The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-02-14
GOOD MEN AND NOT GREAT THE NEED OF. THE NATIONS
Rev Isaac Foster Delivers Eloquent Address Lin coin to Sons of Veterans Bridgeport Pastor Was Himself Soldier of Civil War and Imprisoned In Fearful Andersonvile.

teem'
 ''This obedience to duty made him
 heroic. It was his love of common humanity"
 Here MT. Foster, who was a soldier in the war. and a prisoner in Andere sonville prison. told pathetic story of a little German boy soldier. who
 was condemned to be shot because he had become homesick and had de-
 serted. How Lincoln had saved his life by permitting him to renew his oath of allegiance and again take his
 place in the ranks to serve the rest of
 his term of enlistment.
 He continued: "How tender his heart toward the suffering! How strong hls devotion to duty, and yet there is not quality in his life that may not be ours.
 His was a transparent life. And
 by this is not meant that there was
 not in his mind and heart the unre-
 vealed forces of strength or that he was not subject to the common ambi- tions, or temptations of life. But
 rather that in all of his relations with his fellows. in private life. or in the midst of public responsibilities. it was quckly seen that his only purpose was not only to do right but to do good to his fellow men. Hence, men trust ed him; men believed in him every where He had fibre" Here MT. Foster told the story with the comparison of some men to the shark and he added that it was this
 lack of truth and fibre in men that
 did much to injure the church. For"
 he said, linen do not like to hear
 man sing hymn in church on the Sabbath, and offer prayer with elo-
 quence, and on Tuesday see the same man out in the marts of trade and there see in him the unreal. "No one is endowed for himself alone. Lincoln came to the under standing of this great principle | that his talents were for his fellow | men. The works of the poet, the mu- | sician. the artist and the patriot are
 not performed for themselves, but for | their fellow men and the generations 1 that come after them.
 ''So this great man endowed his life 1 for his fellows He was not only a great man. but he was a good man.
 Every time a legislative session opens at any StateA Capitol the trains are crowded with great men. But great l men cannot save fallen people. It has been the good men that have been the saviours of the nations. Joshua Cfncinnatus. Wellington. G4rribaldi,
 and Washington were good men; Good | men are strong in the hour of trial. A good man can stand alone. He is not moved by public c1amor. Do not hesitate to meet Iife's diff | faculties. The future is in of good
 men. Give us these and the Republic
 shall stand forever. For I believe | that this Republic is destined to sur-
 vive the life of every monarchy in the world"
 Dr. Charles W. Deane was unable to | be present and Judge E. F. Nobbs an-
 swered to the toast Patriotism. and | in the absence of Dr. William E. Chan cellor who was to answer to ''Sons of Veterans-A Noble Heritage. Judge | A. B. Beers spoke.
 | The toastmaster was Attorney Paul l.. Miller. the commander of Franklin Bartlett Camp. No. Il. of this city. l About 200 were in attendance and
 many sons of soldiers who were not | their intentions of joining in the near | future.
 | The menu was one of the best ever | served at banquet in tn city, and | the guests gave a demonstration of their approval of the efforts of the | host.
 | The committees having the event in l charge were as follows: Reception | Frederic A. Bartlett, Philip L.. Holzer. Carl Foster. H. D. Simons. Thomas
 Boudren. Alfred B. Beers. Henry <J. Seeley, and Ebert L. Ruggles. Arrangements-John H. Neff, Gideon E. Hall. Russell A. Glenn. Banouet-Ralph T. Beers, William
 P. Hindle. H. Arthur Seeley. Ffnance-Paul L. Miller, Leon c.
 Warehouse, and George L. Moore J. w. Northrob the architect, who | is a great admirer of Lincoln. spoke at the close of the exercises upon the pro- | ject of erecting a monument to Lin- coin on the City Hall green He said | that he had received promises of much support and he hoped to have the mat ter placed in the hands of competent | committee before long.
 Rev. I. M. Foster, the principal | speaker of the evening. is the father | of Judge Carl Foster of the city court, | and at one tine was the pastor of the | Washington Park M E. church. He | is now a member of the New York conference.