Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-04
GLORIOUS FOURTH
Celebration Under Auspices of Local
Patriotic Society.
REVOLUTIONARY PERIOD RECALLED
Addresses by Or. Stafford and Com
missioner mcfarland,
FAMOUS DECLARATION READ

A feeling of intense patriotism pervaded
the large audience which gathered this
morning at 10 o'clock in the Columbia The
alter in attendance upon the celebration OF
the Fourth Of July under the auspices OF
the Sons Of the American Revolution Of
the District of Columbia. Gen Thomas NJ
vincent presided. musical program was
furnished by the United States Marine
Band. under the direction OF Professor VIII
liam H Santelmann. and addresses We're
delivered by Rev. DR.. ID. J. Stafford and
Mr.. Henry b. +. Macfarland. president of
the board of District Commissioners There
were other features. patriotic in character.
which went to make the ceremonies of the
day in every way appropriate and interest
ing.
Seated about Gen. Vincent upon the stage
were Messrs. Macfarland. Stafford. William
Van Zandt Cox. Paul Brockett. William ].
Knees, l.. w. CHANNEL. L. L. L. French.
H p. r. Holt. Wallace Donald Mclean,
Henry d. Mclean, H. w. Samson, William
A. DeCaindry. F. II. Parsons, F E Grice,
John R. Graham, William II. Pearce. Rev.
Wallace Radcliffe and Rev. Thomas s.
Chllds The auditorium was cooled by
numerous electric fans, and the prevailing
heat did not interfere with the enjoyment
of the program
The Opening Exercises.
Gen. Vincent. who is president of the Dis
| trict Society Of the Sons of the American
| Revolution. assumed the chair when 10
O'Clock arrived. the Marine Band rendered
| Sousas THE Stars and Stripes Forever"
after which Rev. Mr.. Radcliffe offered the
invocation To patriotic rars:c ty q fife
and drum. Mr.. Leon L. French walked upon
| the stage and presented an American flag
which was planted near the center of the
| platform, remaining there throughout the
exercises.
of Bunker Hfii.' 4 patriotic selection which
aroused great enthusiasm. Mr.. McFall re-
| sponded to a tumutuous call for an en-
| core.
| Independence by Mr.. Paul Brockett Gen
Vincent spoke Of the regret that the French
ambassador was absent from the gather
ins. the official being at present route to
his native country Gen. Vincent referred
| eloQuentiy to the great assistance rendered
the struggling states by France in the time
| of the revolution. and concluded by call
ing upon the band to play the Marseilles.
| Mr. Brockctt's reading of the Declaration
was loudly spplaudei.
DR.. StaHord's Address.
Rev. Dr. Stafford's Introduction called
| forth renewed applause Everything that
isl said he. has an underlying unity no
| matter how varied and complex the surface
may seem. A thousand discussions, tho--
| oughly understood, have one great principle
| TO inculcate- poet in his multifold writ
| ings has one master thought which he en-
| beavers throughout to picture and present.
| A period of history. complex as it seems.
| full of confusion End difference of opinion
| is yet working out some thought or prin-
| ciple given TO the world at time in
| the past. This principle finally comes to re-
animate humanity and TO give liberty back
| to man. Whenever we reach the under
lying principle. in no matter what system
| We may select, We fiEd 1t one of extreme
| simplicity.
| $50 it is with the United States Of America,
a great and complex nation, a seething mass
| of people. of great historical incident and
| yet underneath all there is principle as
simple as simplicity itself-a principle con-
| tanned in that immortal document the Dec
| laration of Independence-that all men are
| born free and equal, and have certain in
| alienabie rights, amongst them life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness: that the gov
eminent, instituted to protect these rights,
| must derive its power from the people gov
erned, and not having given the rights in
| question, Is powerless to take them away.
1t is this principle which differentiates and
distinguishes the United States from all
the governments of the world No nation
| has ever risen TO such heights as that dec
| lara ton.
| Antedates Conventions.
1.-The charter of mans liberty antedates
| all conventions. God created man after His
own image and free. That was the first
declaration of independence. Who can take
that freedom away? The freedom of man
however. was never fully recognized oil
| enunciated until the PRONUNCIATION of the
| American declaration. That document was
our pride in the beginning of the nation
| and II has been our glory for more thar
100 years. Since it was penned there have
| been great men and some wise; there ha:
| been progress, there has been development
and evolution, and yet not one jot or little
has been added to the Declaration of Inde-
| pendence. That document enunciated
| principle of justice and right and there was
| no more to be said. The principle has made
| the country what 1t is today, and our hope
| for the future lies within its statements.
| mo matter what the temptation. no mat
ter how ailurins the prospect may be at the
time. let the principle of essential rights be
once impugned. and the thing We have
| called America is no more. We might still
have multitudirous peoples and unlimited
resources, but America would be dead. for
the principle which made America would be
gomez fAnything against that principle is
| un-American. lay, even anti-American."
DR.. Stafford said it behooved all Amer
leans such IN occasion as today to see
whether or not they or their nationa is
carrying out the great heritage, and to see
whether they leading just lives. To
be an American means to be Just man
He expressed the hope that the American
flag would ever stand for the principle OF
the Declaration Of Independence.
Never Grows Old.
A medley of patriotic airs arranged by
Prof. Santelmann was next rendered. after
which Commissioner mcfarland was intro
duced amid much applause.
THE Declaration of Independence" said
he lis as much alive today as when 1t was
born, one hundred and twenty-four years
ago. 1t is immortal. Its vitality Is attested
by the fresh interest in 1t during the past
year. when it has been more discussed ir
Congress and in the press than in any for
mer year. Although it is the bible of our
politics, enshrined in the hearts of our peo-
Pile and beyond criticism, beyond eulogy, 1,
is like the Bible of our religion. subject tc
Interpretation. No political sect can claim
Il as exclusively its own: all political sects
may claim an equal title to 1t.
| No fndivid Ial or set of individuals car
monopolize either the immortal Declaration
| or the American flag. but there is enough
of both for all. Expansionst or anti-ex
| pansionist, strict constructionist or liberia
constructionist, whatever we may be called
| we are one in our admiration and venera.
ton for this great paper issued by Con.
gress unexcelled. No one now reads Magma
Charta.
1T is only a name to round a period. N,
one but lawyers and students read the Con