The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-04-26

At the meeting of Council on We'd
nesday night the Committee on Histor-
ical Landmarks from the Society of
Colonial Danes will enter its formal
protest against the destruction of the
City Exchange. This action will be
taken by the Danes as a means of
memorializing their effort to save the
historic building. so that they may
go on record as opposed to its removal
for the purpose of constructing more
modern building.
The Danes. while not forgetful of
not Colonial, still. as citizens, they wish
to preserve the few old landmarks still
remaining here. They point to the
fact that New York, with fewer pre-
served landmarks than Savannah, has
a society for their preservation, the
membership to which is open to any
interested citizen. This society has
had the cooperation of the Colonial
Danes in that state.
In presenting their protest the Danes
will incorporate in their memorial some
interesting historical facts relative to
the Exchange, so that future genera
tions may see that those in authority
were not unmindful of the historical
association which cling to the old
structure. but were forcibly reminded
of the destruction which they were
about to wreak. The most interesting
information in this connection is in the
form of an excerpt from A History of
the City Government of Savannah"
written by Thomas Gamble, Jr., under
direction of the City Council and APP
proval of Mayor Myers, which is re-
produced in the Mayors Report for
1900. 1t is, in part:
An Official Boomerang.
standing as it does, where it can
be no impeachment to the march of inn
provement, and almost a solid as when
it was received by the original stock
company from the builders, there is
absolutely no reason why the Exchange
should not stand for another century,
an enduring memorial of the early
days of Savannah's civic pride. AS
the city grows in population and
wealth, it may lead before many years
to the erection of a more pretentious
and modern structure elsewhere. but
the lover of that which is antique and
OF historic interest Will CneTlSH the
hope that the old city hall will be al
lowed to remain, suggesting to all Sa-
vannahians the life of the days, now
seeming so remote, when the little town
was struggling out of the ruins of the
Revolutionary period and establishing
those solid foundations for commercial
progress on which the prosperity Of
the Savannah of to-day depends"
mo building in the state of Georgia
- l,~ 10 hfufr 10 4.iac
clustered about it than this venerable
edifice just entering on the second CEN
fury of it's usefulness the article
reads. The article directs attention es-
pecially to the number of notable men
who have been entertained in the fam
Gus Long Room, among them Aaron
Burr Presidents Monroe, Polk and Fill
more, Gen. Lafayette, Henry Clay
Daniel Webster, and many others, who
met in the famous old building to re-
ceive the homage of the Savannahians
of the ante-bellum period.
The Danes cry out with all the
vehemence in their power against the
destruction of the building, maintain
ing that it is better to have obstinate
pride than not enough. The presence
of the Exchange, with all its historic
associations, win ever serve to instill
reverence for the past. and, they de-
clare, so long as it is allowed to re-
main. will stand as the greatest me-
mortal that could be reared to the MEM
DRY of those who in commerce and war
have builded so much of the history of
Savannah.
Criterion to Citizenry.
1.-THE characteristics of a people are
displayed in their buildings. This is
notably true in England and France"
said one of the committee. THE re-
spect for the principles of the past
and reverence for the things which
represent those principles form the
underlying principles of English law.
The English judiciary has the respect
of the world. Not so with the French,
who in their institutions as in their
architecture are always striving for
the new idea and, in so doing. losing
much of that which it has taken the
world centuries to acquire. and which
form the foundation of civic pride and
liberty"
TBa corner stone of the Exchange
building was laid June 4, 1899, the oc-
casion being marked by elaborate cere-
monies of the Grand Lodge of Free