The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1876-03-13
Freedmea's Monument to Abraham Lin


On the 10th of February last John M. Lang
ston received the following letter from Hon.
james E. Yeatman:
j. NJ LangSton, Esq.
The Western Sanitary Commission have ap-
pointed you, and the parties named below as o
committee of arrangements for the Inaugura-
ton of the Freedmen's Monument to Presi-
dent Li0coln in the Lincoln Park, Washing
ton ID. o., on the 14th of April 1876, with the
request that you should act as President of the
Committee.
1,mss f KTespectiullgg, TaaptssuG g,...,,... v... CT,
tary Commission; John NJ. Langston, Presi-
dent, ID. G.; Fredk Douglass ID. @ John
E. Cook, d. @. John III. Brooks; Solomon
G. Brooks.
In addition to the persons named the letter
announced the Dames of two prominent COLI
ored men from each of the several states of the
Union, as members of the committee. The
persons named have been notified of their
appointment and have expressed willingness
to serve. .-.
The committee of arrangements thus ap-
pointed to take charge of and conduct the in
auguration ceremonies Of the monument have
prepared and now present the following
address;
TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES.
The undersigned respectfully announce that
on the fourteenth day of April next the inau-
guration of the Freedmen's Monument to
Abraham Lincoln, in Lincoln Park, Wash
ington city, Dist. of Columbia, will take place.
We respectfully invite the friends of i'm
partial freedom, equal rights and free institu-
tions our country over to join in the interest
ing and appropriate exercises of the occasion.
Let us all Join without distinction of party
or nationality in honoring the American Mar
tyred President ard Emancipator Let us hon.
or his memory made immortal by his noble
deeds. Let us demonstrate our appreciation of
the priceless treason his example fnrnishes-by
showing our devotion to him whose life and la
bors command the admiration and devotion of
mankind.
It is especially fitting at this hour that we
call to mind the philanthropy, the patriotism
and martyrdom of hin who taught us that ours
is government "Of the people, by the people,
and for the people }"
1t may reasonably be expected that our col
ored fellow citizens who honor themselves es-
pecially IN the erection of this monument will
| send from the North the South, the East and
| the West full delegations to take part in the
| ceremonies of the Inauguration; and the thous-
ands of colored men living in the District of
Columbia, and the states bordering immediate
| ly thereon will turn out en- ndsSe-eivic asso-
| ciations, military organizations, schools with
teachers and pupils churches with clergymen
| and congregations, the whole people to do his
name and memory honor who sealed his devo-
1t is especially eDjoined upon those who have
| been appointed members of the general COM
mittee of arrangements in the various states of
the Union, to see that the people are fully rep
resented as far as practicable on this occasion.
BY order of Committee of Arrangements,
| j. NJ. LANGsToN.
Chairman of Committee.
The Committee have presented also to Con-
gress the following petition:
To the Senate and House of Representatives
| in Congress assembled.
The undersigned your petitions, respectfully
represent to your honorable bodies that on the
18th day of April next, the same being the ami
versary of the emancipation of slaves in the
District of Columbia and the anniversary of the
| association of him whose memory we seek to
perpetuate, monument erected by the Freed
| men of the Country to the memory of Abra-
| ham Lincoln, IN Lincoln Park, Washington,
| d. c. will be inaugurated with appropriate
ceremonies. II
| To the end that the ceremonies shall be such
as to worthily represent the sentiments of graft
tude felt by the people for the great event to
| be celebrated: and that the ceremonies may
| properly express the feeling of affection of the
people for the memory of the Martyr President,
| Abraham Lincoln, and that every one desiring
| may have an opportunity of enjoying the ex-
| ercise. Your petitioners humbly beg your hon
| orable bodies to grant, by joint resolution, q
/ general holiday to all persons employed in the
| several departments of the government in this
city. on said fourteenth day of April next; and
as in duty bound your petitioners will ever
| pray, &c, Sc
On behalf of the Committee of arrangements
| j. M. Langstou, John +. Cook, John H.
Brooks, John P. Sampson, Solomon G. Brown.
The following communication has been re-
ceived by j.. NJ. Langston, chairman of the
committee of arrangements:
| WASHINGTON, d G. March 2, 1876.
Prof. John M. Langston. Howard University:
Dear Sir-I take pleasure in informing you
that the admission of the Lincoln statue free of
| duty has been authorized by the Secretary of
| the Treasury. L have ordered it to be forward
| ed at once. Ii you have auy suggestions to
make iu reference to it, / shall be glad to have
you communicate with me.
Very truly yours,
o. E BABCoCK,
Col. of Engineers, U, S. A.
Arrangements are being made by the COM
mittee to make the occasion imposing and
noteworthy In few days full history will
be given of the origin and progress of this en-
terprise, beginning with the contribution of the
first five dollars by an old black woman resd
ing in Marietta, Ohio, on the next morning
after Mr. Llncoln's assassination. A full de-
seription will also be given of the statue. .n
The Orator of the occasion is Frederick
Douglass; the poet has not been as yet an
nounced.
DEMOCRATIC FRAUDS IN MANCHESTER