The Washington herald., 1908-05-31

appeared. for the first and only time,
nmid shot and she'll as Commander
in-ehief Of the armies Of the United
Statesg upon this battlefield. for the
first and only time. was In actual
command as 20 military operations.
This document, in the handwriting
of the immortal Lincoln, which IN
now made public for the arst time,
II an invaluable contribution not only
10 the history of the battle itself, but
10 the history OF the republic"
OF all the Memorial Day celebrations in
Washington. the most notable. perhaps.
was that at Fort Stevens. not in point
OF numbers participating. Cr the elaborate
nature Of the ceremonies. but on account
OF the patriotic and scholarly address
delivered by the Hon. Hanuls Taylor. for
mer Minister TO Spain. which served 20
give TO the world a hitherto unpublished
letter written by the immortal Lincoln.
This historic document. obtained from the
archives Of the House Of Representatives
shows that Lincoln. during the battle Of
Fort Stevens, as Commander-in-Chief.a ap-
proved, If he did not actually order. the
shelllng Of houses in which Confederate
sharpshooters were concealed.
Battle Ground Cemetery never looked
more beautiful The decoration Of the
graves was in the hands Of children. Al
though the exercises Of the day were SIM
pie, they were deeply impressive and full
OF patriotic and historic interest. At the
close Of Mr.. Taylors grafton, he was
given an ovation. Mr.. w. V. Cox. his
torian Of the battle field. said the LIN
coin letter was entirely new and most
valuable
No Victims OF Fallen Cause.
Mr.. Taylor. who spoke as a humble
son Of the South. and in closing paid
eloquent tribute to President Roosevelt.
said:
During the period Of thousand years.
occupied by the history Of the English
speaking peoples. there have been three.
and only three, great civil wars. In DE-
pictiDS conditions as they existed at the
end Of the first. Bulwer. in The Last OF
the Barons,' has drawn for US a graphic
picture OF the mighty Warwick, the king
maker, who. at the zenith Of his power.
was confronted by request for aid from
young kinsman who had cast his for
tunes with the vanQuished. In regretful
accents Warwick said: Remember. my
kinsman. that at the end of a civil war
no mans shadow is broad enough to
shelter the victims Of a fallen cause.
1T IS TO the eternal glory Of this re-
public that at the end Of the greatest
of all civil wars there were no victims OF
a fallen cause When the bloody drama
ended Grant and Lee parted with the
stately courtesy of medieval knights er-
rant. and the day after those who had
composed their armies Joined Ike broth
ers. united by mutual love- mutual
interest. and a mutual honor. in the
work of rebuilding the national life. SO
completely has that work been accom-
plished that to-day a humble son Of
the South comes at your bidding and
stands upon this battle ground as IN
touched by the passions Of the past as
If the contending warriors had worn at
their buttonholes the red roses Of Ian
caster and the white roses Of York.
Il am here to-day as an American.
proud of the past and hopeful of the
future. to speak with the same patriotic
tervor OF the immortal Lincoln. the savior
of the Union. who consecrated this bat
tlefeld by his presence, that would ami
mate me should / speak OF the immortal
Washington, its founder. The work OF the
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