Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-07-04
OLDEST INHABITANTS
Celebration Of Independence
Day on Large Scale.
ORDER OF EXERCISES
PATRIOTIC ADDRESS By CoM16Is-
SI0NER WEST.
Picnic Festivities at Country Home Of
MI. John 81. Small-Busi-
ness Session.
ORDER OF EXERCISES

The Oldest Inhabitants Association OF
the District of Columbia observed Indepen-
dence day with notable exercises, beginning
at $50 o'clock this afternoon. at the coun-
try home of Mr. John H. Small. on the
Brentwood road. The principal feature OF
the program as arranged was an
eloquent and stirring address de-
livered by Commissioner Henry l..
West, who described in graphic Ian
guage the scenes in the national Congress
incident to the adoption and signing of the
Declaration of Independence. There was
a large attendance of members of the as
ISOLATION together with their families and
number of invited guests. and the occa-
sion was regarded as one of the most sue
cessful celebrations ever held in the his
tory of the organization.
Previous to the exercises at the farm OF
Mr.. Small, the members of the Oldest In
habitants Association attended the public
meeting held this morning under the aus
pices of the District authorities on the
White House grounds. The members OF
the association assembled at their rooms
in the COrcoran building at . o'clock and
proceeded in a body to the White House
lawn, where seats had been reserved for
them near the speakers stand. Mr.. Will
liam W. Birth, reputed to be the Oldest
citizen OF the District and the Oldest mem
Der of the association. occupied a seat on
the platform.
Election of Officers.
Shortly before l o'clock this afternoon
the members Of the association and their
families took the cars at 18th and G streets
for the scene Of the afternoon celebration.
Immediately after arriving on the grounds
the association held short business ses-
sion when the following officers were
elected for the ensuing year:
President, 8. Thomas Brown; vice presi-
DENTS John w. Clark, VIM. Boron. Jacob
Veihmyer, Allison Nailor, jr.. J. D. Cathell.
l.. Moore, Rudolph Eichhorn. Thomas F.
Langley, Albert Grippe, VIM. w. Birth.
Walter c. Johnson; recording secretary.
Benjamin H. Reiss; corresponding secre-
tary, DR.. J. F. Howard: treasurer. Rudolph
Eichhorn.
At the close of the business meeting the
members repaired to the space surrounding
the speakers stand where the exercises
were begun. Mr.. 8. Thomas Brown, presi-
dent of the association. presided over the
program. and after the reading of the Dec
| laration of Independence by Mr.. Benz. l..
Wright Commissioner West was intro
duced.
The rain which came up about the time
the exercises began made it necessary for
the gathering to repair inside the residence
of Mr.. Small, where the program was car
ried out.
Mr.. West was loudly applauded at fire.
quent intervals throughout his address He
spoke as follows:
Commissioner Vests Address.
1.-The event which we celebrate this after
noon must unquestionably be regarded as
| one of the epochs in American history. 1t
Is. therefore. eminently proper that we
should gather to honor the moral courage
and physical bravery Of the men who made
this republic possible; to dwell for mo-
ment upon the stirring scenes which mark
Declaration of Independence. and to review
briefly the wonderful career of the United
States and to look forward with rapid and
hopeful glance to the remarkable future
toward which our country Is progressing.
1T has seemed to me to be especially ap-
propriate this afternoon to ask you to go
back with me to the city OF Philadelphia in
the year 1176 Around a building in that
city, building now plain and unimposing
amid the magnificent structures of the
twentieth century, but at that time hall
Of some pretensions. there gather hallowed
memories. 1t Is the building now known as
Independence Hall, and which. amid all the
changes which the years have brought, has
been most properly allowed to remain prac-
tically unaltered, so that the scenes which
were enacted within it's walls are vividly re-
called amid the same surroundings which
greeted the eyes of the fathers of the re-
public. The room in which the Declaration
OF Independence was signed, with its furnf-
ture and interior decorations. has been es-
pecially the object Of solictous care. In
that room thus for all time consecrated to
the cause Of independence and freedom, on
the morning of Friday, June Z, 1776, Rich
ard H. Lee. delegate from the colony Of
Virginia. introduced in the assembled Con-
gress certain resolutions which had been
passed by the legislature of Virginia, the
first of which was in these words:
{" Resolved, unanimously, that the dele
gates appointed to represent this colony in
the general Congress be instructed to pro-
pose to that respectable body to declare the
ip1apapdapf CT
abSolved from all allegiance to or depend
ence upon the crown or parliament of Great
Britain: and that they give the assent of
this colony to such declaration, and to
whatever measures may be thought proper
and necessary by the Congress for forming
foreign alliances and q confederation of the
colonies. at such time and in the manner
as to them shall seem best; Provided that
the power of forming a government for,
and regulating the internal concerns Of
each colony be left to the respective colo
NAL legislatures
Consideration Postponed.
The consideration Of these resolutions
which were the germ of the immortal decla-
ration, was deferred until the following day
Saturday, and on that day and on the
Monday following they were debated On
the last named day Congress thus re-
solved:
That the consideration of the first reso-
luton be postponed until Monday, the first
that no time shall be lost, in case Congress
agree theto. a committee be appointed to
prepare declaration to the effect of the
said first resolution.
Prudential reasons alone influenced Con-
gress to this postponement. All the colo
MES had not yet completed their arrange
ments or. in the language of Mr. Jefferson,
were mot matured for falling from the
parent stem: and as they were fast adj
vancing to that state it was thought most
prudent to wait awhile" The fact mesl-
toned by Mr.. Jefferson enhances the In
terest of the scenes which followed. Adams
and Lee and Wythe, and others of kindred
temper, were In favor of the immediate
adoption of the first of the Virginia resolu-
tons, while others. equally patriotic and
as determined opponents of oppression, op-
posed that course, declaring. however In
the most direct and manly language, that
they were in favor of the measure, and
acknowledging also the impossibility of a
longer union of the colonies with Great
Britain. but desiring to postpone action
because they did not think the middle col
onies were yet ripe for it. They feared also
that premature action might produce dis
sension and possibly secession Other rea-
sons-reasons Of policy only-were assigned
for this course, and the motion to post
ptne until the LIST OF July prevailed.
"In the meantime, however, the Congress-