The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-14
ELOQUENT TONGUES
SPEAK IN PRAISE OF
JEFFERSON
Senator Hoar, Charles Emory
Smith and Mr.. Bryan Give
Addresses Under the Aus :
pieces of the Thomas JEFF
ferson Memorial Associa-
ton.

WASHINGTON, D. c., April 13.-W
j. Bryan, Senator Hoar and Gov. Mon
tague, of Virginia, and former Post
master General Charles Emory Smith
were the principal speakers at a din
ner given at the Hotel Barton tonight
under the auspices of the Thomas JET
ferson Memorial association in cele-
bration of the 160th anniversary of
the birth of Jefferson. The Marine
band played The Thomas Jefferson
March H. B. F. MacFarland, presi-
dent of the district commissioners,
presided, and Thomas Nelson Page was
POSTMASTER. The dinner was not of a
political character. Senator Hoar re-
sponded to the toast, The Author OF
the Declaration of Independence" He
spoke in part as follows:
IF we want a sure proof of Thomas
Jefferson's greatness it will be found
in the fact that men of every variety
of political opinion, however far
asunder, find confirmation of their
doctrine in him. Every party in this
country today reckons Jefferson as its
patron saint
More than any other statesman
down to his time-more than any 9TH
er statesman 1 can think of save Lin
coin alone-he had a steadfaster abid-
ing faith in justice, righteousness and
liberty as the prevailing and abiding
forces in the conduct of states, and
that justice and righteousness were
sure to prevail where any people bear
rule in pefect liberty. For this doc
trine he was ready to encounter I'M
popularity, poverty if need be, and ex-
&c on n nfs CT hn
laid the foundation of the republic"
Didn't Violate the Constitution.
Charles Emory Smith responded to
1.-THE Louisiana Purchase" saying
among other things:
1T has often been urged that in this
great acquisition-the most important
act in all our history between the adop-
ton of the constitution and the Civil
war-JefferSon was inconsistent with
his principles and professions. He was
the leader of the strict constructionists,
and this act was outside of the letter
of the constitution. But that charge
of Inconsistency could be made against
every great party and almost every
conspicuous statesman in our history.
Jefferson did not violate the constitu-
ton. Whatever may have been said
at the time, we all know it now. But
in a great public emergency he de-
parted from his general theory of in
depreciation and in doing it he did a
transcendant act of craftsmanship
and achieved an incalculable advan-
tage for the republic. AS the devoted
admirer of his matchless rival, salute
Jefferson for his immortal work and
earnestly join in urging a fit national
memorial TO one for the most illus
trious among the founders Of the re-
public"
Mr. Bryan addressed himself to "a
statue for religious freedom" He con-
cluded:
Love Is the Foundation.
ITO Jefferson the doctrine of free
speech and freedom Of opinion applied
to everything because he rightly I'M
derStood that no censorship of opinion
could be permitted that would not be
more dangerous to truth than to er-
ror. Jefferson recognized that the
Christian religion rested upon love and
that love is every antithesis of violence
and of brute force. 1t is we'll to re-
member that the Declaration of indie
pendence itself rests upon the same
foundation which supports our religion,
namely, love, and those who deny the
doctrine of human brotherhood are not
apt to respect the creed of inalienabIe
rights and natural equality embodied
in the Declaration of Independence and
the constitution of the United States.
Jefferson was the greatest states
man known to history. He believed in
the rights of the people and had a
heart large enough to take in all human
kind: He hated tyranny, whether it
manifested itself in religious or secu-
lar affairs, and applied his doctrine to
all questions"
The board of governors has prac-
ucally decided that the proposed me-
mortal to Jefferson, to be erected in this
city, shall take the form of a building.