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SOCIETY 
 
 SONS OF THE REVOLUTION 
 
 IN THH DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. 
 
 WASHINGTON ; 
 
 Gibson Bros., PRiNitRs and BooKBiNntKS. 
 1S92. 
 

 Gift 
 
 Mrs. Jtillan Jamec 
 
 1012 
 
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA SOCIETY. 
 
 Sir :, 
 
 The Society of the Sons of the RE\OLuriON pro- 
 poses to celebrate the anniversary of the birth of George 
 VVasliington by a memorial service of vocal and instrumental 
 music, and appropriate addresses by distinguished men, at 
 St John's Church, at four o'clock in the afternoon of Feb- 
 ruar\' 22tl. 
 
 It has been determined to request the members to subscribe 
 $2.00 to defray the expenses of the celebration. 
 
 If the suggestion meets with your approval, please sign 
 anil return the enclosed card. 
 
 By order of the Committee. 
 
 JOHN LEE CARROLL, 
 
 Ckaiimaii. 
 
PenRftjlvarpia iBoeiettj of i§on| 
 ©f ih^e F^evolatioij). 
 
 ' c_ o-i-e-. 
 
 Wi-SM-io-irt, ■^^l.m.^K-i^ ijijJ^dJl^, 
 
 .'U.^i-O-H- t/OO-'L.M^a-'L., 
 
 Of'C.^i-C'^.i-L,. 
 
 ^o^^^^^-vc 
 
 <_i^£.£,. 
 
CIRCULAR LETTER. 
 
 The Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the District of 
 Cohimbia sends greeting to its affiliating Societies and wishes 
 for each and every member long life and prosperity : 
 
 In accordance with the recommendation in the Constitution, 
 this Society reports that during the past year its condition has 
 been most prosfierous. It has doubled its membership and 
 has made a beginning in the fulfilment of what it conceives 
 to be its mission. 
 
 We celebrated the last birthday of Washington by a ban- 
 quet, and last May we carried our friends to Mount Vernon 
 and commemorated the league of friendship and perj)etual 
 union between the Colonies which our forefathers formed at 
 the beginning of the Revolutionary Wai'. We shall soon issue 
 a volume of hitherto unpublished letters of the men of the 
 Revolution, and will thus add new material for the history of 
 Revolutionary times. 
 
 By these and similar efforts this Society thinks that it best 
 subserves its purjDOses. According to its understanding, the 
 Society of the Sons of the Revolution rests upon a broad basis, 
 and has a work of patriotism to perform. This work, it be- 
 lieves, is to be accomplished by measures which tend to rouse 
 patriotic ardor in the breasts of the people. The Society is 
 not to be a benefit to its members alone, but to the American 
 public generally. 
 
 Since the Revolution our country has seen three wars, and 
 the last of these was so stupendous that it has obliterated in 
 some degree the memory of our first war. Moreover, our fer- 
 tile soil has attracted to it many persons of foreign bii'th and 
 traditions. It is ou.r task to counteract this foreign influence 
 by reviving and keejjing before the country traditions that are 
 purely American, and none are so competent to perform this 
 duty as ourselves, the Sons of the Revolution. 
 
It is witli a feeling of regret and pain tliat we are obliged 
 in this, our friendly communication to our brother Societies, to 
 allude to the unhaj)py circumstance that there are other men, 
 Sous of the Revolution like ourselves, who have from ignorance 
 of the previous existence of our Society failed to join us in our 
 movement, and have united with another Society with similar 
 objects, but under a different name and management. This 
 action on their part we do most deeply deplore, and we shall 
 welcome the day when all differences that now exist may be 
 accommodated. Among true Sons of the Revolution there 
 should be no factions, but all should toil in a united body with 
 one purjjose in view. 
 
 The clause in our Constitution which calls for this circular- 
 letter requires that the Societies should inform each other who 
 their officers arc, and this information, together with a list of 
 all the members of this Society, will soon be transmitted to you. 
 
 It also calls for any recommendations which maj' seem 
 projter, and we accordingly suggest that, if the jjlan be feasi- 
 ble, the next Indejjeudence Day, July 4, 1892, be celebrated by 
 a gathering of all our Societies, and by a great national ob- 
 servance at some approisriate spot. In further elaboration of 
 this suggestion, we should be glad to hear from the affiliating 
 Societies. 
 
