The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-10-30
OLD INHABITANTS AC'T
Endorsement of the National Cap
ital Centennial Celebration.
The Organization Promises It's
Hearty support in Making the
Event Memorable One Refer
cncc to the New Public Library
A Letter From Gen. Arson Mills.

The Secretary of the Capital Cent mia
| Committee, w. V. Cox. is in receipt OF
| the following communication from Gen
| Arson Mills, U. S. A., dated Mexico City
| October %: II am just in receipt Ct
yours of The 18th. informing me that
have been appointed member CT the
| Committee on Exercises at the Capitol
of which Mr.. X. Ross Perry is chairman
and requesting me to signify my, accep-
| tance of the appointment, which do my
self the honor 10 do
| The following reply was received by Mt
| Cox from the oldest Inhabitants" to the
invitation to take part in the celehra ton
1t contains valuable suggestions in reg rd
to the Public Library:
Acknowledging the receipt Of your COM
munication of September 26. 1900. ex-
pressing the desire of the Citizens Com
mittee that this association should be rep
resented on your committees having in
charge the celebration of the first GEN.
tenary of the establishment of the seat of
government in this city, the association
having previously had the subject under
consideration, have appointed committee
OF five to draft reply. which, having been
unanimously adopted, is now transmitted
to you.
Without inordinate national pride or too
excessive and exuberant patriotism 1t
may be safely said that no events in the
eighteenth century either rival or surpass
in the Importance and magnitude of their
permanent effects the American Revolution
Of 1916 and the subsequent adoption Of our
A. -s..IH
ton of our national form OF government
under the guiding spirit and directing con-
troll of that great patriot for whom our
city is named, and it is impressively
worthy Of remark that the Hottest hopes,
highest aspirations, and wisest advice Of
our patriotic fathers Of the eighteenth cell
tury, four years before its close, found the
noblest and most enduring expression in
the Farewell Address of the Father of His
Country, and that it was not dated from
any State, city, or place of residence, not
from New York. Philadelphia. or Mount
Vernon, in Virginia, but as follows:
United States, 18th September 1896
Under the. inspiring and ennobling in
fiuence OF glorious past history, cur be-
loved city and country have, during the
whole of the nineteenth century illu-
mined the pages of history, and, as il
conscious of our Indebtedness to the past
experiences of mankind, in all nat ons.
have repaid the debt by making all man
kind our debtors for what we have done
for liberty. Justice, humanity, and the
lifting up, Strengthening. and eEnGbling
of manhood and womanhood. Without re-
citing our achievements, 1t ma; ~ conf
IDENTIFY asserted that no fact in the his
tory OF civilization in any century is of
more worldwide interest and imp rtance
than the wonderful progress and develop
ment Of our country in the grand march
of our people from the Atlantic to the
Pacific.
Our early fathers, conscious that man
at his best is very little, while God is
great. constantly felt, and as constantly
and most reverently acknowl dyod that
Divine Providence had infiu nc d AMI
guided our destinies, and had been f-e-
quentiy manifested in every epoch of our
history. In his inaugural speech to both
houses of Congress. April so, 1883, our
first President said: st7. rs
1t would be peculiarly improper TO
omit in this first official act my fervent
supplications to that Almighty Being wh1
rules over the universe, who presides in
the councils of nations. and whose proyi-
Dental aid can supply every human de-
feet, that his bcneiiciion may COY ,crata
to the liberties and happiness Of the peo-
pie Of the United States, Government
instituted by themselves for these essen
tial purposes.
And again:
No people can be bound to acknowl-
edge and adore the invisible hand which
conducts the affairs of men more than
the people of the United States. Every
step by which they have advanced to the
character of an independent nation seems
to have been distinguished by some token
of providential agency"
President Washington foresaw and
in his Farewell Address that as
a free and enlightened nation we would
at no distant period become "a great ma
tion, and much of his advice looked for
ward to that eventuality. and at the close
of the address he said:
with me a predominant motive has
been to endeavor to gain time to our
and to progress without in
which is necessary to give It
speaking the command of its own
fortunes
Far beyond the widest dreams of our
the nineteenth century closes
and the twentieth century begins with the
fact that our country is not
only able to command its own fortunes
but as great world power is destined to
exert a commanding. and If not controll-
ing. certainly q wise. directing and be-
neficent influence among all nations.
Realizing and fully approaching all
that We have thus recited, this association