Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1843-05-02

you on tina, occaaon Attached TO his person by lies
Of blood aud o friendship my lie devoted TO the repcse
d. his old age and honor after DEATH The feelings
Of affection and carly habit, The convictions Of matu
rer iudcment and every Impulse Of my heart binding
me 10 those principles which, he taught NY ympaihies
must all be with you. This feeling 10 rot li,ue IN
creased ~ my ADMIRATION for HE great franklin and TIE
other philosophers and statesmen with whom your CITY
has adorned our Common country.
Fansuii Hall has termed The cradle Of liberty
is not tie Stale house OF Phllade Phia the temple of
lis consecrelon; IL was there that Republic took
her stand among The independent nations OF the earth;
and the glorious dawn Of Democracy shot lis rays OF
! lioh. and hope into the gloom OF tesposm, under
which oppressed and down rodden has been slrug
Cling in every age and country II IS from thence that
his regeneration must be dated Hll you accept The
| following sentiment:
Democracy: Eldest born OF Chrisanity-pur right.
eous Just and benelicen, in lis principles
Accept, gentlemen, my acknowledgements for the no.
nor which you have done me by your invitation. With
THOS. J. RANDOLPH.
To the Committee
| By the Committee Thomas Jefferson Randolph ::
Worthy 10 be related The author of the Declaration
Of Independence.
RICHMOND, April ., 1913.
Gentlemen sincerely thank you for your invita-
ton. Few things would give HE greater pleasure than
II celebrate the centennial anniversary Of the birth Of
Thomas Jefferson IN The city which boasts of "Inde
pendence HALL" II would re III any time an honor
unite with ,he Democrats OF the City and County Of
Philadelphia but at this time my qualification would
he heightened by the beauty ard s'nguarity Of the
casion As V.rginian, American, as n friend Of
the human race friend of liberty Itself, | deeply
appreciate the just compliment you nre paying 10
of the first men of his country of his age. You 60
honor 10 yourselves by IGNORING Thomas Jefferson
How gladly would | mite with you, If it were in
| my power. But engagements, which ere beyond my
control will prevent my accepting Jour hospitsble IN
vi,atIon.
In paying the tribute which is due TO his memory.
YOU bur add another rc;utat;on 20 The Islander which
| would assail the gratitude OF republics You do hcaor
| 10 the cause 10 which he devoted his life The las,
century, which extends from his BIRTH 10 the presen!
day has been the racst remarkable OF The human
Certainly has been distin guishcd for
the progress Of eli the arts, the advance Of all the
ences, The refine ment OF society, and tie astonishing
discovery of ines;imabe truths. 1t the age of steam
and onirards has been marked upon every step of
progress. But Of al these atlanments what has been
more important than Inc Improvements in political
euce; Who has contributed its progress than
our own country: We have opened new field OF dis
cnvery-''be ond all Greek, beyond all Roman fame
| We have established and spacious empire, rs
it were, in worlda species OF model farm, in
which the practice of the science confirms the prn
| cples of the theory have invented. And what
man has contributed more, or rs much as the great
| citizen whose memory you are about TO celebrate
| One hundred years ago, wien the sun first rose
| upon his cradle, no could have anticipated such
n,
deemed from the depth Of the forest, leemlng with
more than seventeen millions Of people, filing up
with magnificent cities, connected with the flying
or the Hairng steamboat from the hand of Of
her sons-a country, whose people are about 10
penetrate, with giant strides 10 the Pacific Ocean
whose Navy has extended her fame 10 the utmost
bounds o! The secand whose free and liberal prncp pies
have commanded Tho admlrat,on and invite The imta
ton Of the refined people OF the ancient world
| But 10 which ni our Statesmen much in
deb.ed for las splendid destiny, 10 Thomas Jeifer
son Born for his country, Us Washington vas
horn for the great age in which he was fitted 10 play his
part-born 10 assist ~ the accomplishment OF those
oh destiui.s TO which America has already attained
Tr. jefferson gradually prepared, by his educa
ton for the era of the revolution of 7G Bold and
original his observation-disclosures it'll great eGuanmi-
~ IS well irnness 81 spri,-schoosd by his studies
the principles OF liberty hr came forth 10 WELD the
pen, which 20 separate the thirteen colonies from the
mother country. 10 pronounce the independence "i
us Country, and 10 proclaim 20 the world that she
about stake her station among the nations the
earth" The motto engraved upon OF his enly
seals, (Rcsis!ance 10 jyfants, liz obedience TO God
The sign o! his high vocation Few couit
have been better fitted Tor age Of political revolution
and Of social reform. He came In stamp his own
ard principles upon the age lie came 10 preach
independence 10 the Union, liberty 10 maj, ell IS
political forms, freedom of religion, freedom ct the
press, freedom OF person, ard The freedom Of The
aud /, Is good fortune 10 carry out, as The third
Executive Magistrate Of The Unon, the great prin.
