Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-27
INTERESTING EXERCISES At LEGATION
A Gift to the Lincoln Memorial
Association of This City.
A DISTINGUISHED COMPANY

rial Association Of the District OF Columbia
a beautiful water color painting, comment
Grating the action of the Argentine Republic
on the occasion of the death of Abraham
Lincoln.
The Memorial Association was organized
in 1892 for the three-fold purpose of pre-
serving the most noteworthy houses at the
| capital that have been made historic by the
residence of the greatest men of the nation;
Of suitably marking. by tablets or other
wise, the houses and places throughout the
city of chief interest to our own residents.
and to the multitudes of Americans and
foreigners who annually visit the capital;
Of thus cultivating that historic spirit and
reverence for the memories of the founders
and leaders of the republic.
The president of the Memorial Associat ion
is Chief Justice Fuller, and the membership
includes Gen. Schofeld Rev. DIR. Teunis s.
Hamlin, s. p. Langley, secretary of the
smithsonian Institution; A. r. Spofford,
librarian of Congress: S. H. Kaufman,
Gardner G. Hubbard, John Hay, M. NJ.
Parker. c. c. Glover. and many other prom
inent citizens of Washington. The presenta-
ton was made in the art gallery of the
legation, 1908 Massachusetts avenue. The
picture represents the Goddess of Liberty
encircling with her right arm the partly
furled flag of the Argentine.
The OmciaI Decree.
Her left hand supports a fanciful shield
which bears in Illuminated letters the fol-
lowing decree Of Vice President Paz. issued
June 2, 1855. on learning of the death of
Lincoln. which was unanimously Endorsed
by both representative houses:
First. The senators and members Of the
house of representatives of the Argentine
Republic will be in mourning for Abraham
Lincoln during three successive days from
the sanction of this decree.
Second. The national nag will remain at
half-mast over the congressional chambers
during three days.
Third. The president of the Argentine
confederacy will address a letter of condo
lence to the President of the United States,
inclosing an authenticated copy of this de-
cree"
This decree was dated Buenos Ayres, June
:, 1860. and was signed by Jose E. Uriburn.
speaker; Marcos Paz. vice president; Carlos
NJ. Savaria. secretary of the senate. and
Bernabe Ouintana, secretary of the house
of representatives.
Beautiful Tribute.
The picture is about three feet long BY
two wide. is framed in gold wreath of
laurel. About the easel upon. which the
picture rested were draped silk flags of the
United States and the Argentine Republic,
and where the two were joined was a scroll
In immortelles and palm leaves. bearing the
one word Lincoln"
Upon tinted background was drawn the
figure emblematic of the South American
republic. The head was surmounted with
a small bright red cap. In her right hand
she holds the blue and white flag with the
sun -emblazoned figure of the Argentine
confederacy. In her left is a laurel wreath,
which is poised just above the beautifully
emDiazoned name of Abraham Lincoln,
wrought upon the scroll which bears the
decree of Congress above quoted. Beneath
the inquire is a dehcately drawn map of the
province In the Argentine Republic which
is the populous city of the same name A
volume used as school textbook, THE
Life of Lincoln" sat upon an adjacent
table a forcible commentary on the infiu-
ehce OF the great Hberator of mankind.
DIR. ZeballOs' Address.
The presentation was made by Dr. Zebal-
los. who spoke as follows:
Mr.. Vice President. ladies and gentle
men: The Argentine Republic sealed its
political organization in 1858 by the adop-
ton OF the constitution which rules its des-
TIMES today. based upon the federal repub-
lican system Of the United States Our con-
stitutional traditions are, therefore, yours.
and the Argentine people have always fol-
lowed with great interest the tests to which
your Constitution has been subjected as
tne common foundation OF our institutions
as II they Immediately concerned our own.
The federalism of Hamilton, Madison and
jay served as the basis for the corstitu-
tonal and political labors OF Argentine
statesmen, as 1T did for such distinguished
writers ana JurlstS as Story, Curtis Kent
Cooley and others, and for the constitu
tional decisions of Chief Justice Marshall
Their great works, the manual of jefferson
and the parliamentary rules of Wilson
cushing and Mcdonald; the speeches of
Webster and Calhoun; the lives of WASH
ing ton ana your other great Presidents and
many other books of vital Importance to
the student or free institutions have been
translated into Spanish by the special di-
rection OF the Argentine executive by the
congress or state authorities, or by eminent
and commented upon during a period of
Iorty years AT active parliamentary and
political life
L merely refer to these facts to show why
IL was that the death of Lincoln caused
such Il profound impression in the Argen
tine Republic, and why il was that its oub-
lie officers and its people FASTENED to show
that they considered it event for
winch the nation should mourn.
Model Republican.
In doing this the Argentine Republic did
not interfere unduly in your internal af-
lars, Dut cOnHned itself simply to honor
ing a memory of the illustrious man from
| higher point of view than any arising
out of party opinions. The Argentine Re-
public considered Lincoln as a model re-
publican. as a worthy example to be en-
ulated and initiated by the sons of the new
| republics of Spanish America.
1t decreed honors to his private and pub
lie virtues, to his purity of soul, to the
modesty of his origin, which be preserved
! even at the summit Of human greatness,
to that character which was honorable in
peace and strong in war, and showed its
appreciation of the love for his country
and for humanity, of which Abraham Lin
coin always gave the highest examples to
his contemporaries.
Therefore the Argentine congress, i'm
mediately upon its presentation and with
unanimity, passed this law, directing three
days of mourning, and the powerful state
of Buenos Ayres, the New York of South
America, also gave the name of Lincoln to
a district of the prosperous country under
its jurisdiction. President Sarmiento also
translated and annotated a Life of Lin
cOln," which is here presented, in order
that Ii might serve a reading book in
the Argentine schools and an example for
the young; and at the end of this book
there was added a poem arranged by ex-
President Mitre, thus associatng two of
| the most notable figures in modern Argen-
tine history, the leaders Of different po-
DRY of Lincoln.
Mr.. Vice President, 1 would have pre-
| ferred to have presented these remem-
branCpS of M nv at he tio,,