The evening times. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1895-1902, 1900-07-04

The principal formal observance of the
Fourth of July in Washington was the
service Of prayer, oratory, and music by
the Sons Of the American Revolution at the
Columbia Theatre from 10 O'Clock till 1890.
large number of the members OF the
District o. Columbia Society attended, and
many persons not members were present.
Ger Thomas N. Vincent. President of the
Dist. let Society. presided. After The
Stars and Stripes Forever" by the Marine
Band the Rev. DR.. Wallace Radcliffe de-
in the order Of exercises was the presen-
Ia ion Of the colors by Leon l.. French
Preceded by a drummer and ffer playing
a tune which had inspired the soldiers of
the American Revolutionary Army, the
American ensign was brought upon the
stage. the audience standing After this
Jasper Dean McFall sang The Sword Of
Bunker Hill" General Vincent read an
address on the gratitude which the United
States ewes TO France. and in conclusion
called upon the Marine Band to play the
Marsell2ise," the inspiring music stir
ring tre audience to enthusiasm Paul
Bro, kett, member of the Society. read
the Declaration of independence. and the
band played The Star Spaugled Banner
The Rev. DIR. Stafford addressed the audi
ence. He said that there is an underly .ng
unity in all things, no matter how COM
pick they may appear at a superficial
glance. A book containing thousand il
Illustrations and as many discussions had
in il the underlying though which the
author sought TO impress. Under ell the
activities Of American life was the eat
principle of the equality of man Though
the right OF man to life. liberty. and the
pursuit Of happiness antedated all modern
government. II found no adequate express
sion until the American Declaration Of In
dependence This iCalienab!e tight OF an
was not recognized in she laws Of Numo or
the code Of Lycurgus. Cicero never express
ed the thought it Is found IN the Dec ia
ton OF Independence. In the hundred
years Of progress and evolution, the mind
OF man has been able to add nothing TO the
force OF the simple statement OF the Fath-
ers Of tire Republic. The greatness Of a
nation depended not upon its area ard
population. but upon its recognition OF the
principles of justice
The Voice Of Our Nation" by S3ntIe-
mann, was played by the band
Henry B. r. Mcfarland. one Of the Com
missioners Of the District Of CO.umnia
then deliyere tie Grafton
The Declaration IF Independence is as
much alive today as when it was born
one hundred and twenty-four years ago.
II IS immortal Its vitality is artested bv
Inc fresh interest in il during the past
year when il has been more discussed in
Congress and in the press than IN any
iormN- year. Although it is the Bible
OF OR politics. enshrined in the hearts Of
our people and beyond criticism. beyond
Is iEa ha
subject to Interpretation. No political
sect can claim it as exclusively its own.
all political sects may claim an equal title
TO IL As On this Independence Day we
rise 10 an independence OF political par
ties, rise from being Republicans or Demo
Gratis TO be Americans, 50 We may assert
amid our conflicting opinions about the
Declaration OF independence. that it is
our common possession. our common
source Of inspiration. No individual or
set OF individuals can mOnopoIize either
the immortal Declaration or the American
nag, but there is enough OF both for us all
EXpansiOnist or an -expansionist. stricr
constructiOnist or liberal cOnstructioaist
whatever We may be lied. We are one in
our admiration and vc- Grafton for this great
paper issued by a Congress uuexceIIed
as Lord Chatham saiJ in soIidity Of Tea-
soning. force Of sagaeity. and wisdom Of
conclusion. No one now reads Magma
Charta- 1t is only a name to round a
period No one but lawyers and students
read the Constitution OF the United
states, but We all read the Declaration of
independence at least once a year. and
It's striking Passages are household words.
Non" OF US looks at the original in the
safe at the library of the State Depart
ment without a thrill Of exaltation.
Yet we may and ID honestly diiTar
about IL Is il poetry2 Is il prOseg The
senior Senator from the State OF Masss-
chusetts where Samuel Adams began the
agitation for the Declaration Of Indeperd-
ence, takes one view OF il in his great
speech on the Philippine question. the
junior Senator from that same Common
wealth in his great speech on the Philip
pine question takes another view OF n
Are those famous declarations in the Dec
laration only the 'gllttering generaIities'
that Rufus Choate said they were or are
they very truth Of very truth and to be
taken literally? In this case does the let
ter kill while the spirit makes alive
These and like questions run through the
high debate ct this great document. I
like TO think hat it is both poetry and
prose. according TO the genius Of our race.
We are at once the most sentimental and
the most practical people on earth. Our
story as a nation. the most marvellous in
al history. is poetry and prose interwover
II could not be written otherwise And
In spite Of the manifold material changes
# this century. the opening Of the mechani- |
,al age. the Declaration Of Independence
still represents fully our national life.
When Teoreau Lived n Poem.
I could not write my poem and so I
lived it, said Thoreau. This might well
have been said by the stern poets of action
who published the Declaration OF indie
Dendence to the world Thomas Jefferson.
John Adams. Benjamin Franklin. Roger
Sherman. Robert r. Liyinkston-the COM
mittee of Congress to prepare the docu-
ment-these are men of prose, you say,
lawyers. statesmen, men of affairs, stand
ing solidly on the ground and looking al
men and not at stars.
They and the men whom they repre-
sented went about this matter in the OLE
fashioned. practical. cautious way of our
race They made no Declaration of Inde-
Dendence until all their world knew that
the colonies were. in fact independent, II
not free. II was record OF what had been
no; an announcement OF what
was desired. Mere than a year had elaps-
ed since the .eInbattled farmers of Lea
ngton and Concord fired the shot heard
round the world 1t was more than a
year since the American militia at Bunker
Hill won a moral victory over the British
regulars 1t was more than a year since
George Washington took command of an
Army which in itself was an evidence of
The thirteen colonies were governing
themselves individually, and as a fedora
ton. in practical separation from the Brit
ssh Government. and the British Army was
vainly endeavoring to coerce them into
subsection before they were willing TO put
it all down in black and white Nothing