Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-11-22
WILSON LAY IN STATE.
Honored in Building Where He
Siqned the Declaration.
THRONGS PASS HIS BIER
Will Be Buried Beside His Wife's Re-
mains
IN OLD CHRIST CHURCH YARD
Attorney General Moody One of the
Speakers at the Memorial Exer-
cises in Philadelphia.
THRONGS PASS HIS BIER
IN OLD CHRIST CHURCH YARD

historic building where 100 years ago.
he signed the great document that gave life
to a new nation the body of James w.
son which was removed from North Car
DINA to this city for interment in the
burial ground of Christ Church, lay in state
for several hours today, while a steady
stream of people filed past the bier and
paid a final tribute prior to laying the re-
mains in the tomb where rest those of
his wife, The body of the great patriot
arrived here shortly before IL o'clock on
board the United States gunboat Dubuqu,,
which conveyed the remains from Nor
folk. 1t was to have arrived yesterday,
but. owing to a dense fog, the gunboat
delayed in it's journey up the Della
ware bay and river.
After the body had been transferred to
hearse it was escorted to Independence
Hall. which was draped IN mourning " Nth
out ceremony the box which contained the
coffin carried by Seamen of the Du-
buque into the Declaration room, where 1t
was placed on large catafalque. On one
side of the room stood the dais upon
which John Hancock, President of the Con-
tinental Congress, and gorge Washing
ton, president of the constitutional con-
vention had sat.
1t took only a few minutes to arrange
the room and place the flowers about the
coffin and then the doors were thrown open
to the public.
This afternoon the remains of the great
jurist were conveyed to the historic
burial grounds of Christ Church. in which
Washington, Benjamin Franklin Wilson
himself and other notables of revolutionary
times were wont to worship.
Notable Gathering.
In the presence of a distinguished COM
pany, which included member of Presi-
dent Roosevelt's cabinet. Justices Fuller,
Day. Holmes and White of the United
States Supreme Court, the gov -rnor of
Pennsylvania and other citizens, the body
of James Wilson. one of the great figures
in the American revolution, which lay in
North Carolina grave for los years, was
today placed by the side of that of his
wife in the burial ground of historic Christ
Church. The ceremonies attending the re-
interment were simple but impressive and
were conducted according to the rites of
the Protestant Episcopal Church.
The body of the great patriot was dis
Inferred from its grave at Edenton, n. c.,
Tuesday and was conveyed to this city on
the gunboat Dubuque, which arrived here
today before noon. Prior to the services at
Christ Church the remains lay in state in
the declaration room in Independence Hall,
where thousands of persons filed past the
bier. The body was escorted from indie
pendence Hall to Christ Church by troop
OF Philadelphia cavalry and several justices
of the United States Supreme Court, of
which tribunal Wilson was one of the first
members, acted as honorary pallbearers |
On the way to the church the procession
passed the grave of Benjamin Franklin,
where 1t halted and stood in silence for a
moment
Services in Church.
The exercises at the church were con-
Quoted by the Ri. Rev Alexander Mackay-
Smith, bishop coadjutor of the diocese of
Pennsylvania, assisted by the Rev r.
Heber Barnes. rector of Christ Church Fol
lowing the services for the dead, tributes
to the patriot We're delivered by Samuel
Dickson. chancellor of the law association
of Philadelphia, for the bar of Pennsyl-
vania; Coy. Pennypacker for the people
of Pennsylvania: Dean William Draper
Lewis, for the University of Pennsylvania:
Judge Alton B. Parker, for the American
bar; Andrew Carnegie. as lord rector of
st. Andrews University. for Scotch-Amer-
leans. Wilson having been native of Scot
land; DR.. S. Weir Mitchell, for American
literature; Justice White, for the Supreme
Court of the United States; Attorney Cen
eral Moody for the President the tribute
OF the American people. and Attorney Gen
eral Hampton L. Carson of Pennsylvania,
who delivered the Grafton.
Following the addresses the committal
services took place in the churchyard,
which were followed by the unwilling of a
tablet to the memory of Wilson and his
wife.
Mr.. Moody's Tribute.
Attorney General Moody was the prin-
cipal speaker at the memorial service. In
the course of his remarks he said:
I'VE are joining today in an act of long
delayed justice. The occasion Is full of
interest for every lover of liberty. for
every believer in strong and efficient gov
eminent, capable of furnishing protection
to the rights of Its citizens entrusted to
its care of compelling obedience to its law
DEGREES M itS
to the other nations of the earth-of in
terest because We are concentrating the
HE of a man who, as much as any other,
has made Ii possible for to live in Sc
curity under suc4I a government.
When read for the first time Madison's
report of the debates in the convention
which framed our Constitution, l made my
real acquaintance with James Wilson. 1
learned that this had exercised an
Influence In the convention which equaled
IL 1t did not surpass. that of any other
man. Ii is one of the mysteries of his
tory that his fame has not kept pace with
his service. BY his speeches and writings
he prepared the way for the independence
which, as signer, he helped to declare
AS a member of the congress under the
confederation. he struggled as best he
could. with the weak and inefficient govern
ment set up by that instrument
Believer in Democracy.
Recognizing that the ultimate sover-
eighty rested with the people of the United
states, ne ueSired government whose
powers should proceed directly from them
and operate directly upon them. He real
lied the inestimable value of the preserva-
ton of the state and it's powers. but re-
garded the state and the nation, alike. as
the creation Of the people and subject TO
the peoples will. He would have had the
President elected by the majority of the
people; he would lave had the members OF
both legislative bodies elected by the peo-
pie divided into equal constituencies. He
was believer in democracy and in nation
alSm-the first man. / believe. in all our
hAtory who united the two beliefs. He was
not troubled with the apprehensons which
haunted the men of his time. they have
haunted the minds of some men from that
day to this. that liberty and property would
be insecure under strong government con-
troled by the people. He had faith in their
intelligence and sense of justice. He under
stood clearly That government Is not mere
ly matter of well-devised constitutions
and well-expressed laws, but that In the
end good government Is possible to peo-
pie only when they themselves wish. de-
mand and by their virtues, deserve 1t.
with the keen vision of a seer he dis
cerned that the structure of the govern
ment was destined for the ages for vast