Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-04-20
JEFFRRSON'S BIRTHDAY.
PATRIOTISM OF THE GREAT DEM
OCRATIC LEADER.
Rhode Islands New Senator-Cou.
ways Book on Randolph-A
Forgotten Californian.
For the RECORD UNION. |

orateu Win uneAanpleu prominence IN
all the great cities East and West. 1t is a
curious fact that he persistently refused to
the hour of his death to disclose the date
OF his nativity. Consequently during his
life there was no opportunity to commem-
crate this important event. 1t is lust I46
years since Thomas Jefferson was born in
Albemarle county, Virginia, and SO since
the Democratic party came into existence
by him through the Revolution of 1900.
1t was not until 1926, the fiftieth anniver-
sary of the Declaration of Independence,
that the fact became known, giving the
exact date OF his birth. From that time
until the civil war, this famous dav in
April was never allowed to pass in city or
and great rejoicing. Andrew Jackson and
the battle of New Orleans pushed it to
some extent out of the patriotic calender,
and in recent years the memory of the
second Democratic President has received
more honor than that of his immortal pre-
decessor. Shortly after his Inauguration
in 1901 the Mayor and corporation of
Washington begged that he would let
them know the momentous date, but he
was obstinate. His reply to them shows
the lofty hight of his patriotism The
only birthday which l recognize said he,
sis that of my country's liberties"
Two years later body Of Jeffersonian
Democrats in Boston were anxious to ceIe-
brate the event. They, of course, did not
know the time and sought to discover it
through Levi Lincoln, who was then in
the Cabinet of Jefferson as Attorney Cen
eral, The great patriot wrote from Mon
ticello to Mr.. Lincoln these memorable
words:
Disappearing myself of transferring
the honors and veneration of the great
birthday of our Republic to any lndivid-
ual, or of dividing them with individuals,
| have declined letting my own birthday
be known, and have engaged my family
not to communicate it. This has been the
uniform answer to every application of the
kind"
Celebrations of this character were far
more numerous in the early days of the
Republic than they are at present. 1t was
an era of hero worship. Every February
brought to President Washington crop of
birthday odes" as large as the present
output" of spring poetry. There were
Adams and Jay and Hamilton birthday
commemorations. Jefferson saw in this
personal idolatry germ of aristocratic
distinction. He believed that it trended
too closely on the artificial forms of impe-
rial governments; that it was unworthy of
American freemen, and had tendency to
undermine the institutions of pure democ-
racy.
At the urgent request of Washington,
Jefferson came to New York in 1870 to
accept the position of Secretary of State.
| remember in my boyhood seeing the
little house, No 81 Maiden Lane, where
he lived. No trace of it is now left Not
far away in Pine street was Hamilton
home, and near Wall, in Nassau street,
was the palatiai residence of Aaron Burr,
with its large garden and splendid grape
ries. The salary was $500 year, $500
more than the other Cabinet officers re-
ceived. A line and half in the principal
newspaper of that day told of his arrival.
He spoke of his warm reception in New
York, but was annoyed at the aristocratic
tone of society, and the almost universal
feeling among its leaders that while the
new Government was good enough, it was
only steppingstone TO something better"
in the way of monarchy.
RHODE ISLANDS NEW SENATOR.
After a prolonged contest Nathan F.
Dixon has been elected to take the place
of Senator Chace, resigned. He served
one month in the House few years ago
to fill an unexpired term, and attracted
the attention of newspaper men at the
time by his fine bearing and speaking
eyes. Chace was quaint looking char
acter with his broad-brimmed hat and
Quaker clothing, and while man of fair
abilities and universally respected, his re-
tirement makes no loss in the intellectual
character of the Senate. For three
quarters of a century the Dixons
have been a power in this little
but most prosperous State, and for
generations they have borne the name
of Nathan Fellows Dixon. They have
all been graduates of Brown Uni
versity, and at some time or other they
have occupied seats in the National Senate
or the House. The grandfather of the
present Nathan was in the General As
sembly of Rhode Island for twenty years
uninterruptedly, and went to the United
States Senate in 1885, where he proved
himself, as will be seen from Benton's
Thirty Years View, commanding figure.
His son was elected to the House in 1S49
and then again in 1868, being repeatedly
reelected until he declined further SER
vice. Aldrich and Dixon are the two
youngest men ever in the Senate from this
old State, and / am confident the latter
will prove himself, as the former already
has, worthy of the best days of that once
grand body.
EDMUND RANDOLPH.
A od;4.o., &C n