The Birmingham age-herald., 1909-02-13
FINE PROGRAMMES FOR LINCOLN DAY High School Has Largest Cele-
 bratiOn In City MEAD AMONG SPEAKERS Boston Man Says America's Mission Today Is to Emancipate the World
 From the Curse of War.
 o'Brien Speaks.
MEAD AMONG SPEAKERS

Birmingham did honor in a quiet way yesterday to the memory of Aorahahi Lincoln, the day being the centennial an niversary of his birth. There were two meetings, one at the High school, attend ed by the pupils of that school and large number of visitors, and meeting of the George A. Custer Chapter, fost No. 1, Grand Army of the Repuphc' at Cable hall last night At the night meet- ing the Rev MT. de ovies opened with prayer while the speakers were capt. Frank P. O'Brien, the Rev. Dr. John W. Stagg, Dr. J. Hg Phillips and Assistant Postmaster Prof. Joseph Thomas Blake more. Miss Cecil Myers recited the "Toast to the Flag" while Miss Lena Jackson, Miss Harriett w. ONeill, J. Don McGill and a quartet filled out a musical pro- gramme
 The Lincoln centennial was celebrated by an audience of more than 1000 at the High school yesterday morning, including pupils and prominent citizens. Edwin D. Mead of Boston and Capt. Frank F. O'Brien were the principal speakers MT. Mead expressed the opinion that this was the greatest celebration of fSthe kind ever held in honor of Lincoln in the south out side of his birthplace.
 Miss Sara Ellen Green presided. The numbers on the programme included paper by Lee Price, Captain, o, My Captain" by Lloyd Bowers; Capt. Frank P. O'Brien's tribute to Lincoln, written for northern newspaper, read by Miss Edna Dexter, and the Lincoln speech at Gettysburg, recited by Joseph Johns.
 MT. Mead said that no event probably had ever been more widely or warmly eommemorated in America than this cen tennial of the birth of | Lincoln. In schools. in churches and wherever men gather together Lincoln is honored today In his own city of Boston, besides the great evening celebrations, there were fitting exercises in all the schools. It had been with regret that he had found he could not be in Boston today, as he was a member of the citizens commit tee on the commemoraton there. But he was happier to witness and have part in this celebration in Birmingham than to be in Boston, This wonderful scele- bration in this great southern school was significant indeed, he said. Never had the words of Bincolns Gettysburg address so touched his heart as when just repeated so eloquently by this boy of the Birming- ham High school. North and south alike realize today the greatness of Lincoln's character and service, and the sacredness of the principles for which he stood; and his name is a bond of union.
 MT. Mead spoke of the high tributes to Lincoln by Emerson, Lowell, Longfellow, Whittier Whitman, Holmes and Bryant. All the great poets, his contemporaries, had true insight into his life and char acter, and all wrote memorable words of him, and their verdict will endure.
 'Lincoln only began the work of eman- cipation," he said. Tt is for us to carry 1t on doing all in our power to uplift to higher privilege and opportunity the back ward and suffering and lowly of our own republic, and to reach out the helping hand to all races struggling upward the wide world through.
 "The commanding cause of Lincoln 8 time was the war against slavery. The commanding cause of our time is the war against war It is for us, in this sa- cred anniversary time, to take new de- votion to the duty confronting us. Like I.incolns devotion to the duty confront ing him, so shall this republic of Wash ington and Jefferson and Lincoln become a blessing to mankind"