The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1921-02-04


tree. 1t just such a bench as this and unue.
this identical tree that Lincoln during the darh
days of the war sat until late into the night .
few hundred yards behind stands the Trains
house In which he spent many night IN oroer
to have freedom from the cares OF his once. por
more than fifty years veterans of the civil war
have been visiting this spot in the Soldiers nome
which Lincoln liked so well, and now II Is ire
quented by men who fought in the Spanisn-Amer-
lean war and men who did service in the World
war. From this spot can see the new LIN
coin memorial three miles distant to the soutn-
west, and Just across the Potomac beyond the
memorial looms up Arlington cemetery.
Other Reminders Of Lincoln
To the north and west of the Soldiers home
on the outskirts of the city but within the DS-
Of the days Of Lincoln. For instance, tnere ID
the old fort from which Lincoln witnessed the
repuse of the would-be invaders Of the capital
And extending east and west from this oid Iort
are remnants Of numerous Notifications that Lin
coin visited many times.
On Tenth street there still stands the old Ford
Theater building in which Lincoln was assas-
sinated, and across the street In the two-stofy
brick house In which he died Is Lincoln
museum supported In part by appropriations
from congress and In part from private sources
One may see there the many reminders OF tne
early career Of Lincoln. such as a log from his
boyhood home, a fence rail which he split IN
1880. the commission of captain which he won In
the Black Hawk war In 1882, many autographed
letters, the chair in which he sat in his Spring
field home when he accepted the first nomination
to the presidency and the old family biDie IN
which Lincoln's name appears.
AS the years have gone by congress has placed
in the halls and corridors Of the Capitola a num-
Der of busts and paintings of Lincoln. The DUST
by Albert Degrout Is In the east corridor OF inc
senate wing There is also in the senate wing a
Lincoln portrait about which sghtseers may be
seen any day. In the house wing there hangs a
painting that represents the first reading OF tne
emancipation proclamation before the cabinet.
september o. 1862 In the portrait seen
secretary Of war, Edwin NJ. Stanton; secretary
of the treasury, Solomon p Chase; secretary OF
the navy Gideon Wells; secretary of state, VIII
liam a. Seward secretary of the interior. Caleb
B. Smith; postmaster general montgomery nial.'
and attorney general, Edward Bates This paint
ing was presented to the United States by Eliza
beth Thompson In 1870. Alexander a. Stephens.
ex-vice president of the Southern Confederacy.
who was then a member Of the house of repre-
sentatives made the speech Of presentation.
There are few outside statues to detract rom
the interest that will always center around the
great memorial In Potomac park There is
Lincoln statue at Fourth and D streets. by Scott
Flannery. and also a statue in Lincoln park.
which Is called the Emancipation monument IL
ia by Thomas Ball
Dedication Of Memorial.
As the years go by men in public life at the
capital Of the nation refer with increasing IRE
uuency to the wise utterances Of Lincoln
glance over the speeches In the two houses of
congress will show that It is a rare thing for
senator or congressman to make speech OF
consequence without quoting Lincoln. The retir-
ing President of the United States In his last
general message to congress told the legislators
that as he approached the end of his term he
found his thought dominated by an immortal
sentence uttered by Lincoln:
Let US have faith that right makes might and
in that faith let dare to do our duty as we
understand it"
Apparently the present year is to bring an
increase in the interest in Lincoln In his own
country, if such thing is possible The dedica-
tion of the national memorial will be more than
a national event. The plans for this affair In so
far as they have been perfected call for the par
ticipation of the representatives Of all foreign
governments here The eulogy may be delivered
by the President of the United States. The
preference was for dedicatory exercises on Febru-
ary u, the birthday of the martyr President, but
it has been decided that It would be better to
wait for the balmy weather of spring.
1t is nearly fffty-hve years since Lincoln passed
on To quote George Bancroft, the eulogian,
again:
aNot in vain has Lincoln lived. for he has
helpsd to make this republic an example of JUS
dce with caste but the caste Of humanity