The times., 1901-04-20
LEXINGTON DAY OBSERVED
Sons of the American Revolution
Hold a Celebration.

The OrHtion Delivered by Henry l..
Davis - The Dissertation Of the
Flag DIscuSscd-The Influence OF
Thought i'm Our National History.
The Sons Of the American Revolution
celebrated Lexington Day last night at
Rauscher's. A regular business meeting
of the organization preceded the special
exercises prepared for the occasion by the
Committee on Arrangements. The as
Semhlage was called to order at $50 by
President Noble d. Larner and after the
reading Of the minutes Of the last meeting
by Secretary Wallace Donald Mclean the
report Of the Flag Committee was called
for. Gen. Thomas NJ. Vincent |. 5.
A. the chairman, reported that the com
mittee had communicated with the Gov
ernors of all the States and the mayors
Of many cities regarding the observation
of June IA as Flag Day From many of
the correspondents replies had been re
Ceived favorable to the project announced
General Vincent also reported that after
due consideration his associates had de
cided that il would be greatly to the ad-
vantage of the organization to present 10
each of the school children of the District
a small flag. thus reminding them Of the
anniversary II Is proposed 10 CtltpldNS
The report was adopted.
II esident Larner then announced that
n had been intended to celebrate the
18th of April by placing a commemorative
tablet on the tomb Of George Clin-
ton, Lexington patriot, in Congress
sional Cemetery. This was to be done IN
conjunction with the New York State
Chapter The New York representatives
were unable to take part in the affair at
this season of the year, however, and the
exercises were postponed until next De
cemher. when much more elaborate
programme will be arranged. Senator De-
pew and Vice President Roosevelt having
promised to deliver addresses. A propo-
sition was then made by DR.. j. w. Bayne
to urge upon Congress and the Commls-
sioners the necessity for more stringent
regulations regarding the desecration OF
the flag.
During the debate that followed Gen.
John g. Brecknridge, L. 5. y, stated
that most OF the States in the Union had
made it a serious offence to use the ma
tionaI emblem for unworthy purposes.
Many of the members, however, did not
feel that the matter had been before the
orga anization for a length of time suffi-
cient to allow the consideration that such
an important subject demanded, and il
was moved that the subject be set aside
for future discussion and thorough con
At the conclusion of the regular order
OF business President Larner introduced
Henry Z. Davis. the orator of the even
ing. Mr.. Davis said that in reading and
Te-reading the history Of the Reyolu-
tiOnary war he was impressed by the i'm /
portAnce of the task the small colony had /
taken upon itself
The expression that we stand on the (
brink of a new century has already be /
come hackneyed, the speaker said. /
Looking at the great achievements in 4
art, science, literature and mechanics +
that have rcvolutionized the world during 1
the last fifty years We wonder what has
,aused it all. To my mind we find that /
n the bottom of this great Improvement I
& IhC;sght-continuOus thought. But what I
'i mat period when the Colonies of Amer
"a had Just freed themselves from mon
irchial rule. when the men of genius in {
europe were trying to find A cause for
-nc political revolution of feeling: when
what was the thing that ruled /
nsen and nations Action
Lying deeper than thought greater
than the action Itself, was the feeling tina; (
spurred men 10 do deeds that made the
world -reverberate with their fame. As
iennyson SO eloquently expresses il; The
heart was touched Thus IL was AT Lex
ugtoD, at Concord Bridge When Paul
Revere made that momentous iOUruey Z
through the country from Boston TO Con
ord and Lexington. the fate Of a ma
ion rode that night. Did the far 4
ners consider the right or wrong Of the
proposition made 10 them and consult i'm
heir calmer moments as 10 the way I'm .
fmvh iney should act No There was {
omething deeper and more powerful than
u1uEul Action inspired the patriots that
r-d The shot which went round the world +
u was that ineXplicable thing that
'ltHes the heart, that reaches the soul.
ma impels men, for the time being. TO .
orget everything and march 20 a common
.efeuce.
mentioned the fact that within a stones
hroW Of the place in which he was speak /
2S- in the tower Of the Unitarian Church /
1rueT of Fourteenth and 1. Streets rested I
bell which had been first hung i'm tba
'ulldng In which is now held the sessions
y the Police Court
Many years ago it was the home of
ne & nlLaridn congregation of the Dis Z
rici This bell when nodded was named I
'aul Revere, IN honor Of the patriot of
--NinGton When John Brown was exc
.uteo TINS bell was the only one in the
south mat was sounded. All through th.
lay the solemn tones echoed throughout
he city IT seemed a fitting sequence 10
D." words OF Brown 'Preuare for .tc-
lon- Hanging on the dividing line be
W'"n the North and the South the PAM
feNcTe bell sounded a note Of warning =
Al the conclusion Of Mr.. Davis speech
HhaTtelte including Jacob Scharf {
feorEe Scharf, William A Domer. and
-ouis Weaver sang several seIsctio
hleh Nere warmly applauded. J. r.
.arnest then proposed that q vote of
hanks be given Mr. Davis and the mem /
'ers Of the Quartette The motion was Z
unanimously adopted after which tbe
ne mbers OF the order and their guests
eured so the supper room, where q ipfret
unch was served. Among those presept
Nefe.
William !. Marsh. DIT ] Taber John
oH, Philip +. Laner Col. H. r. AIcI<-sn
commander G. W. Baird l. s \ pr
!. J. Woodman Dr Williams DonnaIJv
'aJor Frederick - BRYAN. Georpa e.
Way nard, ;. J. Besselievre. JOHN q
iieeuaw walt. John B. Brownlow. Tbeodore
Cole. Edwin A. Hin. Col 9. q. Knif-
,u, VILLAIN -. Window. Noluev Eaton
olu speed Smith. John D. Riddis Ief
-rson H. Jennings. Fred y. owen WI
lam =. Brougnton. Leon l. French
rank q. Butts, Paul BrOckctt sherman
g. 'ralEer, William j.. Baldwin William
T. Ashmead. DR. Edward A Ballock Dr
iustavus r. Brown. Prof Frank VI
'arke, Sardis !. Crissey. David r. Dav
'r- Henry A. Robbins Capt. Charles IA
dmpbell. William y. Thompson. Lewis
p hauro. MILO G. Summers. John Shar-
1an. Selden NJ. Ely. William II Pearce
'roi- Charles +. Monroe Edward
i"Seiell Henry Gannett, and Capt. X. 6
ipBois, l.. $ A