Fergus County argus., 1902-02-12
A Well Arranged Program Given Last
eel. Sunday Evening in Honor Of -.
Abraham Lincoln.
AN ADDRESS BY o. W. eELpEN
A Very Able Review Of the Life Of
Lincoln the Chief Feature on
the Program.

VIII luoSt VIM hau bpuN w hN"i WV
rendition of the program which had
been arranged for the occasion. on
which memorial services were held
in honor OF Abraham Lincoln, whose
birthday il is today.
The program of the evening was as
follows:
Hymn, America" congregation.
Reading from the Psalms.
Anthem. Il Will Lift Up Mine
Eyes" Choir.
Scripture lesson and prayer, Rev.
Albert Pfaus.
Anthem. Light in Darkness, " Choir.
Announcements and Offering.
Solo, The Holy City" Judge L. X.
Cheadle.
Address, Lessons From the Life
Of Lincoln" Hon. o. w. Belden.
Hymn. Onward Christian Soldiers"
Congregation.
Benediction.
The anthems by the choir were sung
ia very mastery manner, while that
beautiful solo, THE Holy City," was
magnifcently rendered by Judge e.
X. Cheadle.
The main feature Of the evening
was an address by Hon. o. w. Bel
den. entitled. Lessons From the Life
OF Lincoln" which was an able and
comprehensive address well deliver
ed.
After few fitting Introductory re-
marks Mr.. Belden proceeded in a very
eloquent manner and graceful phrase
ology to recount the early life and ca
reer of Abraham Lincoln. from the
time of his removal to Illinois until
his election to the legislature. A real
istic account was given of the stir.
ing political events preceding his nom.
ination and election as president and
the decided stand taken by him later
on the slavery question and the ener'
getic and inimitable manner in which
he took the helm of the ship of state
during the trying times of the civil
war.
The famous Gettysburg address was
. recited by the speaker as follows;
"Fourscore and seven years ago on
fathers brought forth on this CONT
ncnt a new nation conceived in lib
crty and dedicated TO the proposition
that all men are created equal. Nov
we are engaged in a great civil wa
testing whether that nation or an,
nation so conceived and so dedicated
can long endure. We are met toda!
on a great battlefield of that war. w,
have come to dedicate portion o
that field as a final resting place TO
$ those who here gave their lives tina
their country might live. 1t is alto
gether fitting and proper that w
should do this.
But in larger sense we canno
dedicate. We cannot consecrate. W,
cannot hallow this ground. The brav,
men-liying and dead-who struggle,
here have consecrated il far beyon,
our poor power to add or detract
The world will little note nor lonI
remember what we say here. but
can never forget what they did here
Ii is for us. the living, rather to b
here dedicated to the unfinished worl
which they who struggled here hav
thus far so nobly advanced II is TO
us rather to he here dedicated to tn
= great task remaining before us; tina
from these honored dead we take II
creased devotion to that cause TO
which they gave the last full meas
IRE of devotion; that we here highl
resolve that these dead shall not .hav
died in vain; that this nation. unde
hhSS Cod, shall have a new birth of fire,
d. dom: and that government of tn
;" people. for the people and by the pee
pie shall not perish from the earth.
Many instances of the generosit
\ and large heartedness of Abraham
Lincoln were eloquently described b
Mr.. Belden, who rendered the syn
pathetic letter written by Lincoln [
Mrs. Bixby as one illustration out {
many of the tender heart possesse
by the illustrious statesman. TIL
d letter is as follows:
on 81 have been shown in the files {
<. the war department a statement {
n the adjutant general of Massachusett
:" that you are the mother of five sor
- who died while gloriously fightin
= on the field of battle. feel how wea
and fruitless must be any words ,
mine to attempt to beguile you frol
u the grief of loss so overwhelmin
But | cannot refrain from tenderin
you the consolation which may |
found in the thanks of the republ
which they died to save. And | pra
that our heavenly Father will a
suage the anguish of your bereav
ment and leave you only the cheris
y ca memory of the loved and lost ar
the solemn pride which must be you
to have laid so costly sacrifice {
U the altar of freedom"
:, The events connected with the a
~ sassination of the president by Jof
eef Wilkes Booth we're handled in vel
d able manner and the address, Whit
4. lasted for an hour. was brought to