Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-13
IN LINCOLN MEMORY
Two Large Meetings Held Here
Last Night.
u. S. HISTORICAL SOCIETY
Celebrated the Event in McKendree
Church.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
Assembled at First Congregational
Church-Eloquent Addresses Made
at Both Places.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC

nversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln
by the United States Historical Society last
night at the Mckendree NJ. E. Church was
largely attended by the admirers of the
great man whose memory was honored.
The auditorium had been prettily decorated
with American flags, and musical pro-
gram carried out by orchestra, by
the McKendree choir, the big organ and
individual singers.
Major ]. II. Slime, president of the his
torical society, presided, and at the con-
clusion of the singing of Onward, Chris
tian Soldiers" by the choir, the orchestra
and the audience. he said:
Abraham Lincoln will live in the history
of the world as one of its greatest men,
and the people of this grand republic will
honor themselves by making his birthday a
national holiday
Rev. E. l.. Hubbard, pastor of McKendree
Church. in short but impressive address,
welcomed the large audience on behalf of
! both the congregation and the historical
society.
Representative Birdsall.
Representative Benjamin P Birdsall of
Iowa then addressed the assemblage. He
said 1t seems fit and proper that here in
the nations capital, where Abraham Lin
coin spent so many of his strenuous days.
/ ana where he gave up his precious life
that the people should meet and celebrate
MS memory. The grandest monument is
that reared by the deeds of man. Lincoln's
monument is secure
or all the names in our history" con-
thued Mr.. Birdsal, two stand out prcmi-
nently-Washington and Lincoln. They
mark two great epochs. One of these was
the revolution which freed us from the
chahs OF civil tyranny. The other was
wi oh iRnI
mus our nation was born in revolution
and purified by revolution
lie said Lincoln was a great character
thlt came up from the prairies of ILL.,
HolS. He was tall lank and uncouth but
ne was guided by the hand of God that he
might guide the nation. Lincoln was a
strange combination of mirth sadness ana
loNe. Alter reciting an incident that was
tHpIcal Oh lLncoins kind heartedness MIR.
Birdsali said:
Lincoln was said to have been a homely
man why, he was the handsomest man 1
EYER EYER saw, and the two great documents
that stand out prominently in our history
are the declaration of Independence and
the proclamation of emancipation"
Col J. Edwin Browne, national com
L man OF the Army and Navy Union. who
was attended by his Staff in full uniform
addressed the audience briefly. He spoke
Oh Llncolns grandeur. and said the mar
tyrea President loved the private soldier as
we'll as he did the general God grant.
concluded Col Browne that his name NAV
never be forgotten"
DR.. Franklin T. Howe.
"Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp
Ground was sung effectively by the Nc
kendree choir and then the chairman in
troduced as a gallant soldier Dr. Franklin
T. Howe, who was an officer of the bureau
OF military justice at the time of the as
sassination of President Lincoln. DR..
Howe told no story Of Ln l.,
coins death, as he had witnessed it in de-
TAIL his recital being frequently interrupt
ed by applause as he drew vivid word pic
lures of the conspiracy; the flight of the
assassin and his accomplices; their arrest
and trial; the death of President Lincoln,
and the final act In the great national trag-
edy, the execution of the conspira tors
Il first saw Lincoln said DR. Howe. ION
an occasion when he came to the bureau OF
military justice and asked to see Judge Holt
about a case in which he said he was very
much interested. As he was coming out or
Judge Hollis office after the interview he
matted III the doorway and said, Now, Judge
IL you Will make a recommends ton, between
us we Will make that poor girls heart glad
] did not know what the case was at that
time, but l afterward learned that SOL
dler, who had left his regiment to go home
to the bedside of his dying mother, had been
tried and sentenced by court-martial The
soldiers sister had come to Washington to
try to save her brother. and had enlisted
President Lincolns sympathy in his behalf
Judge Holt recommended that the sentence
be d1Sapproyed, and ii was. This illustrates
the goodness and greatness of Lincoln's
nature"
DIR. Howe described another incident which
happ9ned about the close of the civil war
great crowd had assembled about the
White House and President Lincoln an
peared at window to address the people
and congratulate them on the successful
ending OF the war. Now" said Lincoln
Il want to say word to the band l want
them to play Dixie l always did love that
tune, and now that we have conquered it, 1
love it all the better
DR.. Howe described the excitement In
Washington on the night of the assassfna-
ton. and said he reached Ford's Theater
just as Mr.. Lincoln was being carried to
the Peterson House across the street. He
tary guards, of the flying rumors to the
effect that all OF the prominent officials OF
the government had been killed, of the i'm
pressve funeral pageant of Mr. Lincoln. ana
OF the trial, conviction and execution of the
consprators.
In conclusion DR.. Howe said Judge Holt
made a recommendation for mercy as to
Mrs. Surratt, but it was not acted upon by
President Andrew Johnson.
Representative Holiday.
Representative E. S. Holiday of Indiana
followed. He said Lincoln's name had been
associated with jokes, some of which the
deceased President had perhaps never heard
of. No doubt" said the speaker, "he did