St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-04-18
FIFTY IMMORTALS.
John Clark Ridpath Names the PrOmi-
nent Americans for the Temple of Fame.


is the unknown donor, has offered to give
$15O,OO0 to found Temple OF Fame to
the University of New York buildings
with the understanding that the building
shall contain the names of so prominent
Americans. The New York World has
been publishing lists sent by such people
of note as Edward Everett Hale and the
list submitted by John Clark Ridpath, the
historian, gives a reason for the selection
of each name. While our readers may
not be willing to accept Mr.. Ridpath's
list, yet they will see that it is prepared
with historical accuracy and with a
breadth of thought and vision that will
command respect. Here is his list:
They who deserve fame are they who
have suffered for the good of mankind ;
who have been oppressed, exiled,
prosecuted, done to death in the cause
of truth and freedom. They who are
fctitiously great. or elected to be great,
are of no account in the eternal
records. In the history of our
country few men have appeared worthy
to be inscribed on the tablets of imperish-
able renown.
Roger Williams-Because he was the
first man in America to demonstrate that
intellectual and spiritual freedom does
not consist in agreeing with the ma
jority.
Benjamin Symmes-Because, being a
for h. ..ol
acres of land and herd of cows to estab-
fish the first public free school in Amer
lea.
Old George oughs-Because, when
the Puritan bigots squeezed him to death
between two slabs at Salem, he scarcely
moaned.
William Penn-Because he was the
only one of the Colonial Fathers who
treated the Indians with justice.
Joseph Warren-Because his noble
brain, burst with a British bullet,
marked the bloody way to American In
dependence.
James Otis-Because he delivered the
greatest Grafton before the Revolution !;
because he lay for fifty years in an I'M
known grave.
Benjamin Franklin-Because he was a
patriot philosopher; because he was
greatest of our fathers; because he tanned
the tightening and "snatched the sceptre
from tyrants;" because he was hated by
the English because he wrote to one of
them: "Henceforth you are my enemy,
and l am, yours, B. Franklin.
Thomas Paine-Because he was the
morning star of American Independence !;
because he said, where liberty dwelIs
there is my country"
George Neutrality-suspicious. he is
justly named the Father of His Country !;
because he would have suffered an igno-
minious death if the mercenaries of
George III. could have comprised his
overthrow.
Thomas Jefferson-Because he was the
greatest and most consistent Democrat
that ever lived; because he hated oil
garchy; because he advocated the aboli-
ton of all titles; because he regarded
England as the citadel of tyranny
An Old Continental Soldier (name I'M
known j. Because, being halfstarved and
having British bullet in his left side, he
froze to death one night in the snow at
Valley Forge.
John Quincy Adams-Because he was a
statesman at fifteen; because he presented
the petition OF the men of Haverhill; be-
cause he died at his post.
Andrew Jackson-Because he loved
well and hated fercely; because his love
was his country, and his hatred his
country's enemies; because he was chiv-
alrous to his ugly old wife and killed a
man for insulting her; because he levelled
Pakenham's army, and because he was
the only man strong enough to bluff ma.
tional bank.
Samuel Houston-Because he was the
Father of Texan Independence; because
he buried contumely grave deep; because
he was a man of actions more than
words; because white men feared him,
and Indians feared him not.
Daniel Webster-Because be had a great
MONDAY.
William Lloyd Garrison-Because he
was the great protagonlst Of human free
dom who escaped hanging at the hands
OF the Boston mob to sit eternally in
bronze on a block of granite inscribed
with these words: II will not equivo-
cate; will not retreat single inch, and
| will be heard"
Harriet Beecher Stowe-Because her
story of Life Among the Lowly" made
human bondage impossible to the United
States.
John Brown (of Ossawatonie) -Because
when he was cut down in the
little stone shanty at harper's
Ferry he had bucked around his
waist the sword which Frederick the
Great gave to George Washington, and
because the sword had this inscription
Prom the oldest general in Europe to
the greatest general in the world"
Charles Sumner-Because when they
asked him il he would enforce Fugitive
Slave Code, he al swered, us thy servant
dog that he should do this thing?" be-
cause he bled for saying it; because he
resented the first insinuation of the En-
pire.
Wendell Phillips-Because, when he
was egged and stoned in Pixies Opera
House, Cincinnati, for saying that hu.
man slavery is curse, he wi ped his face
and coat and went on.
Theodore Parker-Because he was the
author Of the immortal aphorsm, "a
government of the people, for the people,
and by them"
Horace Greeley-Because he created a
free organ of public opinion; because he
made bail bond for Jefferson Davis; be-
cause he was not the property of syndi-
cate; because he was the last of his
kind.
Abraham Lincoln-Because he was
Abraham Lincoln. Greater reason there