Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-04-16
TRIBUTE TO
JEFFERSON
Non-P Political Speeches at Ban
quet Given in Wash
ington.
SENATOR HOAR SPEAKS
w. J. Bryan, c. E. Smith and Gov.
Montague Make Addresses With
Thomas Nelson Page Acting as
POSTMASTER.

ID. i ~
than any other statesman down to this
time-more than any other statesman
! can think of save Lincoln alone-he
had a steadfast and abiding 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 pre-
vail where any people bear rule in per
feet liberty. For this doctrine he was
ready to encounter unpopularity, pow
erty, if need be, Imprisonment and eX-
lie. Upon it, as ons a corner stone, he
laid the foundation of the republic"
This was the keynote of the address
delivered last evening by Senator Hoar
at the banquet given in celebration of
the one hundred and sixtieth anniver-
saryr of the birth of Thomas Jefferson.
The banquet was given at the Hotel
Barton and was attended by lao guests.
Thomas Nelson Page acted as toast
master. and aside from Senator Hoar
Virginia and former Postmaster Gen
eral Charles Emory Smith responded
to toasts.
G. E. Smith Talks.
Former Postmaster General Smith
responded to the toast Louisiana Pur-
chase" and said in part:
."The purchase Of the Louisiana ter
ritory was by common consent the SUI
preme act of Thomas Jefferson's adj
ministration as president. There are
three master facts upon which his en-
during fame chiefly rests. First, he
was the author of the Declaration of
Independence; second, he was the
founder and leader of party and
school of political thought which, un
der various names, has divided the ma.
ton from its beginning to the present
time; third, he made the Louisiana
purchase.
"In historical Importance this
ranks with half dozen most moment
Gus and epochal events in our nation
al annals-with the Declaration of In.
dependence, the adoption of the con
stitution, the molding of national pow.
err through constitutional construc
ton by Chief Justice Marshall, the alb
clifton of slavery, the overthrow of Sc
cession with the permanent triumph OF
an indissoluble union, and the Span
ish war with its far-reaching conse-
quences. 1t was the first and most i'm
portant engagement of the republic
and the manifesto of its continued eX
pansion with the advance of the
world
William j. Bryan.
Mr.. Bryan, who was the last speaker
addressed himself to THE Statute fol
Religious Freedom" He concluded as
follows:
ITO Jefferson the doctrine of free
& speech and freedom of opinion applied
to everything, because he rightly un
derstood that no censorship of opin
ion could be permitted that would mo-
be more dangerous to truth than error
for those who are conscious of the
righteousness of their cause are no
so apt to invoke force in defense Of
their opinions as those who are con
scfous of error and who, recognizing
their inability to defend their views b.
reason, fall back upon coercion. II
the preamble of the act of 1856 it is
stated, first, that the propagation of re
ligion by force is contrary to the plal
Of God, the author of our religion. AT
tention Is called to the fact that thu
Almighty, being Lord both of the bod,
and the mind, yet chose not to propa
gate it by coercion Of either Jeffer
son recognized that the Christian relig
ion rested upon love, and that love il
the very antithesis of violence an,
brute force. 1t is well to remembe
that the declaration of independence
itself rests upon the same foundation
which supports our religion. namel
love, and those who deny the doctrin
of human brotherhood are not apt t
respect the creed of inalienable right
and natural equality embodied in TIL
declaration of independence and tn
constitution of the United States.
Jefferson was the greatest states
man known to history. He believed i
the rights of the people. and had
heart large enough to take in all HI
man kind. He hated tyranny, whethe
IT manifested itself in religious or ser
ular affairs. and applied his doctrine
to all questions"
Governor Montague spoke on "Je
qerson as Citizen of Virginia"