New Britain herald., 1925-02-25

The four years which followed beggar all description. l shall not attempt it. But what should De stressed is ths--again the leader chosen by Divine Providence to save
 the nations life found that the wea-
 pon for defense In his hands was
 broken reed. We know now better | than our fathers how President Blu
 chanan and Secretary Floyd had treacherously designed the coming | conflict. Nearly all the trained off1- ccrs of the army belonged to south- ern states and they resigned as fast as those state seceded.' Officers Of northern birth had been quietly re- moved, and when Lincoln began 10 measure his own forces, he was met with blank dismay. Confusion, cor ruption. and complications were un-' avoidable, and caused the president unutterable anxiety and distress. lg- norance and zeal often provoked more trouble than could be corrected and jealousy. rivalry and partisan ship made matters worse.
 1 From the disaster at Bull Run, on
 July IS 1861, to the disaster almost caused by the tardiness of McClel- 1 Ian, it was narrowing time for the commander-in- chief of the army and navy of the United States. Had Gettysburg fallen in July 1863, and i had Lees plan to make Philadelphia the capital of the new nation the
 Confederacy was determined to carve
 out of the United States succeeded,
 the war would have been won, and
 union would have passed forever.
 After Gettysburg, it was but mat ter of wearing down the south, anu
 this was accomplished by Grant and sherman. Lees surrender at Ap- lpomattox, on April 9, 1865 ended the
 war. Six days later Lincoln lay dead
 in Washington with an assassiil's bullet in his brain.
 Had Abraham Lincoln had the
 good fortune to remain in the presl-
 dency after the surrender of Lee
 there is no doubt that he would
 have carried out reconstruction in
 conformity to the high-minded and
 lofty purposes which had carrled
 him through the war. Washingtons
 eight years in the presidency I7SS-
 1797) gave that matchless leader
 the opportunity he needed 10 weld
 the nation together. After Lincolns
 death, the country had no great leader until Grant became president
 in 1869. During those few years the harm was done - harm It IS true largely forgotten by the infiu- cnce of the Spanish American war and tho Great World war, but not wholly so, if indeed, it ever will be forgotten.
 'I have now sketched very brief ly the public life of these two in comparable leaders - Washington . and Lincoln. Let me repeat again that that public life covers ninety eight years of the nations place . among the powers Ot the world What were the lessons both presl' dents took from the struggle o' which they were the central lead l CTS? There was, first of all. this out | standing factor in their lives - wal , to them was never for momcn' an end in itself. but solely a means towards a greater good; and, tha [ greater good was the Independence , and the unity of the nation.' Wash = inpton, in the ordinary way, was . much better educated man thai f Lincoln. The former came from c line of Virginia arist ocrats; the lat ter was product. of the har( Q pioneer life of the middle west, Bu in both, there is the all-dominatini n factor that they knew, not in ? hay, theoretical way, that self e government is not a stable thing il
 political life. but something tha c must be fought for, and when won Q fought for again and again. Botl e knew the history Of government to' y well to be led into the historlca 0 error that democracy is A panace' : for all the ills of government Q Democracy has its strength - tn = great strength Of the popular voice n hnt if has also the weakness tha il is inherent in all rule by tn i- masscs. Both men were filled wit t consciousness of the destiny O y our nation, Both were upright n honest. sincere, disinterested, patrl 'f otic. self-sacrifcing, modest, strong r 1;rr;Rol and religious.
 VI "Few of us know just exactI s. what religious denomination Wash $ ington belonged to; fewer sti d could tell you of what church LiIl e coIn was a member. But both taugl IS bv their example as well as thei IT snoken and written word, that al America is to remain among tn
 nations of the future. there IS on = basis for it's superstructure whic 1T must not be neglected, and tha h basis is religion
 10 During the banquet, an entertain r. ment was furnished by Clem Lewi re "serenaders," assisted by The Gi I2 With the smile," Anna Krawitz, solC s. ist. The evening was concluded wll E. dancing. music being furnished | ,e the Bacehanalian orchestra.
 NJ. J. Kenny was master of cer' ,p monies. The committee of arrang' n- ments consister Of NJ. r. Leghor is chairman; James J. Clcrkin, seer