The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-06-07

est and most important duties of pub lie life. Deprived of the advantages of a collegiate education, he became, by his own, unaided efforts, mathemati- clan, a successful merchant, and a jur- ist and statesman of the highest order Thus he rose from shoemaking to land- |surveying, to membership in the gen. eral assembly, to mercantile life, to the bench of the superior court of Connec- ticut. Fitted, through his long school ing, for higher things, he represented his state in the Continental congress from it's first session in 1774 to the vic torious days of 17S1; again in the con- stitutional convention of 17S7 where the crowning service of his long career was performed; and again in the house and senate of the United States until the close of his busy and supremely useful life.
 His personal character fitted him for a leader. Calm, imperturbable, unmov- 1 ed by personal considerations, his only thought was of the greatest good to the greatest number. He lived in the times when Connecticut needed no ora tors. and bred none; but every word he uttered in congress and convention was uttered at the right moment, and car- 1 ried more weight than all the flowers Iof oratory.
 It was something that he should have been selected on committee of twenty four of the forty-four members of the first Continental congress to draft the declaration of rights which was adopted in the early days of the session. It is far more that he should have been ap- pointed on a committee of thirteen to draft the articles of confederation which some of the states were so slow in adopting. But his crowning honor in the Continental congress was his ap- pointment on committee of five which drew up the immortal declaration of in- dependence which Connecticut, first of all the thirteen states, instructed her delegate to promote and ratify As Sons of the American Revolution we honor him as one who not only did
 much in declaring our independence,
 but did infinitely more in placing it up- on the solid and sure foundation of lib- erty protected by law.
 The address making Union league custodian of the tablet was made by Judge Morris B. Beardsley of Bridge port. Judge Beardsley's address was very brief, but was very pithy and was received with appluase. The following is taken from Judge Beardsley's ad-
 dress:
 Prominent among the objects of the Connecticut Society s. A. R., and one to which no small part of it's activities
 have been directed, is the marking by appropriate monuments of historic places within this state.
 The obligation to perpetuate the memory of those who achieved our in-
 dependence sits lightly upon the con science of the modern politician and of- | flee holder for to him they are not even
 a memory, and they have no voting po- Itentiality. Patriotic men and women all over the United States are making 1t
 their loving duty, and nobly are we do- ing our share.
 Five tablets stand to our credit, at testing the patriotic zeal and generosi- ty of the society.
 No 1-At Hartford, conmemorating Washington's visit.
 No 2-At New Haven, commemorate ing one part of the defense against the
 British. in 1779.
 No 3-At Lebanon, in the war office. No 4-At New Londarr, in the Nathan
 Hale school house, and
 No. 5-The one unveiled here to-day.
 We have chosen this form of memo rial sor the the jurist, patriot, states
 man. we place it on the site of his home, opposite the university whose treasurer he was, and to whose students
 for all time we commend his virtues; in the heart of the city whose chief of ficer he was at his decease. | And now, President Martin, on behalf of the society which represent, I de- liver to the Union league club the cus- tody of our tablet in the full belief that | its care and preservation will be to you and to those who shall succeed you a labor of love, a proud commission and a cherished privilege.
 Tn behalf of the, Union league, Pres ident Martin in a few well chosen words replied to Judge Beardsley and ac- icepted the custodianship of the tablet. This ended the speaking for the af- ternoon, and the programme came to an lend with the singing of the national anthem.
 As the closing strains of America
 were sung General Greeley in behalf of the club thanked Mrs. Sarah T. Kinney
 and the ladies of the D. A. R., for their presence in such numbers at the exer-
 cises, after which President Martin in- vited all the guests to go up stairs and witness the unveiling of a portrait of
 Roger Sherman, presented to the club
 by Hon. Lynde Harrison. The portrait
 hangs on the wall directly over the
 tablet Judge Harrison standing be- meath the portrait said in part: T little anticipated the pleasure of so large a number. The state of Connecticut and
 the whole nation honor the name of
 sherman. If it had not been for what
 he did we might not have had coun-
 try Judge Harrison then spoke of
 the portrait of sherman painted when