The times., 1901-05-31
THE HALL OF FAME DEDICATED
Senator Depew Delivers the Address
at the UnveiIinE.

at the Unveiiing.
NEW YORK, MAY 50-The twenty-nine
bronze tablets In the Hall of Fame were
unveiled this afternoon with impressive
ceremonies, and the Hall OF Fame itself
which is so imposing a feature of the
New York University buildings. on Uni
versity Heights-was thus formally
opened.
Three Thousand persons were present.
including Helen Could. who gave $1,000
of the s250O00 fund for the erection of
the hall. A striking feature of the occa-
sion was the remarkable demonstration
of enthusiasm manifested by Americans
OF the Southern States in connection with
the tablet to Gen. Robert E. Lee
Apparently it had occurred to no one
save the Southern people that flowers on
Decoration Day could be made very
proper adjunct to the unveiling cere-
monies. At all events the Southern people
were the only ones who sent flowers. and
while their floral contributions naturally.
were for the most part dedicated to the
tablet for General Lee, they did not for
get, in their generosity. the Northern
soldier to whom Lee laid down his arms.
From the Daughters of the Confederacy
of North Carolina there came beautiful
bouquet of pinks to be laid upon the tab
let of General Grant As for General Lees
tablet it was literally buried with mag
nolias. roses, and jessamines.
At o'clock a procession of some two
hundred invited guests, headed by Chan
cellor MacCracken with Miss Gould on his
left and Senator Chauncey NJ. Depew on
his right, marched from the library build
ing across the lawn to the long. wide
platform on which hundreds of chairs were
pTa nd in ha - xuh MGR q
thousand or more chairs, by this time all
filled with people. On the platform were
representatives of twenty-five of the great
historical, professional, scientific, military,
educational, and religious societies of the
country.
The ceremonies were simple. Chancellor
MacCracken introduced the Rev. DR..
Hills, of Plymouth Church, Brooklyn,
who offered a prayer, after which Dr.
MacCracken introduced Senator Depew.
who delivered the dedicatory oration.
Senator Depew spoke in part as follows:
THE people of all countries have been
celebrating the events for each of the last
hundred years-the most remarkable era
of construction and achievement Even
it's wars resulted in the unifcation, under
one government, of kindred races, the en-
largement of popular liberty, and marye-
lous material development The ringing
out OF lnS HllcLteIlln WIS dECOul-
panied by shouting and halIelujahs over
victories which had subdued the powers
of the earth, the waters, and the air, to
the service of man: and an equally BEN
eficent evolution in human rights. 1t was
a happy thought which moved the donor
of this Hall of Fame, In the midst of
these rejoicings, to found a temple TO en-
shrine the memorials of the architects of
this triumph; the supreme inteiligenceS
whose labors and Initiative have caused
the nineteenth TO stand out high, conspic-
uous and unapproachable in it's grandeur
among the centuries. 1t is properly built
in the metropolis of the continent, the
great city in which are rapidly concen-
trating worldwide influences. Under the
protection and care OF vigorous and
growing institution of liberal learning. its
purposes will be kept lofty and pure, and
It's educational value enhanced. Standing
on the banks of the noble Hudson and at
the gateway of the New World, IL well
comes from every section of the country
all who are worthy to sit as peers In the
company of the immortals. who form its
first parliament There has been the
broadest cathoIieity of judgment, and no
passions or prejudiceS of SectarianiSmS,
parties, or creeds among the judges The
action of the tribunal is a remarkable eX-
hibit of the disappearance of the bitter
ness of the civil war Though a large ma
jority of the electors were from the
North, General Lee is placed beside Gen
eral Grant. and Lincoln received every
vote from the South save one
THE prohibition of the consideration OF
anyone until ten years after his death re-
moves the danger from the errors OF con-
temporary passion or enthusiasm. The Sc
lection and number of the judges consti- !
tute a trained and impartial tribunal The |
people Of the United States are the noml- /
nators and one hundred divided among /
college presidents and educators, profess [
sors of history and scientists. publfcists, /
editors and authors, the Chief Justice OF /
the Supreme Court of the United States, |
and the head of the highest court in each !
Cf he Saveral Commemorative of the I
Union are the electors. The gentlemen |
upon whom has devolved the first selec- |
tion have found in the wide field open to |
their choice only twenty-nine whom a ma /
jority thought fit to fill the panels of this /
hall There may be disappointment and /
that after three hundred !
years of settlement in our. country, and /
one hundred of national life, the harvest /
should be so small
I'VE have now no Tennysons, nor Long I
nor HawthOrnes. nor Emersons. |
II is because our Michael Ange- |
los are planning tunnels under rivers and |
through mountains for the connection of
vast systems of railways, and our Ra-
phaels are devisiDg some novel method for
the utilization of electrical power; our
Shakespeares are forming gigantic combl-
nations of corporate bodies, our Tenny-
sons are giving rein to fancy and imagi-
nation In wild Speculat1onS IN stocks, and 1
our Hawthornes and Emersons have
a bapdoned the communings with and rev
elatiOns of the spirit and sOul which lift |
their TtdutFS TO Il NiSiOn pA the higher
life and the JOY of its inspiration to ex- !
Dloit mines and factories.
When this period of evolution is over, |
and nations and communities have be |
come adjusted 10 normal conditions. the |
fever and the passion of the race for |
1uick wealth and enormous riches will be /
over Then the grove, the academy and /
he study will again become tenanted with |
philosophers poets, historians, and inter !
1reters of God in man. Unless this shall /
happen, then let the luXuries and oppor-
unities evanescent earthly pleasures and /
he disappearance after death which come
rom leadership in business be the re-
wards of the successful; but reserve the
leeds and thoughts are the inheritance, |
,ducatiOn, inspiration, and aspiration of |
.ndlesS generations
In the cemeteries OF France graves are
eased for periods of five, ten twenty, or
fifty years. and in perpetuity. AS the
erms of the lessees expire. the bones are
lug UP, and dumped into the common re-
ept2cle to make room for newer tenants.
10 in time in this Hall of Fame winnOw
ng will attend selection. Only the ten
.nts who, by the judgment of posterity,
IoId their titles in perpetuity will remain,
nd they viii have fame.
''Of these twenty-niae, who Will be left
thousand years hence? The rail split
er who became President of the United
,tates emancipated the slave, saved the
Tnion and In a speech of ten minutes at
set Il classic in the Oratory OF |
lis country which condensed the philos-
ply and pathos OF the civil war, will |
~ immortal as Abraham Lincoln There
8 one character here which has stood |
he test of time and grown brighter with |
- Nir,arf ION hn rarD .