Evening star., 1924-02-28
EDAMER|CAN
RELICS ENSHR|NED
Constitution and Declaration
Put in Sanctuary While
President Watches.

In reverent silence. while President
Coolidge and high dignitaries Of the
government looked on, six sheets of
original parchment, bearing the Dec
laration of Independence and the
were enshrined II, a permanent sane
tuary on the second floor of the Con-
gressional Library this afternoon.
Two huge American flags veiled
the case in which the documents upon
which the republic is founded were
reposed. when President Coolidge, &C
tended by delegation from the
House and Senate, as well as by Sec
retary of State Hughes, entered.
Motion picture cameras lined up in
battery formation, clicked off a rec
ord Of the unveiling for the public.
ans of the service, drew back the
flags and displayed the shrine await
Ing its sacred documents.
Placed in Shrine.
Herbert Putnam, librarian, walked
TO the front. Charles Moore, head of
the manuscript division of the Lii
brary of Congress, handed him a
large sheet of parchment on which
the Declaration of Independence was
written in 1775. He placed it in the
upright section OF the marble cabi-
net
Then followed the presentation in
q similar manner of the five sheets of
parchment containing the original
constitution of the United States. One
by one Mr.. Putnam placed the sheets
IN the selflike sloping section
which juts off at an angle to the
front of the upright.
Mr.. Putnam walked back, attend
ants closed the case and the chorus
of employees of the library ensconsed
on the small staircase beneath the
mosaic reproduction Of Minerva on
the second floor started the chorus
America"
President Views Documents.
When the song had come to an
impressive close, President Coolidge
was escorted within the marble rail-
ing inclosing the shrin by Mr.. Put
nam for a close view of the docu-
ments. In line, according to prece-
dents, followed the Speaker of the
House. the Secretary of State and
members of the House of Repre-
sentatives and the Senate, specially
appointed to represent the legisla-
tive branch at this simple ceremonial
approximately 500 sightseers and
hunGr eds of employees of the library
were on the ground staircase and on
the balcony to view the exercises.
There was no speaking and an Inn
pressive silence was the outstanding
characteristic of the institution of a
permanent shrine for the two most i'm
portant documents of the American
public.
Gives Effect Of Altar.
The shrine gives the effect of a
small, exquisite altar. The back
ground is of grayish black York fos-
sill marble, quarried near Plattsburg
n. Y, and it bears at the top in gold
letters the legend: Declaration of
Independence and Constitution of the
United States of America"
Beneath this lettering is an up
right frame. 1t has bronze doors.
Inside this frame is the same Decla-
ration of Independence on which pa
triots subscribed their names on July
4, 17T5. The document will usually
be exposed to view, with the doors
open.
SIOping Exhibition Case.
Under the upright case a sloping
exhibition case has been built. 1t
gives the appearance of an old CO.
lonial secretary. In this case, which
would be the writing space of
desk, the five sheets of the original
Constitution of the United States
will be exhibited.
In front of the desk is small
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