The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1902-07-08
THE DECLARATION
OF INDEPENDENCE
Fac-Simile Presented to the
State Department.
ADDRESS BY JUDGE SENtR
Document Presented in Name OF VIZ
ginia's University.
A MONUMENT TO THOMAS JEFFERSON
Representative HAY and Judge Sener Call al
the State Department to Present the
Document and Secretary Hay
Makes Fitting Responsa.
Make Sitting Response.
(By the Associated Press.)

(By the Associated PresS.)
Washington, July 3.-Representative
Hay, of Virginia, called at the State
Department today in company with
Judge J.. d. Sener, of Virginia, and pre-
scented to the department an authentl-
Gated fac-simile reproduction OF the De
claration of Independence. judge Sencr
is president Of the Alumni Association OF
the University Of Virginia. founded by
Thomas Jefferson, and presented the
cum to Secretary Hay in the name
of that institution of learning With an
appropriate speech bringing out the fit
ness of the time chosen for the prcsen-
tation-thc eve of independence day and
at the close of the 125th year of Amcri-
can independence.
Secretary Hay responded briefly, eN-
PRESSING the qualification of the de-
partment for the interest in the valuable
present, which was especially timely in
view of the fact that it had recently be
come necessary, on account of the rapid
deterioration of the ink and parchment
eff the original declaration itself, to
Withhold it entirely from public exhibit
ton. He said thai the gift would be es-
pccially cherished as coming from the
University of Virginia, one Of the prin-
cipal monuments of Jefferson's fame, and
one Of the Institutions dearest to his
heart. The fac-simile bears the sigma
| ture of Columbus Delano. Secretary OF
| the interior, and NJ. u. Leggett, Com
missioner Of Patents, and the following
inscriptions:
"Presented to the Department of
State, of which Thomas Jefferson was
the first secretary, by James B. Sener,
president of the general Alumni Associa-
| ton Of the University of Virginia, at the
| close of the one hundred anW tWenty-ffth
year of American independence, July 8,
1902:
J G. Sener's remarks We're as follows:
MI Secretary: On this third of
July, 1902, at the close of the one hun
dred and tw~enty-fifth year Of American
independence, the original copy Of the
Declaration of Independence, now in
your office, being illegible and not shown
to visitors because of it's general bad
condition., | an in your presence as
president of the general Alumni Asso-
citation of the University of Virginia,
and by reason of previously obtained
PERMISSION SO to do, to present to the
Department of State, over which you sc
WOrthily preside, a fac-simile photo
litho copy of the Declaration of hide
pendence. This copy was made more
than a quarter of a century ago willis:
yet it was possible to reproduce it. Mr.
jefferson was your first predecessor as
prime minister of the United States, ant
though he served as Vice President anC
President of this great republic, yet il
his old age, when his end was approach
ing, he left the request that if it wore
deemed desirable to erect any monu-
ment over him, it should be a siilpl.
obelisk with the inscription:
Here was buried Thomas Jefferson
author of the Declaration of Indepen-
dence, of the Statute of Religious Free
dom, and Father Of the University O.
Virginia.
1.-The stone over his remains has beer
erected with that simple inscription a
Monticello, where it stands today il
sight of the great university which h.
founded and loved SO we'll.
1T seems to me-. Mr.. Secretary, since
the great declaration has faded from
view, that it is peculiarly appropriate
that a fac-simile 0 of it should b.
placed in some big department Of this
government, which Mr.. jefferson dds S,
much to establish, and to develop, am
OF all the departments of the government
that of the Department of State, o
which he was the first secretary, is tn,
one wherein such a copy should be KEEP
that the people Of his own country. a.
of the world, may,if they wish, be enable
10 look upon a reproduction of tina
great original State paper, and as MI
Jefferson regarded the establishment O
the University of Virginia as one of tn
three greatest accomplishments of hi
life, it is BETTING for the alumni of tina
institution. through it's president, t.
bring to and present, through this offer
ing to the State Department of our grea
republic, and to ask that it may be &C
cepted as the university's tribute to il
great founder and to the republic who's
; birth the Declaration Of independence
proclaimed"