The Dolores star., 1921-02-04

bench under the inviting shade of an old oah
tree. 1t was just such a bench us this ana uhuei
this identical tree that Lincoln during the dark
days of the war sat until late into the night a
few hundred yards behind stands the frame
house In which he spent many a night In oruer
to have freedom from the cares of his ONCE. TOT
more than fifty years veterans Of the CiVll war
have been visiting this spot In the Soldiers nome
which Lincoln liked well. and now 1t Is ire
quented by men who fought In the Spanish Amer
lean and men who did service In the Worid
From this spot one can see the new LIN
coin memorial three miles distant to the south
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
the outskirts of the city but within the Dis
trict of Columbia many material reminders
of the days of Lincoln. For instance, there Is
the old fort from which Lincoln witnessed the
repuise of the woudbe invaders of the capital
And extending east and west from this old fort
remnants of numerous f0rthcations that LIN
coin visited many times.
On Tenth street there still stands the old Ford
Theater building in which Lincoln was nssns-
sinated, and across the street in the twostory
brick house In which he died is a Lincoln
museum supported in part by appropriations
from congress and in part from private sources.
One may there the many reminders of the
early career of Lincoln, such log from his
boyhOod home. fence rail which he split In
1881, the commission OF captain Wnlcn he won III
4 the Black Hawk war in 1892 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 Bible in
which Lincoln's name appears.
AS the years have gone by congress has placed
In the halls and corridors Of the Capitol n num-
Der of busts and paintings of Lincoln. The bust
by Albert Degrout is in the east corridor Of the
senate wing There is also In the senate wing a
Lincoln portrait about which sightseers may be
seen any day. In the house wing there hangs a
painting that represents the first reading of the
emancipation proclamation before the cabinet,
September % 1862. In the portrait seen
secretary Of war, Edwin NJ. Stanton; secretary
of the treasury, Solomon 2. Chase secretary Of
the navy. Gideon Wells; secretary of state, VIII
liam Fl. Seward secretary of the Interior, Caleb
B. Smith; postmaster general, Montgomery Blair,
and attorney general, Edward Bates. This paint
ing presented to the United States by Eliza
beth Thompson in 1870. Alexander H. Stephens,
ex-vice president of the Southern Confederacy.
who then member Of the house Of repre-
sentatlves made the speech Of presentation.
There few outside statues to detract from
the interest that will always center around the
great memorial in Potomac park There is a
Lincoln statue at Fourth and d streets. by Scott
Flannery. and also statue in Lincoln park,
which is called the Emancipation monument. 1t
is by Thomas Ball.
Dedication Of Memorial.
AS the years go by men in public life at the
capital of the nation refer with increasing fre-
quency to the wise utterances Of Lincoln. A
glance, the speeches In the two houses of
congress will show that 1t is a rare thing for q
senator 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 he approached the end of his term he
found his thought dominated by an immortal
sentence uttered by Lincoln:
a"Let us have faith that right makes might, and
In that faith let dare to do duty as we
understand it,
Apparently the present year is to bring an
increase In the, interest In Lincoln In his own
country. II such thing is possible. The dedlca-
ton 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.
ticlpaton of the representatives Of all foreign
governments here. The euogy may be delivered
by the President Of the United States. The
preference was for dedicatory exercises on Febru.
ary 12 the birthday Of the martyr President, bu,
1t has been decided that 1t would be better ia
wait for the balmy weather Of spring.
1t is nearly ffty-fve years since Lincoln passed
on To quote George Bancroft, the eulogian
again:
mot in vain has Lincoln lived for he has
helped to make this republic example Of Jus
uce With NJ caSts bst the caste Of hvmanity.-