The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-02-14
IINCO[N'S Anniversary
CELEBRATED LAST NIGHT
of this splendid song last night was
received with great favor and gener-
Gus applause.
Hon. John E. craIs's Address.

MI. CIdlS balQ IN part: 1t is with
mingled feelings Of pleasure and en-
harrassment that attempt to talk to
you for few moments this evening,
at the request of the members of the
Grand Army of the Republic. 1t is
always a pleasure to do anything to
aid or please those brave defenders
of the union, who went forth to pre-
serve the union of state and save the
flag unsullied which we love and
which they loved. That flag that is
the symbol OF truth, right, liberty,
and human progress; that symbolizes
the noblest purest ideals ever born
in the soul Of man, and we have, but
to live up to its standard of liberty,
equality and fraternity and the king
dom Of human brotherhood is already
here. What the soldiers Of the north
did Is best expressed in the immortal
words Of the great emancipator him
self, when he said on the field Of
Gettysburg: But In larger sense
we cannot dedicate. we cannot con-
secrate, we cannot hallow this ground
The brave men living and dead, who
struggled here have hallowed 1t be-
yond all our powers to add or detract
The world will little note nor long
remember what we say here, but it
can never forget what they did here
1T is for US, the living, rather to
dedicate ourselves to the unfinished
work which they have thus far so
nobly carried on 1t is for us rather
to dedicate ourselves to the great task
that remains before US, and from
these honcred dead take increas I'd
devotion to that cause for which they
gave the last full measure Of devo-
ton, and here, highly resolve that
these dead shall not have died in
vain and that the nation under God
shall have new birth of freedom and
the government of the people, by the
people, and for the people, shall not
perish from the earth. It is there
fore a pleasure at any time or place
to serve them, but 1t Il matter of
serious embarrassment to me to at
tempt to discuss SO important sub
ject as Abraham Lincoln The mart
yred president could the spirit of that
great man leav, the golden streets of
the celestial city and come to earth
tonight. could perhaps realize the
veneration and esteem N which his
memory is held by grateful people.
Fifty years ago, il you would pick
up a newspaper or magazine, you
might find therein criticism Of Lin
coin, harsh, and cruel words. He
might therein be charged with cow
ardice, dishonesty, and inordinate am
bition. But we know better now.
There IS no party nor persons in all
this great and mighty nation Of peo-
pie that do not revere his memory
and hold him up as the one great
American of the twentieth century. 4
have not the eloquence or words to
fully portray his character and life
And had l lips of flame or could talk
like Demosthenes or a Webster, I
could not portray the virtues of this
great man as they should be portray
ed. l will therefore content myself
with few incidents of his great life,
that touch one particular phase of his
career"
Here the speaker went into an elo-
quent discussion of his religious life
and by incident and story and bio
graphical proof, showed his deep and
abiding belief in an everything God,
especially strong was the speakers
quotation from his second inaugural
address. And he showed how even
those who did not believe as he did
politically. were his great admirers.
The following quotations from Gov
ornor Sulzer Of New York, and Col
onel Waterson Of Kentucky were
graphically recited:
"As the centuries fade away the
immortal figure of Abraham Lincoln
will loom larger and larger on the
horizon of human destiny--a great
beacon light in the progress of civil
ization.
THE history of his life, of his joys