Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-05-31
CROWDS RENDER
THEIR HOMAGE
AT MEMORIAL
Thousands Stand In Blaz-
ing Sun to Witness
Memorial Dedication
SIMPLE SERVICES
President Harding, Chief Justice Taft
and Head of Tuskegee Institute
Only Speakers.

Washington, May 31.-The homage
of people was poured out yesterday
at the shrine erected by a decade of
patient labor to Abraham Lincoln.
Under the thoughtful gaze of his mar
bic likeness, dim in the Shadowy back
ground of the cleaning white temple
his countrymen have raised to him,
thousands of Americans were gath
cred.
Men great in the councils OF the
nation were there. The President
came TO accept i'm the nations name the
memorial reared at the river brim.
A former President came gladly to
give accounting of his trust as head of
the commission that saw the great
work in its completion. Senators, Rep
reSentatives, Cabinet officers. admirals
and generals all were there; but it
was not these, lavish as were their
tributes to the great dead, who made
the day historic in American annals.
II was the swelling tide of humble
people who stood for hours under a
blazing sun TO claim this temple of
freedom and the man whose memory
it pnShrineS as their own.
Far as the eye could reach from the
high base of the memorial, Americans
were spread over the lawns and clus-
tering under the trees that grace the
setting. How many may have been
there to hear the words of the speak
ers. caught up and flung to far dis
tanceS by the amplifierS that studded
the coping atop the marble structure,
no man might estimate. But when
the last word had been said, when the
President had gripped hands with Rob-
ert Lincoln at the foot OF his fathers
statue, the public broke over the bar
riers and swept unchecked up the wide
steps to see for itself the things that
have been wrought in the peoples
name.
There was little of military splendor
about the dedication services. just a
flourish of trumpetS to mark the COM
ing and going of President Harding
and the solemn ritual with which the
men of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie dedicated the Silken emblem of a
reunited country on the steps of the
orders at this service were spoken in
voices shaken and thin with age. and
tho hands that held the banner aloft
rembled under the weight of years:
but the high courage and resolve that
fired the veterans half a century ago
are beyond the reach of time, as is the
memory Of the great leader they hon
orcd.
Along the front benches on lower
terrace facing the great statue above
were gathered the veterans. To the
right handful of old men had dorned
again the blue that gave them front
place i'm the dav's events and stood to
act as guard of honor when the Presi-
dent arrived. Flanking these to the
left. bare score of gray-clad veterans
Of the armies of Lee or other Southern
generals stood proudly to salute the
flag that Lincoln's vision and high
courage preserved as the flag of one
peoU,e.
The sight of these bent men in gray
drew President Harding from the
written text of his address. He was
saying that 90 Lincoln greater than
any other reward he could have known
would have been the knowledge that
his vision had ben fulfilled; that the
broad waters OF the Potomac, flowing
within stones throw OF the memorial
marks no bound between two ma
tlonS, but that from sea to sea Amer
leans are one people. Mr.. Harding's
voice thrilled as he paused to draw at
tention to the gray-clad veterans and
recall that twice since Lincoln died
mon Of the Southern States. sons of
such men as these old warriors. had
come in their youth and strength to
fight for the flag To which their faith
ers returned after the bitter eos.