Evening journal., 1903-03-30

quest was granted and until the march
Of civilization displaces it. will stand a
silent sentinel to mark the spot where
the first settlers Of this city first stepped
foot
The dwelling Ceremony.
The exercises began at 1 o'clock with
singing by the Swedish singers. Who
sang Hail to Thee, Thou High North %
in their native tongue. The invocation
by Bishop Coleman followed, after
which the following address of Mrs.
Charles q. McIlvaine, president of the
Delaware Society of the Colonial DANES
OF America, was read by the Rev. Mar
tin B. Dunlap, vicar of Old Swedes
Church. who is a direct descendant of
the Swedes:
The society at whose call you are
met today has for its motto, The vir-
tues OF their elders. the daughters pre-
| serve. Thus we find in every State
our sisters OF the Colonial Danes So
cieties, working with us on the same
lines, with the same object in view
rescuing from oblivion historic build
ings on the verge OF ruin re-
storing tombs that are falling
TO decay, saving venerable trees
from The axe of the destroyer.
re-editing letters bearing on the early
history OF our country, Offering prizes
to schools and colleges for the best es-
says on Colonial history, marking
| historic sites with suitable monuments
or tablets, and works of IKE nature.
'In the Colonial period our fore
! fathers, 10y their rectitude, courage
and self-denial prepared the way for
success in that struggle which gained
for the country it's liberty and consti-
tuition, and our society was formed
that their descendants may associate to
do honor to the virtues Of these men,
and to encourage in all who come under
our influence true patriotism, built on
the knowledge of the self-sacriflce and
heroism of these men of the colonies
who laid the foundation Of this great
nation.
To Honor Ancestors.
Particularly ought we to impress
upon the young the sacred obligation TO
honor the memory of our heroic an
cestors, and in such a ceremony as is
now taking place, in the enduring wit
ness in stone by which we have marked
this spot, are we not giving an object
lesson to those who shall come after
us? We have met here to cOmmem-
crate, by this stone, the landing Of This
first Swedish settlers In America. II
has been said this is the most historic
quarter of an acre on the American
continent When. ON March 20. 1888
the Key of Calmar' and the Bird Grif-
fin came to anchor in the Minquas
lkihl, when the passengers, wearied
| from six months of cramped existence
on board a crowded ship, sprang upon
the Rocks which lie before us, can
we not picture the scene?
Perhaps it was just such a morn
ing as this. THAT passengers and crew
old men and maidens. young men and
little children. gazed upwon the green
fields and wooded hills and sparkline
rivers of this New Sweden. 1t may
have been at sunset or by moonlight,
and. perchance, these banks were
thronged with the dusky FERNS OF tho
Americans. as the native tribes
were called, watching with curious, bu
not unfriendly. interest the land o.
these unexpected visitors.
'These were our Pilgrim fathers, anC
this our Plymouth Rock.
They Were Religious People,
Whatever the hour or the weather
we may be sure that they knelt upOl
these rocks. and that the good paste
Torkillus, Of East Gothland. who cam
in the Key of Calmalr' led the devo
tions of the people in a prayer o
thanksgiving to the Divine Power Wit
had preserved them from the dangs'
of the sea and brought them in safet,
to this beautiful land.
"And, yet, it is difficult for us toda.
TO picture the scene. Now. all arouni
us, we hear the ceaseless hum and thrc
of civilization in its highest form Rail
roads traverse the ground that VIA
once the burial ground of Christians
Church, and the sound of the factor
whistle is louder than the Ginning O
the bell in the old belfry; but the qunli
= ties of mind and heart, which thOs