The Washington bee., 1907-04-20
ABRAHAM LINCOLN
INTERESTING EXERCISES MON
DAY NIGHT.


Psotst Church. The occasion was a
--sst;ng commemorative of the death OF
Ab-aham Lincoln. The meeting was
-,us5 TO order by Mr.. Robert F. Lewis,
u.ro Is one of the most gifted young
orators in this city. Mr.. Lewis, after
b- called the meeting to order, asked
that Rev Walter H. Brook invoke di-
vine blessing. 1t was most eloquent
o-sver The choir then rendered sew
e-7I musical selections, followed by Mrs.
blackburn. who rendered very sweetly
vocal solo. She is one of the sweetest
singers in the city.
President Lewis then made a few
ooeuing remarks as follows, which were
received with great enthusiasm:
Ladies and Gentlemen -
The waves dashed high; the thunders
echoed far;
The rghmings flashed into the dismal
gloom,
The bolts by Vulcan forged in natures
womb.
And earth was shaken by the furious
war!
The ship Of state was strained in every
sparl
And strong men felt that now had come
their doom;
And weak men scanned the dark heay-
ems for a star.
On on the field OF battle march the
black man,
Two hundred thousand strong,
Though shot and shell flew thick and
fast
With sabre at his side and musket in his
hand.
To save them from a fratricidal tomb.
But one amid the strife, collected, calm,
Patient and resolute, was firm, and trod
The deck defiant of the angry storm,
Guiding the ship like to some ancient
godl
And high upon the scroll of endless
fame
In diamond letters flashes Lincoln's
name.
I take great pleasure in introducing
to you a man who knows no fear and
one who will speak of Lincoln as he
was.
Mr.. Chase stepped forward and was
loudly applauded. He said among other
things that forty-two years ago, April
a. the bullet Of an assassin silenced the
tongue and laid low the worlds greatest
benefactor, philanthropist and humani'
tartan. 1t was the year in which the
most bloody and inhuman conflict haC
come to a close and four million ot
human beings and wards of the nation
were about to realize the fruits Of free.
dom and an independence which were
consummated by a blood conflict. L
was the realization of a hope that
brought happiness and peace to the hear
and mind Of a grateful nation. 1t wa:
the year, my friends, this nation anC
this republic had ended a conflict tha
had emancipated the slaves or wards o.
the nation. Abraham Lincoln believed
in the Constitution of the United State
and the enforcement of that instrument
He believed in a government of, by anC
for the people. While many demanded
that he should save the Union with slav
cry. he was thoroughly convinced tha
1t could not be done, because the aboli
tionists of the North demanded tn,
freedom of the slaves, hence existing
conditions forced him to issue and sigI
the Emancipation Proclamation. H,
soon found out what the trend of publi
sentiment was. He was convinced tina
this could not longer exist as a republic
with one-half slaves and one-half free
men. Either slavery or the sacrifice o
the Union-this was the time, this wa
the hour that he became the emancipato
Of the Negroes.
Mr.. Chase read the acts of the 3Otl
Congress, in which Mr.. Lincoln took al
active part. He read the opinion tha
the late Frederick Douglass gave Of MI
Lincoln, which was listened to with tn
greatest attention. He showed that MI
Lincoln always believed in emancipa
ton Of the Negro and to give him tn
ballot, He quoted many of Mr.. Lin
coins sayings on the Negro which wer
very interesting. At the conclusion o
ms address he was loudly applaudet
lie was followed by Recorder of Deed
J. {. Dancy. Mr. Dancy made a mos
eloquent speech. He cited many in
stances Of Importance in the life of Lin
coin. He was loudly applauded through
out the delivery of his address.
Judge E. NJ. Hewlett was the mex
speaker. Mr.. Hewlett reviewed the lif
OF Lincoln. He compared him wit
President Roosevelt, to the extent tina
Lincoln didn't believe in retaliatory
measures without proof. Lincoln, h,
said, did not accept the suggestions o.
the late Frederick Douglass when Mr.