Lincoln said: “I do not mean to say that this general government is charged with the duty of redressing or preventing all the wrongs in the world; but I do think that it is charged with preventing and redressing all wrongs which are wrongs to itself.” These words might indicate that Lincoln was not interested in humanity beyond our own borders. This is not so. All through his writings runs the thought that our cause was the cause of humanity. In his speech at Gettysburg, he did not say--“Let us highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this Nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish” _from the United States_, but “from the earth.” His vision circled all the globe. His great heart was beating in sympathy with mankind everywhere. But he knew that the surest way to help the world was to cherish our priceless heritage at home. He knew that if we could preserve intact the liberties and institutions which we called our own, that was the greatest service we could render to mankind. How well he wrought I doubt if even he himself could fully understand. The condition of mankind the world over has been constantly improving, due to our influence and our example. The American Republic has been an inspiration to the lovers of liberty everywhere. It is the last and best hope of the world and he who would imperil its future by excess of love for other peoples and other lands is recreant not only to his country, but to mankind everywhere. The Republic, during its almost a century and a half of existence, has had a mighty influence throughout the world. Its power has come from its success as a self-governing nation. Our influence has run around the globe because we have contented ourselves with being an exemplar to, rather than a ruler of mankind. Lincoln did preserve the Union and free the slaves. That Nation which he saved had grown so powerful in a little more than fifty years that it was able, in the supreme crisis of civilization, to turn the tide of the great world conflict. And as he prayed, so now we may have faith to believe that “government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish _from the earth_.”