National Republican., 1876-04-10
LINCOLN MEkoRIAL EXERCISES.
Meeting Last Evening = Addresses by Emi.
neut Men.

Rev. John Brown. consisting of singing an
prayer. The Scripture was read by Rev. DI
| CTummel.
Mr.. Wm.IE. Matthews, who presided, thu
| briefly statedthe object of the nesting:
On next Friday there is to be unvailed in thi
city a monument erected TO the memory of tn
greatest man and the purest that this generation
has given 10 the world-fit indeed, to be classet
| among those "few immortal names that were no
| born 10 die" In view Of the near approach o
the eleventh anniversary of his tragic taking of
| and in appreciation Of his great life and LOFT,
| achievements, it has been deemed meet ans
| proper that we meet in this house Of God ant
| reverently and solemnly review the incidents o
| his life and the measure Of his greatness, espe
| cially the religious and humane aspects Of thu
great proclamation of emancipation, which strucl
| from the limbs of over four million human being
| the thraIdom of their chains.
REMARKS OF DR.. CEuNHEL.
Mr.. Matthews introduced first the Rev. DR.
| Crummel, of this city. DR.. Crumnnel dwelt frs
upon the truthfulness of the character Of Abra
| ham Lincoln. W hat had struck him most forcibly
| in receiving the history of the colored people o.
the country, was the fact that their sdeliverancC
| had been effected mostly through the efforts O
| others, and not by themselves. He referred e
the contrast between the case Of the colored race
and other races who had been in bondage, and
who had been emancipated, and the warm sympa
thy for the cause Of the coored in the hearts
of great philanthropists, and the eoldness which
other races had received.
He concluded that the outpouring of sympathy
indicated that God had done great things for the
colOred people, and that they should do great
things for God. They were peculiar people
There were millions Of their race all through the
South in mental slavery. They were te be en-
lghtened. The Bible was to be taught, and the
great principles of Christianity. 1t was in pro
portion TO the enlargement OF their idea of God
that they would become great and powerful and
rise from degradation. They should preserve a
distinct remembrance of the marvellous deliver
ance that they had had. 1t showed in the first
place the power of God and that they had been
preserved for some destiny, Just in proportion as
any people remembered the degradation of their
ancestors, and saw how God had liftde them up.
they realized that they had destiny and duty
TO perform.
They should strive TO meet the expectations OF
friends and benelactors. They should strive to
build up great, large, massive characters in this
country. The country needed an element Ofpurity
and superiority, and it might just we'll come
from the colOred people, who were peculiarly re-
lgious people, as from any other. He referred to
the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, in reference
TO tie character of the negro race, so different
from the cold calculating Anglo-SaNon. As q col
ored man, he did.nOt think that they came up to
the expectations of their bcnefactors. In the old
days they had giants. Now they saw polish and
art in society, but the harder elements were lack
ing. They saw all through the ebb-tide of senti-
mcnt in regard TO the colored race all over the
country. 1t was their duty to become a strongly
religious element in this land and mighty in the
performance of all their duties and all their obli-
cations.
When DR.. Crummell concluded, a quartette
was sung.
REMARKS OF HON. J. H. SEELYE.
The Hon. ]. II. Seelye, of Massachusetts, was
introduced, and said that it seemed to him
a very fitting gathering for preparation
for the approaching exercises. The first of his
topics was, "What was the liberty that they
enJoyed?' It was the liberty of man, not condi-
toned on anything, but the simple fact that they
were human. 1t was not the liberty of a class
or condition or 4 rank. but the liberty of a
human being was the liberty that they enjoyed
and the great boon that they had received. The
Greeks and Romans only knew that some were
free; not that man. as such, was of himself free
Plato did not know that man was free, because he
wOs a man; neither did Aristotle know it, nor
Cicero, or the makers of Roman law. This was
modern philosophy out Of the gospel Of their
Lord and Saviour.
When Jesus came there was a recognition of
human worth and the priceless value of the hu-
man soul, which was worth such sacrifice as
the death Of Jesus, the Son Of God In this divine
light man recognized the true dignity with which
he was invested. There was the first dawning of
human liberty. Man, for the redemption of whose
soul such price had been paid, was worth being
free. This steadily showed itself in the develop
ment of civilization in EUROPE 1t had come
to America. 1t was tht preaching of the
s..P~I tiat led 10 the emancipation Of the slaves
in the West Indies. In days of slavery The Chris
tian hearts that represented the bono ano sipev
Of Christianity in the country were praying for
the slave.
The goddess Of liberty upon the Capitol did not
symbolic liberty; it symboiized the doctrine for
which Jefferson Davis had fought The only
liberty which the pagan goddess of liberty could
represent was the liberty Of class The only
true symbol of liberty was the cross. If the
blessings of their liberty were the blessings of
Christian freedom they should increase their
efforts TO gain that fullness of character which
mad been represented to them and TO the recog-
milton Of that great atonement which told of
their freedom. He doubted if any generation
had been more fruitful than the present one in
works Of liberty. God had too vast an interest in
the work of bringing man to the full enjoyment
Of his liberty, of the elevation of his race to lay
1t aside now and he would lead them to stems
best adapted TO promote their welfare if they
would only follow, and so they would come to .ae
that which God had in stee for
> A quartette was sung at the c1nclus6n Of Proi
Seelyc's remarks. Mr.. William J Wilson, upon
the invitation of the chairman .ead an occount
of the assassination of resident Lincoln
which was written by hLhseif at the time OF the
tragedy.
The Chair then Introduced
RF-. JOHN p. W. WARE,
.l,o
ercnd gestleman had taken in the elevation of the
)lor~f race.
Dr. Ware expressed his qualification in facing
Igain a congregation of colored friends and made
/ few eloquent remarks. Speaking of the great |
in thenumbers of the blacks and whites
he said about the best thing in this world was to
De in the minority. People were apt to 20 in |
,rOwds in this world and to want TO have some |
hing back of them, but about the best thing was |
o stand alone. The great difficulty in the North |
lad been that all the people got furore of phi
anthrOpy, and wanted to do everything not |
citing the colored people do anything for them
elves. |
In Maryland they had done differently, and let |
he colored man do something for himself Liberty |
vas the means by which they were to Lift them |
elves to personal independence; it gave them |
he opportunities TO elevate themselves. If they |
rere going TO elevate themselves they should /
axe hold OF it themselves; they should seek man
OOd and integrity. 1t was no use for them to be !
IGNORED unless they could keep clean and pure /
heir own souls. They should not follow any one /
nan, but Christ. They should follow along their
eavenly way, that when the day came when /
hey would be judged they would be among those
rho would be admitted.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Wares remarks the |
hOir sang hymn. DR.. Ware offered n fervent |
rayer, and the exercises were closed with suita-
lie religious observance; DIR. Crummell pro. /
Ouncng benediction.
TURF SPORTS.
he Washington Driving Park Spring Meeting
The spring meeting of the Washington Driving /
IN rk ie noradf fort tha 8, 4 "a an,