Omaha daily bee., 1909-02-13
EXERCISES AT OLD HOME
Springfield Mass of Colors and Pic
lures of Emaneipstor.
ROBERT LINCOLN HONoRED GUEST
Ambassador Bryce, william J. Bryan
and Mrs. Bryan Among the
speakers-Fifty Meetings
Mt Chicago.

Speakers-Fifty Meetings
at Chicago.
SPRINGFIELD. H.. Feb. IA visit paid
by Robert T. lincoln to the old Lincoln
home which he had not visited since boy
hood marked the informal but real begin
ming OF the memorial celebration Of the
Tooth anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's
birth held in Springfield today. Every bust
ness house and ne ~ every residence in
the city is decorated with flags and bunting
and with pictures Of the great emancipation.
Ambassador Jusserand OF France and the
English ambassador. James Bryce, were ell
tertained at the governors mansion and
vent from there at noon TO the Country
club. accompanied by William J. Bryan
and Senator Jonathan p. Dolliver, where
they were guests at a luncheon. recep-
ton was rendered Ambassador Bryce by
the British-American association. A con-
spicuous part in the celebration was taken
by the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton, whose national president, Mrs Don
aid Mclean, participated.
The city entertained as its guests French
Ambassador Jusserand. British Ambassa-
dor Bryce, Hon. William Jennings Bryan,
Robert T. Lincoln, Senator Dolliver OF
Iowa. Federal Judges Grosscup and Lands
Of Chicago. Seaman of Milwaukee and And
erson OF Indianapolis, Hon. James Harlan.
Interstate commerce commissioner; General
John w. Noble. Judges Clarke and Klein,
Colonel W. II. Blodgett and Hon. David
II. Francis Of ST. Louis and many others
prominent in public and business life in
Illinois and neighboring states.
Address of MIR. Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan in his address said:
Lincolns fame as a statesman and as
the nations chief executive during its most
crucial period has so overshaoowed MS
fame an orator that his merits as a
public speaker have not been sufficiently
emphasized. When II is remembered that
his nomination was directly due to the
prominence which he won upon the stump
that In a remarkable series of dc
Of the most brilliant orators America
has produced; and that to his speeches,
more than to the arguments OF any
other one man, or, in fact. of all other
public men combined. was due the sue
cess Of his psrty-when all these facts are
borne in mind. II will appear plain, even 10
the casual observer that too little atten-
tiOn has been given to the extraordinary
power which he exercised as speaker
That his nomination was due to the erect
that his speeches produced cannot be dis
puted. When he began his fight against
slavery in 1854 1854 he was but little little known
tended court. II is true that he had been
a member OF congress some years before.
but at that time he was not stirred by
any great emotion or connected with the
discussion of any important theme. and he
made but little impression upon national
politics. The threatened extension OF
slavery however, aroused him. and with
cause which justified his best efforts he
threw his whole soul into the fight; The
debates with Dougfas have never had
parallel IN this or. 80 far as history shows
in any other country.
Rrevity is the soul of wit and part of
Ifnrniptg rennfaffon wit lire his
ability to condense great deal into few
words He was epigrammatic.> A moulder
OF thought Is not necessarily an originator
OF the thought moulded. Just as lead
moulded into the form of bullets has its
effectiveness increased. so thought may
have its propagating power enormously in
creased by being moulded into form that
the eye catches and the memory holds. Lin
coin was the spokesman OF his party ne
gave felicitous expression TO the thoughts
His Gettysburg speech is not surpassed
IL edualled. in beauty, simplicity, force
and appropriations by any speech OF the
same length OF any language IL is the
worlds model in eloquence. elegance and
condensation. He might safely rest his
reputation as an orator on that speech
alone.
He was apt in illustration-no one more
so. simple story OF simile drawn from
the argument that he wanted TO present.
He did not speak over the heads of his
hearers. and yet his language was never
commonplace. There is strength in SIM
itself
He understood the power of the inter-
rogatory. for some Of his most powerful
arguments were condensed into questions.
or all those who discussed the evils of
separation and the advantages TO be de-
rived from the preservation OF the union,
no one ever put the matter more forcibly
than Lincoln did when, referring to the
possibility of war and the certainty OF
peace some time. even If the union was
divided, he called attention 10 The fact
that the same question would have to be
dealt with, and then asked. Can enemies
make treaties easier than friends can make
lawsT'
and OF Illustrations drawn from holy writ.
TX Is said that when he was preparing his
Springfield speech in 1855 he spent hours
/ trying to find language that would express
the idea that dominated his entire career.
namely, that republic could not per
manently endure half free and half slave.
and that finally a Bible passage flashed
have found it-''A house divided against
itself cannot stand" and probably no other
fluence as this one in the settlement of a
great controversy.
i have enumerated some, not all-but the
more imortant-of his characteristics as an
orator, and this day 1 venture for the
moment to turn the thoughts OF this audi
ence away from the great work that he
accomplished as q patriot, away from his
achievements In the line Of statecraft, to
the means employed by him 10 bring be-
fore the public the ideas which attracted
attention 70 him. His power as a public
/ speaker was the foundation OF his sue
cess, and while II is obscured by the super
structure that was reared upon II. il can
not be entirely overlooked as the return
ing anniversary OF his birth calls inereas-
i ing attention TO the widening influence of
his work With no military career TO daz-
4 Ele the eye or excite the imagination; with
no public service TO make his name IA
miliar to the reading public. his elevation
1 TO the presidency would have been i'm
possible without his orat0ry. The elo-
quence Of DemOsthenes and Cicero were
no more necessary 10 their work, and Lin
coin deserves TO have his name written on
the scroll with theirs.
Banquet In Evening.
The erowning event of the celebration was
tonights banquet. 20 plates for which were
engaged at IS each. Addresses were de-
livered BY Senator Dolliver. W. ]. Bryan,
and Ambassadors Bryce and Jusserand.
Declaring that Engiishmen honor the
memory OF I1neoln as Americans do, ana
that il was fitting that one who was
privileged to represent the land from which