The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-05-29
washington
Day by Day

| Washington, May 2s.-(Special.)-Pe
haps we have not seen in our time more
striking exhibition of the cant of inter-
nationalism than the unwilling and dedi-
cation of the Rochambeau statue In
| Washington. This statue, executed by
| the deaf and dumb sculptor, Manar, In
France, and unveiled in Washington dur
| ing a shower of rain, Is held TO be SYM
bolical of the reunion in heart of the
Republic of France and the Republic OF
| the United States. One may be forgiven
for referring to this travesty upon re-
union between a republic over the sea
that is despotism and a republic here In
which the majority is an absolute despot-
| ism and tyranny over the minority.
The aid which the absolute Kingdom OF
France lent to the American colonists
more than 100 years ago, was lent wholly
| without love of our backwoodsmen, and
solely to give a blow to England. Even
our school children have not been made
| blind to the fact that France loved us
not, but that France hated England.
1t was not that France desired the
American colonists to win, but that the
| French desired England to lose. In our
American colonists and their cause OF
freedom, no love was involved France
hated us less, hated England the more
because England and ourselves were OF
that same race historically antagonistic
| to the French.
If some of those of us smile at the GER
emonies, elaborate as they were, OF un-
yelling the statue of Rochambeau In front
of the White House, assuredly we may De
pardoned The scene was Impressive.
! Some thousands of soldiers and many
thousands of citizens had gathered there.
| The President, the great head OF them
| all, and with the President the members
of the mission from the French Repub-
! lie.
| The scene was resplendent. The Presi-
dent, with his chiefs of the army and OF
the navy, mingled with the deputized
representatives of France.
When the great crowd had gathered
the soldiers the marines, the diplomats,
the President and his high officers of
state, and all that throng awaited ST.
lently for word. a Catholic priest. the
Rev. DR.. D. ]. Stafford of st. Patrick
church, Washington. arose to pronounce
| the benediction.
1t seemed a trifie odd that this priest
| of the Catholic church should at the out
set of the cereomnies pronounce the bene-
diction upon all who were there living
and all who there represented the dead,
| Any assemblage in the world might rise
in reverence when DR.. Stafford stood to
name the benediction IN any event. Per-
haps that great priest never showed to
nobler advantage than he showed there.
Bareheaded and his face wonderfully lit
up, he called the benediction of the Most
High upon all assembled there Not In
my time have 1 seen anything more
thrilling more splendid than DR.. Stafford
in that great crowd of Catholics and
nom Cath holes asking the mercy of God
upon all assembled there, and upon them
who had gone before, when Rochambeau
had fought and died to maintain the
American Republic.
The Countess de Rochambeau was call
ed upon to loosen the cords that yelled
the statue. Neither she not her dis
|
the Marshal de Rochambeau, who aided
Washington and without whose aid the
American Republic could not have been
established. 1t was a moment of trans
cendent historic and human interest. No
one of the Rochambeau race was there
The Count de Rochambeau was the adopt
ed son of an elder brother of the great
| I'D NTH oh o.
ton in accepting the surrender of Lord
CORVALLIS at Yorktown. Still the Roach
ambeau present here In Washington bore
the spirit OF the Rochambeau, marshal
of the King of France, who fought with
the rebel Washington in establishing our
republic
The scene was thrilling beyond measure
that great scene there in front OF the
White House, which was built more than
twenty years after the the surrender at
Yorktown. There was no American pres
ent who did not feel within himself the
thrill of nationhood. There was none
present who did not realize that the tri-
umph of his ancestors. as commanded by
washington, was due to the heroic aid
| and devotion of a kingdom which had
no sympathy with self-government, but
which In all the essentials hated the form
of republican government that which
was so soon to overrun and devastate
France itself.
When the Countess de Rochambeau
drew the cords which were to unvo!l the
statue to de Rochambeau. one of the
cords caught on what was meant to rep
resent the decree of the King or France
to aid the revolutionary colonies of the
King of England In America. The Coun-
tess hands were rather frail for so strong
a duty. Seeing this high officer OF the
American government FASTENED to lend
her his assistance; still the cord remained
firm Impulslveiy I spoke to Congress
man Burnett of Alabama, who sat by
me. within ten PAGES, why do not they
let IT alone, ii seems historic it should
kcung that way; why don't they leave it
| alone?"
Whether President Roosevelt heard my
| complaint, is not for me to know, but ne
Immediately summonded the two sailors
who were pulling at the cord, to desist
and SO the colors hung there, as I
thought, most beautiful drapery to a
most heroic statue, and as the sailors
withdrew their efforts to pull loose the
| cord, there was a wild cheer from 10000
people. Even the multitude seemed to see