Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-04-16

The Twenty-fifth Anniversary of the
Loyal Legion.
PHILADELPHIA, April 15th.-The two
days celebration of the twenty.fifth ami
versary OF the Military Order of the Loyal
Legion began this morning. All the in
coming trains this morning brought com.
mahderles from the various States 1t is
estimated that when all have arrived the
attendance will number about $500, com
panlons. AT the meeting of the Com
mandery-in. Chief this morning. Ruther-
iord b. hayes, Commander. in-C Chief of the
order, presided. General Wager Swavne.
OF New York, offered resolution that at
the next annual meeting the Constitution
be changed TO permit the formation of q
commandery in London, for the benefit of
companions residing abroad. The matter
was discussed till recess, without any ac.
ton being taken
AT the Academy of Music to. night the
ceremonies incident to the celebration of
the twenty-fifth anniversary of the Order
were held. The building is profusely and
beautifully decorated. Many distinguished
men were on the stage. and the building
was crowded with an audience, the com.
panlons of the Order and their invited
guests. Several brief addresses were made
including one by ex-President HAYES the
Commander-in-C Chief. He spoke briefly of
the many tributes to Lincoln, and said they
bring US to the question: "Our beloved
Soeiety-the Loyal Legion-what is it do.
Ing, what can it do worthy of Lincoln's
fame? Our highest striving must be to sup
port and advance the work which Lincoln
did in behalf of his country and all the
world. What were the ideas by which Lin
coin became toreverthe type and represent
alive OF the verv incarnation of the spirit
and purpose of the divine war? Our reply
Is humanity" Anxious soiici,ude for the
welfare of his fellow-men, sympathy with
the oppressed and suffering hatred of a
wrongto the humblest human being and our
common brotherhood. These sentiments,
and sentiments like these, filling his soul
and the guides of his life, are at once the
secret and sure foundation of the epdur-
ing place which Lincoln holds in the affec-
tons of all mankind.
Nowhere can the lesson of bis wonderful
life be more fifty studied, nor more fondly
cherished, than in this army society, Which
traces its origin to that awful time when
the ending of that life was felt as a personal
bereavement by all who fought the good
fight that was so ennobled, and consecrated
by the death of its martyr chief. That
lesson, while it contains almost the whole
future of our country, is short and simple
Our America to- day is drawing near to the
parting of the roads, dszzled almost to
blindness by the contemplation of the
rivalled swiftEess and splendor of her
march to prestige, TO power and to
riches. Our country may be tempted to
reject, or may neglect the message
of Abraham Lincoln. That message was
often repeated by him in words and ALWAYS
exhibited in his life. 1t can be easily given
in a simple sentence. His whole life
seemed to say TO his countrymen: See to
1t that every son and daughter of our re-
public, so far as human laws and human
conduct avail, shall have an equal chance
and fair start in the race of lifen
REJECT or neglect this, and our Govern.
ment ceases to be republican except in
name, and that doom which the Almighty
has appointed for all shams is not far OFT
On the other hand, the lot of the Ameri-
can people, especially all those who stood
by Lincoln on the perilous edge of battle,
in the support of the rights of human ma
ture, remain steadfastly the to the ideas
for which they fought and We shall thus
do all that in US lies to link the destiny of
our country to the stars, and to entitle her
institutions to space in that Immortality
which under the allotment of Providence
in the affairs of nations belongs always and
only to eternal justice.
The speech was received with great ap-
plause: A feature of the evening was the
beautiful musical programme rendered by
the Marine Band.
At the conclusion of the ceremonies the
companions went 10 the Union League
Club, where serenade was rendered them.