Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-13
BURNSIDE POST, No. 8.
A Great Gathering at the First Con-
gregational Church.

gregational Church.
The memory of Abraham Lincoln was
| honored last night by more than half a
| thousand members of the Grand Army of
the Republic and their families. who gath
cred at the Congrega tional Church, guests
of Burnside Post, No. s. The immense pipe
organ was, almost hidden from view by
American flags and from every vanta ge
point around the auditorium the stars and
stripes were generously draped. Anecdotes
of Lincolns life were told by half dozen
speakers, while Rev. II. n. Couden, chap
lain of the House of Representatives and
a member of Burnside Post, delivered an
eloquent euoIogy on Lincoln as man of
God; sent by God to preserve the Union TO
the people" Addresses were made by
Representative ]. V. Graft of Illinois, Rev.
j. G.. Butler pastor of the Luther Me-
mortal Church, Colonel Charles p. Lincoln
of Ell Reno, Okla, but past commander
of the Department of the Potomac, g. A.
r., and w. E. Andrews auditor for the
State and other departments.
President Roosevelt, Vice President Fair
banks Speaker Cannon and Admiral
Schley had been invited to address the
gathering, but none of them could attend
Commander Tasker announced that Pres
ident Roosevelt told him that while his
heart and soul were with those who We're
celebrating the birthday Of Lincoln it
would be impossible for him to be present
at the exercises. The President had said,
the commander added, that his office a
scab" office where the people worked
more than eight hours a day and that to
properly prepare for the occasion would be
out of the question. Letters of regret were
read from Vice President Fairbanks,
Speaker Cannon and Admiral Schley.
Letters Of Regret.
In his letter of regret Vice President
Fairbanks said, in part:
The day which gave him Q1incoln) birth
is one of the sacred days in American his
tory. We do well to recall his simple life;
his complete conservation to his country
and his countrymen. He dedicated himself
early to the cause of human liberty. He
was sincere believer in the principles OF
the Declaration of independence. He was,
indeed, one of the gentlest and yet one OF
the mightiest of statesmen. What were
American history without Lincoln?'
Speaker Cannon wrote, in part:
You ask me for a tribute to that great
son of Illinois, whose works shed luster
upon the whole country and all civilization.
But who of the living can add anything
to the luster of this name, which stands
next to that of Washington? None
Admiral Schley in his letter declared that
so long as this nation is true to that which
Lincoln taught 1t will never drift away
from the moorings laid by the fathers or
the republic. Few men in high place." he
wrote, heard the heartbeats of the people
so distinctly he did. and few Will live in
their love more profoundly.
The program opened with an organ pre-
lude by Mrs J. w. McMichael, followed by
a "call to order" issued by Lucius ID. Al
den, commander of Burnside Post. Com
mander Alden introduced Past Commander
Tasker of the Department of the Potomac
as the president of the evening. Rev. j. ii.
Bradford, past chaplain-in-ehief of the q.
A. R., pronounced the invocation, and Mr..
]. Walter Humphrey sang kipling's Re
cessional.'
Representative Graft.
Representative Graft was the first speaker
to be called on. He endeavored to explain
the finer points in Lincolns character
through the telling of anecdotes. He told
how Lincoln had picked up q friend who
had fallen drunk, on a lonely road. and
carried him to a place of safety. This, said
the speaker, showed that Lincoln stood by
his friends under all circumstances. He
told how Lincoln and another lawyer from
Illinois had walked through a gateway
where several children were playing. The
other man accidentally knocked over one of
the children's dolls, but he continued on
his way regardless of the tears of the little
one Lincoln tuiHfed went back picked UP
the doll and replaced it, He had the salts
faction of seeing the tears give way to
smiles, and when twitted by his friend for
his action, Lincoln replied that he could
not have gone on, with the cry of the child
ringing in his ears. Mr.. Graft also told OF
the time when Lincoln stopped on the road
and picked up two tiny birds. too young to
fly that had been tossed from their nest
by high wind. Lincoln spent an hour
finding the nest and restoring the birds to
their home.
Commander Tasker read a poem by the
late Secretary Hay, and then called on
Prof J. D. McFall to sing THE Flag With
out a Stain" Professor Neral is great
favorite with the veterans, and they en-
cored him so vigorously that he replied with
THE Sword of Bunker HILL II the pro-
gram had not been filled up with other num-
bers Professor McF,all probably would have
had TO sing the remainder Of the evening.
Rev. DR.. Couden.
Rev Dr. Couden said that matter how
fertile the pen nor how eloquent the tongue
nothing can add to the fame of Abraham
Lincoln. HE was a seer said DR..
Couden, "a prophet, who looked ~into the
future and prepared for it." He told the
story of a party OF ministers who called
on Lincoln during the early days CT the
rebellion and asked him to take some rad
zeal action Mr.. Lincoln, declined to COM
ply whereupon one of the ministers said:
Mr.. Lincoln. hope that in this conflict
the Lord is on our side.
II had never given that thought re-
sponded Lincoln, to the amazement of the
ministers. After waiting for the remark
to have complete effect Mr.. Lincoln con-
tinued:
What worries me is. are We on the
Lords sde?'
Richard Porter, son of Admiral Fou6er
and for many years a playmate of Tad
Lincoln, told of many incidents that he had
observed In the life of the martyred Pres
ident DIR. Butler eulogized Lincoln as a
man and as a President. Col. E. Edwin
Browne, national commander of the Army
and Navy Union, recited THE Man With
the Musket., Lincoln's favoFite poem.
s.Oh, why should the spirit of mortal be
proud?' was. recited by Rev. G. w. Gal
lagher, chaplain OF the Department Of the