Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-04
BIRTHDAY
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Continued from First Page)
the Sons of the Revolution and the Sons
of the American Revolution, feel that 1
owe you a brief explanation as to the pur-
pose and aims of the two societies. have
been repeatedly asked what is the differ
ence between the Society of the Sons of
the Revolution and the Society of the
Sons of the American Revolution. But
great familiarity with the other, I am
unable to answer the question.
81 have been tolo that there Is some
thing more American in the one than In
| the other; but, barring the puerile play
| upon words, 1 cannot find that there is
| any material difference at all. When one
| ship was ready to put to sea, she seemed
| too small to carry all the memories of the
past, and all the hopes of the future, born
| of those old revolutionary times, and so
sister ship was launched. The one was
christened The Sons of the Revoluuon,
| ard the other, The Sons of the American
Revolution, and today they are two ships
| in one squadron, whose joint mission Is
| to defend the citadels of American free
dom, to preserve that heritage OF honCr
| transmitted to us by our forefathers, 10
| foster true patriotism and love or coun-
| try, and to aid in securing for mankind
| all the blessings of liberty
| "And so, whatever the differences ne
| tween the two societies may be. you hnd
| us this morning standing together at the
| base of Washington's monument just as
| our forefathers stood, shoulder to shoul-
| der, at WashngtoEs command
| "A year ago today one or our most as
| tinguished leaders said, in substance that
| the efforts of our two societies were not
| to show that our aims and aspirations fed
| only On the past, or to prove that we were
| p:gmies that must needs climb upon other
! mems shoulders to be seen. but that we
| had aims and aspira tons of our own ana
| that cur object was to make OF TINS great
| country a monument worthy OF the loun.
| dation our forefathers laid-a monumeAt
| that in the years to come nations from
| nd
| struck wonder, and all the world VIII say
| of Them and US. The fathers bullded
| better than they knew.
| But In this ease 1 feel by contrast
| a pigmy. indeed, and am glad to throw
| nv mantle of office upon the broad shoul-
| ders of General Joseph Cabell Brecklh-
| ridge"
| Gen. BreckinridEe as Chairman.
| In assuming the duties placed upon him
| Gen. Breckenridge paid an eloquent tribute
| to the work that both societies are doing
in the matter of fostering patriotism in all
ranks of life but especially among the
young
The Marine Band played as an overture
| Columbia the Gem of the Ocean,, and
| then Rev. Dr. John H. Elliott rector of
| the Church of the Ascension and also a
| member of the Sons of the Revolution,
pronounced an earnest invocation, in which
| he asked a fervent blessing upon our 1air
| land and upon all her people.
| The Declaration of Independence was then
| read by Mr.. Barry Buckley. whose ringing
| tones and eloquent voice gave an added
beauty to the words which all Americans
| love so well and with which they are all
| supposed to be familiar-but usually are
| not.
After the singing of America" by the
| assembled multitude Mr.. Henry E. Davis
was introduced a man who needed no
| introduction to Washington audience
| Nor did he, for as soon as his attractive
for ara6 at he nj
| he was greeted with rounds of applause
| Mr.. Davis was the principal speaker of
| the morning, and his address was re-
| markedly well-conce.ved and well-eXecuted
| piece of oratory.
| Mr.. Davis Address.
| In his address Mr.. Davis said:
Speaking humanity, and with regard
solely to mundane affairs, there are in the
history of man two days entitled to be call
| ed distinctively great. The first is that
| day on which, on the border Of the great
| German forest, our patriot Teutonic an
| cestor, the great Hermann, met and over
| threw the gli.tering and reputed unconquer-
| able Roman legions under the trained and
valiant leadership of Narus. Had Hermann
| failed his failure would have changed the
| face of history and have made impossible
| those free institutions ana that free de-
| veloprnent which at once our heritage
and our glorious possession.
| The event of that great day stayed the
| expansion of the Roman empire until then
| u,
late this virgin soil in which the principles
| under whose influence we now live had
| their seed. their growth and, ultimat ely,
| their development to the point of this full
| fruition of which today We are the bene
| ficiaries. This was as long ago as the year
8 of our era. Speaking roundly, twenty
| centuries ago.
The other great day is the one we cele-
brate-commoniy called the birthday of
| liberty, but in fact the day of its arriving
at maturity. As In the case of the indi-
vidual man, those qualities which are in
| nate in him do not manifest themselves in
their practical Vigor until his maturity,
| whether attained sooner or later, calls them
| forth in full assertion, so On the case of
| mankind the principles which underlay hui
man society and the association of man
| kind under government, did not assert
| themselves and become a living force until
| the later day.
| human history. Fetichism, superstition and
awe of authority, with their inevitable
| degradation and slavishness. had for ages
| held the minds and hearts of men in bond
| age. The dull movement of man toward
| the higher civilization had been as the
| plodding of the plough boy following his
| furrow, with eyes to the ground and in
| utter interpretation, indeed. ignorance. of
| the glorious arch of heaven above him.
| "Of sudden there rang upon the air
| that inestimable sound given forth when
| the embattled farmers stood and fired the
shot heard round The world Then were the
| eyes of men lifted Eeavenward and the
| glorious horizon of liberty burst upon their
| view. 1t was of truth. though scales
which before had obstructed the view and
| impeded even the thoughts of men, had
| been stricken from their eyes-and, 10! the
earth, which before had been but half
seen through the enveloping, dreary, dis
| heartening mist, seemed clear, and bright
| and beautiful, and hopeful.
| How 1t Came About.
"And how did this come about? A band
| Of ~ -haaT All cd in Il
| ter days which tried mems souls, struck
their thoughts deep into the problem of
human social life, and evolved the grand
| notion, to be set forth in the noble, burn
ing words which you have just heard; that
| the great Creator of men had made all
free and equal, and endowed them with
| certain rights which there no gain
| saying-the rights including life and the
pursuit of happiness, and, above all else.
| the right of liberty; the right to think
without regard to existing and accepted
| conditions: the right to act without regard
| to those conditions; the right, in short. to
| -, ln,l t1,ay,, 1xraS