The San Francisco call., 1896-07-08

voice beyond the sea, and in that supreme mo-
ment OF danger when the English fleet, CON-
manded by Admiral Seymour on the Collin
the American warship Savannah then safely
anchored in the bay of Monterey.
Then the spirit OF American freedom hovered
over this fair land of fruits. vines and flowers
IN perennial bloom and revealed the future
destiny of California to the world, which is
now the brightest star in the galaxy of States,
with mines of untold veal tn, having already
produced more than s. 100000 900 of gold,
and with forests OF the giant sequoia, the
grandest waterfalls in the world, the most
sublime and charming mountain scenery,
salub-ious climate, orange groves and or
chards laden with every variety of fruit and
yineyards whose vintage is found throughout
the civilized world, and the voice OF thrift is
heard through the valleys where the sunsets
aftergow cheers the hours OF departing day.
These are ali the inheritance, beQuests and
hlass;ngs secrrad h,- tic o. nf ~ - = tsa,,e ~ . ~
whose name posterity, through succeeding
generations, will hold in sacred esteem, and
no cowardly and unscrupulous historian will
dare ever again 10 outrage his memory or
attempt to impeach his integrity.
The assassination of true history and the
malicious libels upon the life and character of
Commodore Sloat by a psuedo historian OF
California should give his voluminous labors
prominent place in obscurity.
The events of.tnat period of 1916 so full of
imminent danger to the acquisition of this
favored land. gave birth TO new and higher
civilization along the whole of the Pacific
Coast and well may our country feel proud of
the achievement and well can 1t afford to
build monuments to the memory OF its heroes
dead-monuments which shall stand as the
repositories, of that spirit OF patriotism and
gratitude which aninlates the hearts of free
and tefligent people.
To keen alive and perpetuate the memory of
those early stirring times of California during
the brief struggles for its acquisition and scpa-
ration from its parent Government, the 7th of
July should be made for the future National
legal holiday-eQ lal in Importance to the 17th
OF 'June--tha. the hearts of our youth NAV be
filled with patriotism, while they sing their
hymns OF rejoicing, and then we should realize
more than we have yet done the great benefits
secured by the conquest of this sunset land:
is the lullaby of the midnight slumbers of the
Nation. Here no longer the vigiIant eve
grows weary with its long vigils--the heart
Ihrobs OF patriotic doubt and fear are now
lulled into serene pose and there is no
longer feSr that hostile invading army will
prize of fifty years ago-a prize then made an
eternal bequest TO freedom by the immortal
spirit of Commodore John Drake Sloat whose
eulogy win be fttingly pronounced by the
orator of the day.
Then addressing the grand master, he
said:
Most worshipful grand master of the Grand
Lodge OF Free and Accepted Masons of the
State of California: Believing you to be
equally skilled in operative as you are in
speculative masonry-in accordance with an
ancient and time-honored custom the SIoat
Monument Association invited you TO be pres
ent to-day TO lay the cornerstone of the monJ-
ment commemorative of the heroic deeds of
brave and loyal officer OF the navy; and now
you to perform your labor. You will see that
the stone is level-you will that it is
plumb and that it is square-that future gen.