The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-02-14
LINCOLN DAY.
The Observance in All Parts OF the
Land.

DR. Depew Speaks in Praise of Speaker
Reed-An association Formed to Pro-
tect the Flag.
New York, February 12.-The Republi-
ran club observed Lincoln's birthday
with banquet tonight at Delmonico's.
Nearly 800 members of the club and
guests were present. President Chaun-
cey NJ. Depew opened the speaking.
Toasts were responded to as follows:
Abraham Lincolm," by Hon. Albert
]. Beveridge of Indianapolis; "The Re-
publican Party" Congressman Boutelle
of Maine; ''Ihe mission of America"
by Hon. Henry D. Estabrook of Chicago,
and "The Navy by Assistant Secretary
ef the Navy Roosevelt. In the course of
his remarks, Mr.. Depew said:
1t has been the glory of the Republican
party, as distinguished from the Demo
c. ATTIC party, that it's principles and its
policies were national The democratic
party might be free trade in free trade
State, and protectionist in protectlon
State and sound money, in SOUND
money State and fiat money in nat
money State, and for free silver in Tree
silver commonwealth, but the Republl-
can whether of the North of the South, or
of the East or of the West, belonged to one
party, which. stood upon one PLATFORM,
and had one kind of principles for every
latitude and longitude. have no pa
thence with the now loudly professod doc
trine of expediency; the Republican par
ty went to defeat in it's first great canvass,
because it dared not proclaim the 1ull
truth, nor express the whole OF Its peileI.
The birth of victory for the republican
party, the beginning of its trlumpnan6
career, was at Springfield, when Abraham
Lincoln made tie speech with which he
entered the canvass for Senator agalnsC
Stephen A. Douglass. He submitted MS
speech to the conference OF the State leau-
ers, and they all said: Mr.. Llncohl,'
if you make that speech we are doomed
to defeat, not only in this contest, DUE
in the national election two years hence.
Lincoln,s reply was. II would rather go
to defeat on declaration of the real pT1n-
ciples of our party than to win by any
compromise, because, in that defeat VIII
be the courage and the education which
will win us the Presidency two years
hence That immortal declaration,
which frightened the timid, scared the
politicians and nerved the conscience OF
the nation, was this: "a house divided
against itself cannot stand. l believe
this government cannot endure perma-
nently half slave and half free. do not
6Xpocb UN0 Y ulOll W ES olooUAfcAs w LOU
expect the House to fall but do expect
it will cease to be divided. 1t will be.
come all one thing or all the other.
That declaration made Abraham Lincoln
President of the United States; that dec
IaratiOn led to the Emancipation Procla-
nation; that declaration reunited and
recemented the union of the States; that
declaration has never failed in it's spirit
to lead the Republic party to victory.
1T is an axiom, almost, in Washington
that the utterances of Mckinley and OF
Gage and of Reed and of Dlngley are
good principles, but bad politics. But
temporary success is worse than defeat
when it is won upon the maxim recently
enunciated by Mark Twain that faith is
believing what you know is not SO. The
story of great battle stir5 the blood.
When the war is in progress the news OF
a victory thrills every nerve and hbre,
and the victorious general becomes
demi-god There are battles in the repre-
sentative halls of as great moment to the
country, requiring as much courage and
skilled leadership s.those which move ar
mics and carry on great campaigns ana
win the decisive conflicts of history.
There has been no more inspiring and no
more hopeful spectacle. no more dramatic
picture of the battle in the forum than
when the silver resolution, the resolution
Of Reputation of national obligations,
the resolution which meant, II successful,
disaster to public credit and private bus
mess came down from the Senate. With
the prestige of the most august body in
our government behind it, it's descent
upon the House was like the charge of the
Old Guard at Waterloo. But the Old
Guard bit the dust and crumbled to pieces
upon the impregnable squares OF honest
money led by that greatest parllamenta-
rian OF our t1meS-Speaker 1ho1naS D.
Reed.
Our wreaths tonight crown the statue
and are strewn about the monuments or
Abraham Lincoln. We hail his memory
dead as his countrymen hailed him Iiv-
ing. We hail him as the man OF the peo-
ME illustrating the possibilities of Ameri-
can citizenship. We hail him as the great
statesman who proved the second savior
of his country. We hail him as the genial
humorist house wit and stories will for
ever prevent his being elevated above the
Dlape of our common humanity. We love
him because his name and fame are the
inspiration and education, and the con-
timing leadership of the Republican
party.
1t was almost midnight when Congress
man Boutelle of Maine arose t. respond
t, the toast, "The Republican party
ssI am Republican, said he, "and I
am bold enough to say that even in New
York. I am glad to speak tonight with
the knowledge that the Republican bar.
ner is not still waving here recognize
that it is the fault of Republicans only
that this is not so. know enough of
New York and the men of New York to
saw that it will be the fault of Republi-
can if Van Wyck is not the last Demo-
cratic mayor of New York. There is a
responsibility resting on you before the
Republicans of the country that you can
not eyade."
A new patriotic society was organized