cpies he protested IL no, too much 10 say, tina;
hen the great Statesmen or this great age are at
ranged alongside Of each other with Chatham and
Fox Of England, with Nrabeau and Turgot of France,
there - Of them who can eclipse The name OF
Jefferson As the efficient friend ci human liberty,
there is rot one whomdy equal hini-or. M you EN-.
phalically sag, he almost deserves the ePhet of 'Fa
ther Of the Democracy" When we cease, therefore,
10 honor his name, may tremble for the fate OF
the Republic.
Yet II not alone by celebrating his centennial
nvcrsary that to homer has name and cherish
his services. IT By keeping alive his principles, by
pcrpeuaiing The blessings hCh he has conferred upon
Us, that most clearly 10 testify cur deep sense 81
their great importance We have, indeed, ello@ citi
zens, great charge upon cur hands We The lrus-
tees of the OF liberty for the human race We
keep alive the vesta fame which !orefathers
have kndled upon her altar. Let preserve this mo.
del Republic in all The beauty of which il is susccpt
BILE, and shall furnish exemple of liberal institu-
tons 10 all the oppressed naors Of the other hcns
phere. We have high duties 10 discharge for ourselves
well us for others. We must preserve our blessed
Union. We must cherish the ira;crnal feelings, and
respect the constitutional Djunc;ons, which are neces
snry 10 knit us together in one brotherhood o States
We must crcumscrlbe the Federal Government within
its allotted md legitimate sphere. We must, like The
lllustrous Jefferson, prevent lis inrudng upon the
rights of the Staits and OF the people. We must re-
press its encroacmens upon the Consttulioa-tls dis
position 10 establish any mammoth moneyed insttu. |
uons-ils Wild attempt 20 regulate the capital and labor
nous lis climate and It's soil We must sierniy re-
buke the political abuses and the moral impurities OF
even The State Governments We must enlrg h:en and
educate the people, always recoecng that their know
ledge, MS we'll US virtue is Tie basis OF all republics
And. al moment like th's, when the Republican party
threatened with dangers "f DIVISION must recol
lect how much lis safety depends upon unon harmony
and concession.
! To whose lie can We more properly turn for lllus'fa
ton of these truths than 10 his whose death on the ith
! al "a tLnn IL
whose epitaph is inscribed "fhe Author OF the Decla
ration OF Independence, Of the S,niulc Of Virginia for
Religious Freedom, and the Father Of the UNIVERSE
~ And Ia whom. slTs are we more properly 10 LOOK
for The soldiers Of lie Cross, Tor he champions OF Lii
berry and the Constitution, than TO those who are found
THIS day honoing the memory Of Jeiersonihe czen rs
OF the Keystone State Of the American arch In The |
sentiment of veneraon for his memory, Pennsylvania
and Virginia are this day united May they forever
be united in the great prime pies OF Democracy!
Yours, most res pecifully,
! To the COMMITTEE. THOMAS RITCHlE.
| BY the Commiiiee.-Th Thomas Richie, The veteran