Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1906-03-23
MARYLAND DAY OBSERVANCE
INTERESTING EXERCISES AT
THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
Coed Program Well Carried Out By
The Pupils Object of The
Celebration-State
History.
ADDRESS MADE BY RIDGELY
P. MELVIN, ESQ.

As Mary land Day, March 70, Tails
on Sunday this year, il was observed
/ today in tho public schools through.
out the State with fitting ceremonies.
| The day is the anniversary of the
/ landing of the Maryland Pilgrims.
when the two little vesseis-the Ark
and Dove. after a voyage that had
| lasted over many months. and which
had included many hardships. landed
with their cargo of first Marylanders
az St. Clements Isle
The anniversary for many years had
been unnotiCed excepting for the OBJ.
servation accorded il by members 'cf
certain patriotic societies, but in the
past few wears the importance of such
an event has been emphasized, and in
February, 1908, the follow ing resolu-
tion was passed by the State Board of
Education
Resolved. by the State Board of
Education that the 25th day of March
in each year be devoted in all the
public schools to the effective preSen.
tation of some particular event in the
history OF the State; that it is rec
commended that the Association cf
School Commissi oners and Examiners
and the State Teachers Association
join in reques ting the General Assem-
bly to appoint March 25 as Maryland
Day. and TO provide for its appro-
pirate annual celebration.
The idea was also adopted in the
city schools, and each year there has
been some observation of the day.
The debarkation from the Ark and
Dove was made at St Clements Isle,
which Father White. priest and
historian says consisted of about 400
acres. This Island has been washed
awav since then. At the time Cover.
nor Calvert decided. that while it was
too small for a settlement, il would
be wise TO build a fort there. The
description of the landing. gained
mainly from the records left by Faith.
er White, is that of very solemn
event. 4 solemn mass was celebrated,
aud Governor Calvert and his little
band of pioneers set mp large c 'oss
heNn n from a tree. The Litany of
the Holy Cross was also read.
From the first settlement of Mary
land ~ the Calverts, men most wise
for their generation, the spirit of lib.
erty prevailed in the colony The first
assembly was held In 1643 30, and the
right of each man to his individual
religious beliefs was always fully
protected. The records show that the
law was rigid in Furnishing those who
tried to interfere with this right.
An idea Of how the Mary land shore
appealed TO the voyaRers may be
cleaned from an extract from the
diary of Father White, who thus
speaks Of his first view Never have
] beheId larger or more beautiful
river The Thames seems mere
ri~ulet in comparison with it. Fine
groves of trees appear, not choked
with bushes and underground, but
growing at intervals, as if planted by
hand, so that you might easily drive
a four horse carriage through the midst
of the trees
The exercises today at the public
school. Prof. W. S. Grouse, principal,
the program, of which was published
Yesterday, were attended by the trus-
tees. parents and friends of the school.
~rhe program was well carried out,
each particinant entering into the
spirit of the occasion. The feature
of the exercises was an address by
Ridgely p Melvin, Esq.
Mr.. Melvin spoke on the theme of
MaTyland's IS influence in founding q
national commonwealth with a spe.
oial reference TO the settlement of the
Northwest territory. He told of the
effect Of Mary land s~opposition to the
land claims aud how she and her sister
states refused to accede to those
claims, and how Maryland insisted
that the claims should be turned into
the general government and she re-
fused TO ratify the articl $ of confed-
Grafton until this was done Mr..
Melvin's address was full Of histori-
cal interest and portrayed graphically
the part Mary land took in the early
history of the State and nation
The speech was entertaining aud in
structi,e and was we'll received.
Space preoludes its publication.