The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-13
LINCOLN BELOVED OF ALL
NOTABLE OPSERY4NCE OF HIS
BIRTHDAY by BOSTONIANS.

Guiding Hon. George ). Boutwell,, Hon.
j. It. Aldrich of Illinois, Hon. Romulus
z. Linney of North Carolina and Hon.
Jesse Overstreet of Indiana.
Boston, Feb. 12.-Honor to Abraham
Lincoln and the principles of true pa
trlotism as exemplfied in his character
was the keynote of the annual Lincoln
dinner of the Middlesex club, which
was held at the Brunswick tonight
Throughout the dinner an orchestra
played patriotic airs, in which the
members heartily joined, and the speak
ers all dWelt on the noble character of
the martyred president,
Perhaps the most responsive chord of
the whole meeting was touched upon
by General Edgar r. Champlain in his
opening address, when he pointed out
that the arbitration treaty now pending
in congress was the elimination of the
strongest traits in Lincoln's character
The special guests of the club We're
Hon. George S. Boutwell, of Massachu-
setts, Hon. ]. f. Aldrich of Illinois,
Hon. Romulus z. Linney of North Car
olina, Hon. Jesse Overstreet of Indiana,
and Rev. w. III. Ryder of Massachu-
sets. Others who were present were:
Mr.. HoWes Norris, Representative f.
w. Dallinger, Representative F. G.
Manchester, Representative j. l.. Bates,
State Treasurer f. P. Shaw, Mr.. James
A. Bailey, jr,, Mr.. George I. Went
worth, Mr.. Dana Malone, Representa-
tive Holden and x-Representative
Henry Turner.
General Edgar r. Champlain, who
presided, in beginning his Introductory,
called for three cheers for Ex-Governor
Bracket, the president of the club,
| who was unavodably absent, and these
| We're given with will,
| He spoke of Abraham Lincoln as one
| of the few men whom the American
people had idolized, had recognized and
| worshipped as hero He was a COM
posite picture of all that was best and
greatest in the American character
| He touched especially on two incidents
of the death of President Lincoln,
| which appealed not alone to the Ameri-
can people, but to the civilized world
One was that play which was being
performed at Fords theater at the time
of the assassination was "Our Ameri-
can Cousins which suggested "Our
English Cousins" and that the English
press until then uncompromisingl hos
tile to federal institutions universally
| condemned the assassination These
circumstances outlined what is even
| now taking shape in consonance with
! fyDi nf T iY,al J,ot al,a
acter; the desire for peace which can
only be attained through the negotia-
tions for which we are now command
! ing the attention of the whole civilized
world. He introduced ex- Governor
Boutwell,, who was well received
| Governor Boutwell, spoke feelingly of
| his visit to Springfield with the COM
mittee which notified Lincoln of his
nomination, and of his coming to Wash
ington for the first time He spoke of
| the tenderness and simplicity of Lin
coins character and of the ideal reali-
zation of the immense responsibility
which he felt with regard to the duty
which he saw so clearly Beyond his
/ strong belief in the capabilities of the
country and in the practicability of the
| emancipation of men, he had the reali-
zation that great results could only be
attained by regular processes And on
/ these lines he dealt with the subject of
| slavery.
| He steadily kept in view one question
| whether the time had come when the
| emancipation of the slave could be ac-
complished by the proclamation of the
president and the military power back
of it. The emancipation of the slave
and the emancipation of the Union
were co-relative in his mind He had
one faculty which many men either do
not possess or do not use--he did not
attempt to do small things in the gov
ernment of great nation. He was a
| friend to the whole country. not only
to the north, but to the south, for the
best interests of whose citizens he
| worked.
Hon J. Frank Aldrich of Chicago
asked the members to drink to the
health of Thomas B, Reed, ''the peer
of any living statesman in the country
to-day" and this was done with the
additional compliment of three hearty
cheers.
/ Congressman Aldrich spoke of the
way in which Illinois and Massachu-
setts had clasped hands in the way of
| increased majorities last fall He spoke
scathingly of the election of 1892 and
! the record which had since then been
made by Governor Altgeld, speaking of
| his election as political outrage. He
| said that much of the stigma which
| had attached to the state was due to
! the misconception that the democratic
majority in 1892 was due to the influ-
ence of John P. A1tgeld and not to that
of Grover Cleveland. He spoke highly
| of the democrats who in the last cleo
ton had patriotism enough to leave
! their party and stand true to the cause
! of sound money and national honor
I The speaker touched on what he call
/ ed 'sthe exalted simplicity of Lincoln's
character" giving several interesting
| instances of this, and speaking of the
way in which it brought him in touch
with the lowliest as we'll as the highest
| in the land.
| Congressman Linney hailed the men,
! bers as his American brethren He
! thought that it might seem inappro-
/ pirate for one who once followed the
( Confederate flag to rejoice with them
/ over the life and achievements of the
I martyred president, but this he did
/ with all sincerity. Lincoln was the
grandest man that God ever blessed
| this country with, and the gentlest
I ,,,a,,,ory in the world and through hiS