The Project Gutenberg EBook of Memorial Address on the Life and Character
of Abraham Lincoln, by George Bancroft

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Title: Memorial Address on the Life and Character of Abraham Lincoln
Delivered at the request of both Houses of Congress of America

Author: George Bancroft

Release Date: October 2, 2008 [EBook #26750]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MEMORIAL ADDRESS--ABRAHAM LINCOLN ***

Produced by Nick Tomaiuolo, Instruction Librarian at the
Central Connecticut State University Elihu Burritt Library.
(This book was produced from scanned images of public
domain material from the Google Print

[Frontispiece: Abraham Lincoln]

MEMORIAL ADDRESS

ON THE

LIFE AND CHARACTER

OF

ABRAHAM LINCOLN

DELIVERED,

AT THE REQUEST OF BOTH HOUSES OF THE

CONGRESS OF AMERICA,

BEFORE THEM,

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

AT WASHINGTON,

ON THE 12TH OF FEBRUARY, 1866.

BY GEORGE BANCROFT.

WASHINGTON:

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE.

1866.

ORATION.

SENATORS,
REPRESENTATIVES OF AMERICA:

That God rules in the affairs of men is as certain as any truth of
physical science. On the great moving power which is from the beginning
hangs the world of the senses and the world of thought and action.
Eternal wisdom marshals the great procession of the nations, working in
patient continuity through the ages, never halting and never abrupt,
encompassing all events in its oversight, and ever effecting its will,
though mortals may slumber in apathy or oppose with madness. Kings are
lifted up or thrown down, nations come and go, republics flourish and
wither, dynasties pass away like a tale that is told; but nothing is by
chance, though men, in their ignorance of causes, may think so. The
deeds of time are governed, as well as judged, by the decrees of
eternity. The caprice of fleeting existences bends to the immovable
omnipotence, which plants its foot on all the centuries and has neither
change of purpose nor repose. Sometimes, like a messenger through the
thick darkness of night, it steps along mysterious ways; but when the
hour strikes for a