest and richly-deserved reward. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.