Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1918-02-12
LINCOLN'S VISITS
TO PHILADELPHIA
Difference Between the Welcome
Accorded on His First and
Last Appearance Here


Philadelphia was made when he was on
the way to Washington to assume the Presi-
dency-he was here, II lie true, as n delegate
to national convention In 1s4s, but Il is
doubtful If any one besides himself was
aware OF II Mt the time. His last visit was
after his death. when his body was on tho
way to its grave in Springfield. Ill.
There was como disagreement among those
VINO were arranging for his first reception as
10 the character of tho honors that should
DO shown to him. There was unanimous
agreement among those WHO arranged for tho
last visit that no honors too great could be
paid to tho dead President,
ANA there was an interval Of only four
visits
committee of Councils. consisting ot
Councilmen Hacker Bradford and Wetherill
was appointed on February 15 1861 to meet
Mr. Lincoln In Cleveland and invite him to
sup mere on hts way TO Washington Mr..
Ilncoln accepted tho invitation General
PATTERSON was asked to allow the First Divi-
sion or volunteers to act as an escort to the
President-clect, but he refused on the ground
that thcrc was no precedent for calling out
me troops to escort a private citizen. Cap
tam James, OF the First City Troop, al re-
Iused to allow the troop to act as escort.
following the rule laid down by General Pat
terson lie explained that ho had no per.
sonai feeling In the matter. Major Charles
THOMPSON Jones, Of the Pennsylvania
Dragoons, however. had no technical scruples
ana when Mr.. Lincoln arrived in the city on
February 81, at the Kensington station, tho
Dragons were In the procession that cs-
cLrted him to the Continental Hotel Tho
streets were decorated with flags and crowds
lined the sidewalk, Mr.. Lincoln was ap-
piauded so enthusiastically that he fire.
auently rose in the open barouchc in which
ne was riding and saluted the crowds When
NO arrived at the Continental the streets
were so jammed and the people were forcing
their way Into the building In such great
numbers that the doors had to be closed and
guarded by policemen. A few moments after
he reached tho building he made his appear
ance on balcony on one OF the upper floors
and addressed the people.
When He Raised a Flag
Tho next day. Washngtons Birthday, he
was escorted to independence Hall Mt
o'clock. raised n new flag with thirty-four
stars and made q brief address. lie left the
city at $3.50 O'Clock on his way TO Washing
ton. lie had been welcomed by his parti-
sans.
when the preparations were in progress
Tor the reception OF the body OF the Presl-
dent on April 20, 1866 there was unanimous
agreement among men OF all parties, all
creedS and all races that no honor was too
great TO show to the memory of the dead.
Lincoln had died on Saturday, April Is. On
the following Sunday memorial sermons
were preached in almost every church. Tho
Union League held special meeting in Com
cert Hall on Monday, presided over by Nor
ton McMichael. Tho Rev. Phillips Brooks,
later Episcopal Bishop OF Massachusetts,
offered prayer and Horace Binney, Jr, pre-
sented series of appropriate resolutions,
which were unanimously adopted. On Tues
day there was a meeting OF womcn also In
Concert Hail. presided over by John Welsh
and addressed by the Revs William II Fur
ness, Phillips Brooks DIR. Rudder and Bishop
Simpson. Prayer was offered by the Rev
George Dana Boardman. Yet no woman
spoke at this meeting of women, fact which
those interested in the emancipation of
women will not be slow to note.
on Wednesday, February 10, tho day of
the funeral in Washington, all business was
suspended here, special services were held In
most of the churches and preparations were
continued for the reception of the body, which
was to arrive in the city on the following
Saturday hearse was ordered, to be
fifteen feet long, eight feet wide and sixteen
feet high, on which the coffin was to be car
ried from the railroad station at Broad and
Washington streets to Independence Hall.
The top Of the hearse was in the form of n
canopy ornamented with silver fringe, and
the platform for the coffin was six feet from
the ground. Eight horses in black trappings
were engaged TO draw it. The Independence
Chamber in Independence Hall was draped
in black and all the portraits were covered
save those OF W NaSnlnRtCn ana MS wire,
Commodore Decatur, Chevalier Gerard the
Marquis de Lafayette and William Penn.
Grape was suspended between the central
chandelier and the holdings above the win
dows In a way to form a black canopy over
the room.
Tribute Of a Negress
On Saturday afternoon an old negro
woman took to the hall a wreath Of fir and
ivy which she had made with her own hands
and asked that It be placed on the coffin.
She had attached to it the inscription: "The
nation mourns his loss-he still lives in the
hearts Of his people,"
Crowds began to gather about the Phila-
delphia, Wilmington and Baltimore Railroad
station long before the hour for the arrival
of the train from Washington. They lined
the streets on the way to Independence
Square and stood silent as the long process
sion moved slowly to Its destination. New
crowds gathered in the streets about the hall
after midnight Sunday and waited patiently
to be admitted. By o'clock in the morning
there was n line extending from Sixth street
west to Broad and east to the river and
back again as far as Third street 1t was
estimated that $4,000 persons passed by the
coffin during the hours Of the day and tens
of thousands more were In the streets watt
ing for a chance to get In the building when
II was closed In order to prepare for the re-
moyal of the body to the train which was to
take It to New York.
When Lincoln was alive he was damned
by his enemies and criticized numerically by
men of his own party. When he was dead
the whole nation arose to pay it's tribute OF
respect to the man who had courageously and
well borne one Of the heaviest burdens ever
laid on the shoulders Of a mortal.