The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1884-06-12
LOYAL W0MbN'S WORK
The Author of America Experience
Meeting Relief Corps Work.
CONDUCTED by Kate B. s1.er,oood.J

lConducted by Kate B. Stertood.J
As THE TRIBUNE readers have shown much
interest in fixing accurately the authorship of
our National ode America" to be found upon
the ode cards of both the Grand Army and the
Woman's Relief Corps, a synopsis of the life and
| works of the author S. +. Smith. d. D., New
| ton Center, Mass will be of general interest.
| We have been to some pains to secure full ac-
count of the Lincoln memorial exercises held
at Springfield, Ill, April 10, 1884, when Rev.
DIR. Smith was the poet of the occasion, from
which we take the copy of the poem to give to
! our readers.
In the fall of 1882 DR. Smith and his wife
visited their son in Davenport, Iowa. Stopping
| at Chicago upon their return, they divided
their time with another son at Englewood, H.,
and Mr.. and Mrs. Edward Roby, of Chicago,
remaining until after Decoration Day, May 80,
1883, when they returned to their home at
Newton Center. At the time of DR.. Smiths
visit, Mrs. Roby, having been appointed by
Abraham Lincoln Post G. A. r., Chicago, to
see to the permanent beautifying of the sol
diers' lot in Oak Woods cemetery, asked the
/ Lincoln memorial committee of Springfield to
| send her few of the plants used at the tomb
of Lincoln at the Lincoln memorial exercises,
April 15, 1888. The plants were sent to Chicago
and placed on the soldiers plat, May 80, by
Abraham Lincoln Post At the same time DR..
Smith contributed memorial poem, read upon
/ the occasion.
HISTORIC COPY OF " AMERICA"
As return for the favor Mrs. Roby, having
secured manuscript copy of America" from
/ DR.. Smith, with the date of its original writ
! ing, 1882, and the date of the copy 1S93,-just
| fifty years. forwarded the same, with photo
graph of the author, to the Lincoln memorial
committee at Springfield. Both of these, neatly
/ framed, may be seen in Memorial Hall at the
Lincoln monument.
Upon receipt of these souvenirs it occurred
to the committee that it would add interest to
| the next memorial exercises if the author of
America" p" would contribute an original poem.
Accordingly, in January, 1884, an invitation
was forwarded to the venerable poet, who ac
cepted the honor, with the understanding that
/ the poem was to be read by Mrs. Roby. This lady
was announced on the programme. but when
the time came around she was suffering from
an affection of the throat, and Bir. R0by per-
| formed the pleasant duty in her stead, follow
ing the reading Of which the choir sang
America" The following is the memorial
poem:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
AprH Is. 1854
] Grandeur and glory wait around the bed
Where sleeps in lowly peace the illustrious dead;
| He rose, meteor, upon wondering men,
But rose in strength, never TO set again.
/ a king of men. though born in lowly state
| a man sincerely good, and nobly great;
| Tender, but firm; faithful, and kind and true
The Nations choice, the Nations savior, too
Schooied through HES early hardshlps to endure,
To raise the oppressed to and shield the poor
Prudent in council, honest in debate,
Patient TO hear and judge, patient TO wait;
| The calm, the wise, the witty, and the proved
/ Whom millions honored, and whom millions
loved;
/ swayed by no baleftil lust of pride or power
| The shining pageants OF the passing hour
! Led by no schemlng arts, no selfish aim,
Ambitious for no pomp, nor wealth, nor fame,
No planning hypocrite. plant tool,
high-born patriot, of Heavens noblest school !;
| Cool and mistaken in the maddest storm
For in the clouds he traced the Almighty's form
| Worn with the weary heart and aching head
| Worse than the picket with his eeaseless tread
He kept.-as bound by some resistless fate
His broad, strong hand upon the helm of State;
| Nor turned, in fear. his heart or hope away,
Till on the field his tent. a ruin. lay
The tent, ruin; but the owners name
Stands on the pinnacle of human fame,
| Inscribed in lines OF highland nations see,
Through him. the peoples life and liberty.
What high ideas, what noble acts he taugIti
| To make men free IN life and limb and thought,
To rise, to soar. to scorn the oppressors rod,
/ To live grander iife,-to live for Cod
To stand for justice, freedom, and the right.
To dare the conflict, strong in Gods own might -
The methods taught by him. by him were tried,
And he, to conscience true, a martyr, died.
As the great sun pursues his heavenly wav
And fills with light and joy the livelong day
Till-the full journey passed-in glory dressed,
He seeks his crimson couch beneath the vest
30, with his labor done, our hero sleeps;
| Above his tomb Tansomed Nation weeps;
And grateful pseans DER his ashes rise
Dear is his fame.-his glory never dies
Bring flowers. fresh flowers; bring plumes with
nodding crests
To wreath the tomb where our great hero rests;
Bring pipe and tabret, eloquenee and song,
And sound the loving tribute loud and long.
a Nation bows, and mourns his honored name,
Nation proudly keeps his deatbiess fame.
Let vale and rock, and rill, and land and sea,
His memory swell,-th anthem of the free.
AUTHOR OF "AMERIcA"
Samuel Francis Smith, the author of this
grand old hymn. was born October 81 1903, In
Boston, Mass; graduated at Harvard in 1929,
and at Andoyer Theological Seminary in 1892,
and that year. at Adoyer, wrote America, y
"Ihe morning Light is Breaking" and many
others. He was pastor of the First Baptist
church at Waferyille, NE, from 1884 to 1S41
pastor of the First Baptist church at Newton,
Mass, from 1872 to 1854 In the latter year he
received the degree of Doctor of Divinity. He
was editor of the Christian Reciew, from 1912 to
1919; editor of the Baptist Missionary Maqasiae,
from 1854 TO 1869. He has been a busy minis
ter Of the gospel and literary worker for more
than half a century, and during that time he
has on more than twenty occasions read origi-
nal poems on anniversary days. In 1856 he
spent one year in Europe. In 1880 he with his
wife visited their son, Rev. ID. w. Appleton
Smith, d. D., missionary at Rangoon, Burmah.
They also visited Calcutta and Madras, in In
dia, the Telegue country, Ceylon, Malta, Italy,
Sicily, France, Germany, Denmark, Sweden,
Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey Greece,
Spain, England, Wales, and Scotland, return
ing to the United States in 1882. During all
his travels he wrote extensive correspondence
for the Watchman, of Boston, the most inauen-
tial Baptist paper in New England.
Our Weekly Experience Meeting.
DECORATED WITH THoRNs-THE wHIsTLINe
PosT-A NEW WESTERN STORY.
Surely OPPRESSION said Solomon the Wise
maketh wise man mad" And in the right.
eous wrath of the oppressed many soldiers
wife, weary and oyerworked and hopeless with
long waiting for the pension justly earned, but
never allowed; with her broken-down, crippled
husband before her, and her little children
looking up into her face for bread, is asking
! just such questions as come bitterly from the
heart of our correspondent, as she rehearses the
scenes of Memorial Day.
"And he looked for judgment but behold oppres
sion; for Righteousness bta behold a cry"
DECORATED WITH THoRNs.
To the Editor NATIONAL TRIBUNE:
Another year has rolled around and our dead
l heroes have been euogized, their last resting
, places dewed with the tears of grateful Nation