Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-03
GIFT Of GRAND ARMY
MADE To THE NATION
Imposing Memorial to Founder
of Veteran Organization
Is Unveiled.
ACCEPTED BY PRESIDENT
IN NAME OF PEOPLE
Patriotic and Veteran Societies Par
ticipate in Impressive Ceremonies.
REGULARS AND MILITIA MARCr.
Reviewed by Immense Crowd on
Stand at 7th Street and Louisiana
Avenue-Programo of Music and
Patriotic Addresses

On behalf of the nation President Taft
received this afternoon from the COM
of the Grand Army OF
the Republic the massive memorial erect-
ed to the founder OF that organization,
Dr. Benjamin Franklin Stephenson.
Amid Impressive ceremonies including
addresses by the President. the COM
of the G. A. r. and
United States senator who is past com
and military parade
by regular and militia troops the
memorial was unveiled at the intersection
OF 1th street and Louisiana avenue by
Mrs. Grace Ross Van Casteel.
The exercises opened IN the presence OF
a great throng with the playing of "Is63''
by the United States Marine Band.
Charles A. Partridge chairman of the
memorial committee. called the large as
sembly TO order and presented Senator
William Warner past commander-in-
chief of the G. A. r.. who acted as pre-
siding officer. After the invocation. pro-
nounced by Rev. DR.. John Fletcher
Spence. chaplain-n-c of the Grand
Army, the memorial was presented TO the
commandment in-chief of the c. A. r. by
Gen. Louis Wagner. the treasurer Of the
memorial committee
Chaplain Spence's Prayer.
Chaplain-in-chief John F. Spence prayed
as follows:
20 Thou divine and blessed Father,
Ihou infinite God. whose loving kindness
IS over all Thy works. we put our trust
In Thee. We recognize Thy presence
and Thy goodness ever with the chill
dren of men. We thank Thee. o God.
for the companionship and the comrade-
ship. with all the tender inspiring and
thrilling memories that gather about US
as we enter upon the duties of this hour
We thank Thee for the life and work Of
the Jehovah called. appointed and di-
rected martyred President Lincoln We
thank Thee especially for that one stroke
OF his pen which burst the bonds of more
than four millions of blacks, and caused
universal freedom to reign triumphant
on the battered throne of slavery So
that no matter where a man is born ar
the color or his skin where his liberties
were cloven down to the moment his
loot touches Columbia's SOIL his soul
walks abroad in its liberty
Divine Father, we pray Thy blessing
upon our chief executive. We THANK
Inee for his presence with us. MAY the
spirit Divine direct him In the supreme
leadership of our nation. Nav The words
which he shall speak to US this day he
soiden and fall upon our hearts as drops
or honey from the Great Rock
we thank thee. . God. for the Grand
Army of the Republic and for what il
has accomplished for the nation and for
the world. We thank Thee for the life
and work of its founder. DR.. BENJAMIN
Franklin Stephenson. whose monument
We this day unveil and dedicate in the
spirit OF true comradeship and loyalty
our God and our fathers God bless
the Grand Army of the Republic. the
Woman S Relief Corps and all loyal or
sanizations whose generous hearts and
open hands made this dedica ton possible.
We thank Thee for reunited country,
Tor the one flag, under whose folds Fed
erals and eN-Confederates may harmo-
niously march TO the conquest of the
world for freedom and for God.
% God, wilt Thou quicken our physi-
cal vision 50 that we may discern and
read the wireless messages of our great
unseen comrades who may be near us OH
serving this patriotic event.
Dear Father in Heaven, we pray that
this blood-baptiZed nation may remain as
now-foreyer solidly one; and be all pow
erful in the federation of the whole hu-
man family. whose immortal and sacred
WatchWords shall be, in their deepest
and divinest meaning. fraternity. charity
and loyalty. Amen"
Gen. Wagner's Address.
As chairman of the Stephenson G. A.
X. memorial committee, Gen. Louis WaR-
ner. past commander-in-chief of the o.
A. r., spoke of the work of the COM
mittee in securing funds for the erection
OF the statue and of that done by those
who had helped to make the memorial
possibility. In particular he referred to
what had been done by President Taft
VINO Whlle Secretary Of War was chair
man OF the commission appointed to take
up the question of the memorial
"A a n
OF Wnich our comrades may feel proud
ana Wnich VIII be recognized BY future
generations as emblematic of a grand
army which made the United States or
America possibility. The work original
~ contemplated a memorial to DR. Ste
phenson but as 1t progressed and as
contributions Increased in amount il was
anousht ADVISABLE to enlarge the scope
ana 70 make II not merely memorial to
the founder OF the Grand Army of the
Republic, but OF the Grand Army ITSELF
Commander Nevius' Address.
Col. Henry NJ. Nevius, the commander
in-chief received the memorial. and on
behalf of the Grand Army presented il to
the nation in the person of its chief
executive.
Bestowing high praise upon the work
done by the Grand Army of the Republic
during the civil war Commander-in-clIief
Nevius expressed the hope that the monu-
ment would ever stand as an enduring
to the son and sons of the
worthy sires whose monument stands at
Bunker HILL
He spoke of the organizat ton in 1866, by
DR.. Stephenson, of the G. A. r., the
first post being formed at Decatur. Ill.
Pointing to the statue before him. Com
mander Nevius said:
The three figures in bronze upon the
sides of this monument. representing car
dlnal principles of the Grand Army of the
Republic. the principles upon which
DR.. Stephenson founded this great or
ganization.
From time immemoriad monuments
have been erected, in one form or another.
of men and women who.
by energy, industry and perseverance u