The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-07-04
KEYNOTE OF LIBERTY
TABLE GIFT RECEIVED BY
STATE DEPARTMENT.
FACSIMILE OF DECLARATION.
,rSENTED BY UNIVERSITY OF
VIRGINIA.

pboto-LithO Copy Made Twenty-Five
xenrs Ago, When the Declaration
I,dependence Was StiII LegibIe,
yresented TO Secretary Hay by
,.dra sener of Virginia, Presi-
~, Of the Alumni Association of
~. University of Virgfnia-ApprO-
late Remarks Made by Roth Do
and Recipient.
washington. July 3.-Representative
1yov Of Virginia called at the State
-,o.artment to-day in company with
I,,doa 7. B. Sener of Virginia and pre-
.antad TO the department an authenti-
Tod fac smile reproduction of the
neclaration of Independence. Judge
csner is president of the alumni asso-
.,o+ion of the University of Virginia,
founded by Thomas Jefferson, and pre-
-o,+ad the document to Secretary Hay
~ the name of that institution of
1aarning with an appropriate speech,
bringing out the fitness of the time
chosen for the presentation-the eve of
independence Day and at the close of
the 125th year of American independ-
ence.
Secretary Hay responded briefly, ex-
pressing the qualification of the depart
rent for the interesting valuable pres
ont. which was especially timely in
view of the fact that it had recently
become necessary, on account of the
rapid deterioration of the ink and
parchment of the original declaration
itself. to withhold it entirely from
ublic exhibition. He said that the
gift would be especially cherished as
coming from the University of Vir-
ginia, one of the principal monuments
of Jefferson's fame and one of the in
stitutons dearest to his heart.
The fac smile bears the signature of
Columbus Delano, secretary of the in
terror, and NJ. D. Leggett, commission
er of patents and the following in
scription:
Presented to the Department of
State, of which Thomas Jefferson was
the first secretary, by James B. Sener,
president of the general alumni asso-
citation of the University of Virginia,
at the close of the one hundred and
twenty-ffth year of American indie
pendence, July 3, 1902"
The Fame of Jefferson.
Judge Seners remarks were as fol-
lows:
Mr.. Secretary, on this third of
July, 1902 at the close of the one hun
dred and twenty fifth year of Ameri-
can independence, the original en-
crossed copy of the Declaration of In
dependence, now in your office, being
illegible and not shown to the VS.
itors because of its general bad con-
dition, l am in your presence as presi-
dent of the General Alumni Associa-
tion of the University of Virginia, and
by reason of previously obtained per-
mission so to do. to present to the
Department of State over which you
so worthily preside, a fac smile photo
htho copy of the Declaration of indie
pendence. This copy was made more
than quarter of a century ago whilst
yet 1t was possible to reproduce it.
Mr. Jefferson was your first prede-
cessor as prime minister of the United
States and though he served as Vice
President and President of this great
republic, yet in his old age, when his
end was approaching, he left the re-
quest that if it were deemed desirable
TO erect any monument over him it
should be simple obelisk with the
inscriptions
Here was buried
Thomas jefferson,
Author of the
Declaration of independence.
of the
statute of Religious Freedom
and
rather OF the University of Virginia.
Inc stone over his remains has
J'2en erected with that simple in
ScHption at Monticello, where it
stands to-day in sight of the great
university which he founded and low
ed so we'll.
An Appropriate Gift.
II seems to me, Mr.. Secretary. since
the great declaration has faded from
view, that it is peculiarly appropri-
ave that fac smile copy of it should
oe placed in some big department of
TINS goVernemnt, which Jefferson did
81 mueh to establish and to develop,
ana OF all the departments of the gov
e[Hment, that of the department of
olate of which he was the first Sec
rotary, is the one wherein such a
copy should be kept, that the people
VI MIS- own country, as of the world,
may If they wish, be enabled to
TOOK upon reproduction of that great
oIglhal state paper, and as Mr. JEFF
4eIson regarded the esta blishment of
me University of Virginia as one of
tHe three greatest accomplishments
OF his life, it is befitting for the
dIuInnl of that institution, through its
president, to bring to and present,
through you, this Offering to the State
department. of our great republic and
10 ask that it may be accepted as
me university's tribute to it's great