Evening star., 1902-03-17
VETERANS URGE ACTION
Federals and Confederates
Favor Memorial Bridge.
A CIRCULAR ISSUED
POSTS OF g. A. r. ASKED TO AP-
PEAL TO CONGRESS.
Col. Hopkins Chairman Of Special Com
mittee, Of Which Mr.. Henry Wat
terson is q Member.

The projected Memorial bridge across the
Potomac has become one of the most prom
inent interests of the proposed encamp-
ment of the Grand Army next fall. The
visit to the White House last Saturday of
| delegation composed equally of veterans
of the two armies, and the indications OF
active interest on the part of the Presi-
| dent, have encouraged the executive COM
| mittee on the encampment to hope that the
corner stone of the bridge may be put in
place during the period of the G. A. r. re-
union. To that end special committee Is
to be named by the executive committee
on the encampment and the national ex-
ecutive committee of the G. A. II. to fur
ther the project.
Col. Thomas S. Hopkins. formerly COM
mander of the Department of the Potomac,
G. A. r., has been selected as chairman
of the committee and Col. Henry waiter
son has been appointed to membership. The
other members of this committee are to be
named subsequently.
The following circular. prepared recently
by Mr.. Robert Christy at the suggestion Of
is intended for circulation among the va
rious posts of the Grand Army of the Re
public throughout the country, and will be
sent out with request that, in case Of ap-
proval, they should communicate with their
respective members Of Congress, urging
such action upon it as would tend to the
early consideration Of the Memorial bridge.
1t has met the approval of Representative
Robert Nevin of the third Ohio congress
sional district in whose district there is a
soldiers home containing some six thou
sand inmates. This morning 1t was laid
before Mr.. B. H. Warner, Mr.. Frank Hume
Mr.. Bulkley and certain other gentlemen
prominent in the movement in connection
with the Grand Army encampment
Text of the Circular.
The paper is as follows:
"To the Congress of the United States
Your petitioners most respectfully rep
resent as follows:
First, they are advised that appropria-
tions have heretofore been made by your
prede cessors in the national legislature to
inaugurate the work of construction of a
memorial bridge connecting the capital
with the silent city of the nations heroic
dead at Arlington SO that they are conf
dent that the magnan!mous conception OF
the Grand Army of the Republic, inspired
by noble spirit of exalted patriotism and
of fraternal love, will ultimately material
ize in an enduring form: nevertheless. they
feel that il is their duty to labor to secure
an early completion Of this work.
"The people of the great republic are now
united in bonds of mutual respect and fra
| ternal feel:ng-bonds firm and indissolutle.
They earnestly pray, there fore. that such a
movement. expressive Of d peoples graft
tude, be advanced to completion as speedily
|
! it may be beheld by those who, though
they confronted like dangers in battle, suf-
| fered similar hardshipS on the march. or in
b1Vouac; displayed, on occasion, equal cOur-
| age; yet, under the providence of God. sur
| vive to remember and mourn for their dead
! comrades.
They beg leave to further suggest that
the country is prosperous and possessed of
| resources seemingly inexhaustible. This
| memorial should. therefore, be correspond
| ingly grand and magnificent. embodying the
| very highest expression of American genius
| in design and construction, that it may
| symbolic the courage and patriotic sacri-
/ fees of the American soldier, both upon
| land and sea, and serve a lesson TO all
| nations, during all time, that liberty alone
| confers blessings that endure.
Not Representative of Section.
Sectional lines are now obliterated; sec
| tional pride and prejudice have disappeared;
| all eyes are turned proudly to our flag; all
! hearts beat in unison and sympathy for one
/ country. Let the glorious epoch be marked
/ by commemorative structure that the
i fame of the American patriot may not live
alone In history and in song; let these be
emblaZoned upon the broad and massive
towers of the Memorial bridge the splen-
did and illustrious achievements Of the
American soldier, in all wars, whether
waged to secure his own liberty or the lib
/ erty Of other oppressed peoples.
| Finally. submit for your favorable
| consideration the proposition that It is most
desirable that the construction Of this work
| should be far advanced that its corner
! stone could be laid with appropriate cere-
/ monies during the assemblage of the sur
| yiv.ng members of the Grand Army of the
Republic in Washington in October, 1902. >