Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-10-25
.h,ch the statue stands is II feet high.

which the statue stands is II feet high.
The total cost is about SlS,00O. The
recital of the Inscriptions on the mon
ument were given by the Rev. w. NJ.
Paxton, ID. d. Each of the four sides
have an inscription. The north side
inscription is quotation from speech
delivered by WItherspoou ou the ques
ton of the Declaration OF lndcpen-
dence, and reads: g For ms part, OF
property l have some, of reputation
more; that reputation is stsked, that
property is pledged on The issue Of tins
contest, aud although these gray hairs
must soon dosvend to the sepulchre,
would infinitely rather that they should
descend rhither by the Land of the ex-
ecu.ioner than desert at this crisis the
sacred cause of my country"
1t was that speech which ennobled
him, and which will, as long as litera-
ture lasts among men, render his mem
ory dear to all who believe in the rights
of men as against the rule Of families
or dynasties. Born in Scotland, he ex-
perienced that royalty and power lay
not in the hands of the people. Edu-
Gated Presb, terian he soon learned
that the peculiar privileges accorded
By the aIistocracy and the governments
of his native land aud the Old " orld
generally, were not given to the church
of his faith. He came to America in
bis 46th year, IN l,6S, which at that
early date was considered sure refuge
for all who sought religious liberty, OF
freedom of conscience. His great fore
sight gave him to understand that all
the boz e and prospect OF the perpesuity
or steady development of his own
church and other Protestant churches,
was the building up or the strengthen
ing of the principle of religious free
dom that had been planted by his reli.
gious and political predecessors, the
- Independents, the GO Dissenters," on
Plymouth Rock in 1920; and when he
took bis church of colonial days with
him into the contest of the Revolution
be was but repeating the contest in
America that Protestants in Europe
had battleG for generations before his
day. How significant the dedication OF
a monument TO such man, on a day
following a Tournament by a class OF
people who claim affinity in desire and
tastes, if not in blood, with the chiv-
airy or authority of the Old World,
who disGained the old Covenanters, the
Presbyterians. The Tournament and
its pretensions are at an end, and the
rights of "God aud man" are only be-
ginning to show themselves.
Up to the completion of the recital
of the inscriptions the statue had re-
manned vei!ed by large American
flag which hung down over the pedestal
but as soon as they we're finished ID w
Woods, Esq, of Lewlstown, Pa, a
grandson of Witherspoon, unveiled the
statue. Mr. Woods had been concealed
from the sight of the assembly by
standing behind flag that hung down
at the right hand side of the platform,
but as soon as the statue was unveiled
aad his name was mentioned, loud calls
we're made for him, in:erspersed occa-
sionally By the call of "Speech by
Woods" The csll was kept up till
Yr. " ooos came out from his hiding
place, to acknowledge the compliment,
which hs did BY bowling two or three
times. tie was too modest, however,
to make speech or stand to be looked
at, and quickly stepped into his hiding
place, whereupon gentleman on the
platform shouted, - He's chip off the
old block"
On the disappearance of Woods a
call was made for Mr.. Bailly, the art
ist of the statue " He's down in the
crowd" said voice. "Tske the plat
form, take the platform, Bailly," was
shouted from all sides. :" A speech, a
speech, BailIy,' was ruDe out by the
crowd, as the artist climbed cnto the
platform and stepped forward and
bowed his acknowledgements, then
stepped back and said to a lads, loud
enough to be heard by minister, who
told 1t to the crowd. any speech is up
yonder in bronze," pointing to the
statue.
Rev. j. Addison Henry read hymn,
which was sung by the assembly, after
which Joseph d. Bedle, Governor OF
New Jersey, delivered an Grafton. Al
thus juacture Of the ceremonies 1t be
came US to leave, and by so doing We
missed the closing exercises of the dedI-
cation. Hundreds of people looked on,
from the Exhibition grounds, through
the crevices of the fence and from the
towers of the buildings.
In after years the Tournament and
the dedication of the Witherspoou
Monument will be looked on as among
the GROWING civil and religious events
of the Centennial year and the Centen
uiaI Exhibition. Such is destiny. How
strange.