Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1909-02-12
TOday's Telegraphic News
The Pre- .Ident at tiodgenyIIIs.

Hodgenville, Ky, FEB L. Gr iat
crowds invaded HodgeDville, for
the celebration oteLiDcoln's birthday and
10 lay the corneutone of & memoir a.
building now being erected By popular
subscription to mark Lincoln's birth.
place ADD t. protect for sill Time the
lite log cabin in which The maFlyr
president was born.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the trains
hearing the president and other disIln-
guished guests arrived ct the station.
General Roger William, of Louis
VILE chief marshal, bad cbaTgs OF
arrangements. Moutt'd men were
stationed along the road to the Lincoln
farm TO keep the way clear for the Ps-
rade.
The ceremoniessd stsrt ss soon 90 he
president and hi. party resch the big
tent which had been erected for the
purpose. At one end Of the teOt was
The speakers stand, aud the Lincoln
cabin 10 full view of the vast audience.
Only a week sgo the timbeIs of the
structure, which have travelled about the
country, we're taken ont OF Louisville
warehouse ADD put together on the
original site where they will now stand
sheltered by their marble temple.
Aside from the SPEAKERS, the guests Of
honor we're:
Mrs. Ben Hardin Helm, of Louis
vile, half sister of Mrs. Abraham
Lincoln, aud Robert Collier, of New
York, who purchased the Lincoln farm
and started the movement for the ns.
tional memorial.
Not only was sectional feeling blotied
out today but an effort at least, wa
made to forget race and political prju
dice. A committee Of 26 negro cilizons
Of Kentucky, appoioted By Governor
Wilson, represent on the reception com
mittee the negro race. The democratic
and republic an state committees made
The trip to Hodgenville together.
Gov. Folk, as president Of the Ma
tioual Farm Association, opened tn,
speech making. The laying Of the cor
ner stone and President ROoseyelt's ad
dress followed.
Gov. Wilson, of Kentucky, aud Sec
rotary Wright followed in the order
named and B shop Galloway, of Missis
sipp', pronounced The benediction.
The president in his speech paid
gloaiug tribute to Lincoln, placing him
side by side with Washington and bait
ing the two as the greatest men that any
nation had brought forth. "Tbe rail-
splitter boy" as Mr.. Roosevelt termed
Lincoln, "aiter years OF iron effort in
which failure came more often than VIC
lofy, at last rose to the leadership of the
republic. He grew to greatness, but
never to ease; success came TO him, bui
never happiness, save tia. which springs
from doing we'll a painful aud vital
task Power WAS his, but not pleasure,
aud while the burrows dsepened on his
brow, his eyes were undimmed by either
fear or hate" Roosevelt 10 conclusion
sa d. "As the years roll by, aud as all
of US, wherever we dwell, grow to feel
so equal pride in the Vaior and self-de-
Votion, alike of the men who wore the
blue aud the men who wore the gray, so
this whole nation will grow 10 feel
peculiar sense Of pride in the man whose
blood was shed for the union Of his peo.
ole and for the freedom Of race; the
lover OF his country aud of all mankind;
the mighliesi of the mighty men who
mastered the mighty days, Abraham
Lincoln"
Secretary Wright paid an eloquent
tribute tn Lincoln's understanding OF
The people of the South aud his sincere
desire for peace and speedy recOnstruc
ton after the civil war. He called at
tention TO the fact that Abraham Lin.
cola aud Jefferson Davis were bOrn 10
the same state.
"In rtaiing the public ullersncss OF
Mr. Lincoln, during the period of bitter
discussion nothing has impressed me
more ttan Singular clearness OF bis per
cep ion that the responsibility for slavery
rested on al our people and was a bur
den which should be borne by sill alike"
said the secretary. In closing bis speech
secretary Wright said "ADd thus The
men of the South Gao not only look back
upon lost cause without bitterness, bot
recognize il was best that it did fail.
And they can do without bitterness and,
in sll sincerity, join With all the people
of The alton and all the people Of all
nations in paying tribute to Abfsbom
Lincoln, the liberat2r, the psci6cator,
the great American"