The Washington times., 1903-07-04

celebration OF the day. the patriotic Ad
miral. admirer of Thomas Jefferson and
the great Declaration which he wrote.
will introduce the reading Of It,"
Admiral Dewey thanked the audience
FOR its demonstration. and in a few we'll
chosen words introduced Barry Buckley,
secretary Of the Busines Mems Associa-
ton, and a member of The Sons of the
Revolution. who read the Declaration of
independence This was followed by
singing My Country, 'Tis of Thee" by
the entire audience
France Our Friend.
Monsieur J. j. Jusserand was the next
speaker and was introduced By Commits
sioner Macfarland as follows:
"Our only treaty of alliance has been
with France, our faithful friend of the
Revolution. without whom it might have
failed. We are honored today by the
ambassador of France. who shows by his
participation his appreciation of our
celebration. Jusserand is one of the hon
ored names in the interesting list just
published by France of the soldiers and
who. with over five millions in money.
were our ally's magnificent contribution
TO our cause.
The ambassador bears that name; he
worthily wears our highest university
honors. Above all. he is bound TO our
country by the most sacred ties of per-
sonal affection. His presence is most
grateful to us, and We greet him with
respect and regard"
JusseTand Replies.
Monsieur Jusserand. in responding to
Commissioner mcfarland. said:
lone hundred and twenty-seven years
/ ago. on a Thursday, toward evening.
fifty men were gathered in hall IN
/ Philadelphia. which could not yet be
called Independence Hall. 1t was indeed
solemn occasion-one of those great
days when the fate of nations is decided
No deed, no battle. no treaty was TO
/ be. in the whole OF modern history. of
greater consequence than the act for
which these men peacefully met in the
brick house with bell tower. still 10 be
seen in Philadelphia. For a long time
anxieties. and now they had made up
/ their minds.
What took place? What words were
exchanged? We should like to know
them to the minutest particulars. But
one thing We know, and that is enough:
the men who came were insurgents; the
men who left were free men.
"A famous French thinker said. over
two centuries ago: BY liberty the Ro-
mans as well as the Greeks understood
state where people were subject to
nothing except to law, and where law
was more powerful than men That
America would be such a state. your
ancestors decided in 1776. and what they
decided has been and shall ever be.
Truly great things can never be done
contrary to the will of the people The
most generous or glorious purpose Will
be foiled If the people misunderstood
| It. and do not heartily second the ven
ture
This indispensable element Of success
was not wanting in the time Of the War
of independence; the army OF America
was an army Of free men and Of vo1un-
/
/ played by her statesmen and rulers is
we'll known; but not so we'll known the
part played by the people.
Our Friend in Need.
when heard of American indie
pendenee,' said Lafayette. my heart en-
listed In this memorable word he
summed up unawares the feeling Of all
France. When the gloomy days came
and statesmen hesitated as to what
should be done, the nation never did. and
/ continued 10 be for the alliance and for
practical help to be sent TO those plucky
men who wanted to be free.
Permit me to quote one single fact
| When Rochambeau. the same Rocham-
beau to whose memory you paid last
year such a magnificent tribute. was
gathering in France the troops ordered
for service in America. as our nation
wanted to send her best battalions and
her best men. all soldiers were submit
ted TO competent examination. There Is
extant a report explaining how difficult
II was TO have this order properly car
ried out. All men were so eager to go
that they all declared they were 1T:
they denied being i'll. and concealed any
inffrmity that might prevent their being
chosen.
Names of Heroes.
After more than a hundred years. the
! names OF all those privates Lnd sailors
J having been recovered. the government
! OF the Republic has printed them. &c
one will deny that they deserved this
modest tribute. and that those lists Of
commonplace names have their elo.
quence; they are the names of men who
, fought for those brethren Of theirs who
wanted TO be free.
Things undertaken In such a spirit
D are bound 10 succeed. and what the sue
5 cess Of your soldiers and ours has beer
5 the whole world knows.
] The nation whose life began one hun
) dred and twenty-seven years ago has Re
p come an immense one. and eyes ar,
2 more and more fixed upon her. On II,
day we now commemorate Qn a cer-.
mony 20 which I am beyond words prout
E 10 be associated your ancestors bestov