Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-07-04
TAFT LAUDS VETERAN
Pays Tribute to Grand Army
at Stephenson dwelling.
OLD SOLDIERS CHEER HIM
Col. Nevius, Commander-in-Chief,
Presents Monument.
MRS. VAN CAsTEEL UNVEILS IT
Parade of Civil War Survivors. Ma
tiona1 Guard and Regulars Re-
viewed by President.
MRS. VAN CAsTEEL UNVEILS IT

President Taft paid tribu to the
Grand Army of the Republic in his adj
dress yesterday afternoon IT the I'M
yelling of the memorial To Dr. benjamin
Franklin Stephenson. founder of the
G.. \. r.. erected at the intersection Of
7th stree and Louisiana avenue.
The executive was given an enthusi-
civil war as he received the memorial
from Col. MENUS, commander-n-chief
of the G. A. r.. in the name Of the gov
eminent Of the United States.
Boys. the President Of the United
States talks like a comrade. Get up on
your feet, all % YOU Now. three cheers
for the President of the United Statcs.'
shouted Senator William Warner. past
commander-in-chief CT the Grand Army,
who presided at the NEE Ing. as Presi
dent Taft completed his address.
AS if in obedience to a military COM
mand, every veteran present arose and
at signal from Senator Warner gave
three lusty cheers.
Senator Warner Presides.
The exercises were opened promptly
at 80 o'clock rs Charles 4. Partridge,
chairman of the memorial committee,
commanded "a tention," and brought to
order the assemblage Of veterans and
their friends from numerous patriotic
societies. He introduced Senator War
ner. who acted az presiding Off eer-
Paying tribute To DR.. Stephenson and
to the Grand Army in general. Senator
Warner presen ed Rev. DR. John Fetch
er Spence, chaplain-in-chief of the G.
\. r. DR.. Spence delivered he nvoca-
ton, in which he thanked God for the
life and work Of DR. Benjamin Frank
lin Stephenson. whose monument we
this day unveil and dedicate in the
spirit OF true comradeship and loyalty"
Gen. Louis Wagner, treasurer of the
Stephens n G.. A r. Memorial Associa-
ton, was the next speaker. He told of
the work of the committee in securing
funds fer the erection of the STR cture
and referred particularly to what had
been done to aid the project by y. esident
Taft, who while Secretary of War acted
as chairman of the commission appointed
to take up the question of the memorial.
Gen. Wagner declared that as the work
progressed it was thou ht advisable to
enlarge its scope and make the memorial
not merely q memorial to the founder, but
to the Grand Army itself. 1t the end Of
his address he presented the memorial to
Col. Henry NJ. NeviuS, the commander in
chief OF the G.. A. r.
Col. Nevius Presents Monument.
Introducing Col. Nevius, Senator War
ner requested that the greatest order be
preserved, as the colonel had arisen from
a sick bed 10 attend the unwilling cere-
monies and his voice was weak The
commander-in-ch bestowed high praise
upon the work done by the Grand Army
OF the Republic.
The three figures in bronze" he said,
upon the sides OF tins monument rep,
resenting cardinal principles of the Grand
Army of the Republic, are the principles
upon which DR.. Stephenson founded this
great order" He referred to the motto
Fraternity. Charity and Loyalty.
The monument was unvei ed by Mrs
Grace Ross Van Casteel AS the flags
were drawn aloft Mrs. Anna Grant Flu
gift, accompanied by the United Sta'es
Marine Band, sang THE Star Spangled
Banner"
of the monument by Miss NJ. Genevieve
Spencer, Mrs Hester h. Tritpoe, Miss
Emma + Haywood and Miss Marie Glen
daniel. representing the Daughters of
Veterans.
President Taft's Speech.
AS President Taft was introduced by
Senator Warner he was greeted with
cheers The President said:
I'VE are met to dedicate a memorial to
= Union soldier who served lour years as
a surgeon in the civil war and who also
builded an institution by which there
should be united in the bonds Of fellow
ship all the sweet association. all me
deep lesson of loyalty and all the pride
of patriotism that such a civil war as
that could arouse in millions Of hearts
When men at the formative period of
life--from eighteen 10 tWeHty-tWO-are as
sociated iii any work, whether il be in
college in society. in church or other
wise the.- carry with them afterWard the
fondest memories and aSSocia tons for
each other because they have passed
through a common mold But how much
greater must be the sweet association
and the bond Of union between men who
for four years. passed through tile dan
gers Of the civil war; those who survived
thinking of the tender memories of those
who gave up their lives for their coun-
try; those surviving carrying with them
the sweet association, the stories Of
COURAGE and tales full Of Lumor and Of
pdthos.
Il can conceive 10 bond Of union
stronger than that which unites the men
who fought from 1851 u isG, III the
Grand army And il was u the credit
OF the founder of the Grand Army OF the
Republic that he the solid oasis
upon which such structure as that
great society could be erected.
You Will recollect that there were
prophets of evil with respect 10 the fate
Of the United States after the war should
cease after the end should b. accom-
plished for which the north was fight
ing. II was said that the aggregation OF
a million men in arms threatened our
free institutions
Fears Not Verified
They recalled that the Prctorian Guard
Of Rome was an Instrument IL furtheyinc
the ambition of those Who woalI SIM
press free institutions and vino were to
assume despotic power Rut All those
prophecies faded into nothin4nrsS
The men who composed that million
were men in favor OF free institutions
who had fought for them and did nor in
tend 10 sacrifice them IL anything else
There was no man with the ambition Ia
use that army as an Instrument even