 And so, Sons of the Revolution, we ask your help and sup- 
 port and kind ad\ice in our noble task, and we pledge ourselves 
 to respond sjieedilj' to all calls you may make on us. 
 
 FRANCIS ASBURY ROE, 
 
 Vice-J-'resideit t. 
 Charles Wokthington, 
 
 Secretary. 
 
ANNUAL REPORT OF THH BOARD OF MANAGFRS 
 
 OK THE 
 
 SOCIETY OF THE SONS OF THE REVOLUTION 
 IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 
 
 FOR THE YEAR iSoi. 
 
 Section X of the By-Laws of the District of Columbia So- 
 ciety, Sons of the Revolution, imposes upon the Board of Man- 
 agers the duty of sulimitting a report of theii' proceedings 
 during the year then closing at the regular annual meetings of 
 the Society. This section also prescribes that " the Board 
 shall recommend plans to the Society for promoting its inir- 
 poses." 
 
 During the past year of 1891 the membeiship of this Society 
 has been increased by the admission of 48 new members. 
 There has been one transfer to another Society and one to our 
 own. There is at this date a total of 108 members on the rolls 
 of the Society, some of whom are non-residents, extending over 
 the country as far as California. It is with jileasure, therefore, 
 that the Board of Managers can congratulate the Society of 
 the District of Columbia upon its healthy and steady growth. 
 There is in this showing abundant evidence that our Society 
 here is becoming widely known throughout the country, and 
 this, too, without recourse to any of the methods of attaining 
 notoriety so frequently adopted by other organizations. 
 
 During the jiast summer the Board decided to apjjoint a 
 committee, composed of Commodore James A. Greer, Captain 
 Daniel Morgan Taylor, and Lewis Johnson Davis, Esq., to draw 
 up and promulgate a circular for general distribution, stating 
 again the history of the origin of the Society in New York in 
 the year 1883, and giving date of that of the Society of the 
 Sons of the American Revolution, thus establishing the priority 
 and precedence of our Society. This action on the part of the 
 
6 
 
 Board of Maiuiffers became iicccHsary owing to the numerous 
 circulars and newspaper notices with which the country was 
 flooded, wliich, whether intentionallj' or not, were calculated to 
 mislead public ojiinion to the detriment of the Society of the 
 Sons of the Revolution. 
 
 The attitude of our Society in presence of that of the " Sons 
 of the .J mericnn Revolution " has been one of uniform courtesy 
 and dignified reserve. We have in no manner sought to create 
 a feeling of antagonism or rivalry ; but we have preserved a 
 course of firm reliance upon our right of precedence, the integ- 
 rity of our membership, and the patriotic aims our Society has 
 in view. 
 
 At a meeting of the Board of Managers, early in the spring, 
 a resolution was passed giving authority to the Registrar and 
 Historian, Mr. Gaillard Hunt, to compile a book of letters and 
 papers of George Washington and" the men of the Revolution, 
 and to have the same edited and published. This work has 
 been thoroughly accomj^lished, and the book is now in press. 
 The thanks of the Society are due to Mr. Hunt for his careful 
 editing, and the immense amount of manual labor he has vol- 
 untarily given to it. Such a book could not have been com- 
 piled without the exercise of much skill, and the expenditure 
 of time and labor. In this connection it is worthy of remark, 
 and a matter of great surprise, how many original letters and 
 papers written by men of Revolutionary times are to be found 
 dispersed all o\'er our country, in private hands and amongst 
 family papers, which heretofore have never come to light. To 
 get all, or as many as may be had, of such jsaisers printed is to 
 preserve a national treasure. It is not expected that this book 
 will add to our revenue: but the pendant arrangement made 
 by Mr. Hunt secures the Society from the burden of any ex- 
 pense. So far as your Board of Managers know, there has 
 been no such work accomplished by any of the Societies now 
 known to us. We regard it as a noble and truly patriotic 
 work, worth}- of all commendation, and if our example should 
 stimulate oui' affiliating Societies to carry forward the same 
 plan, it is believed that no historical Society of our country 
 could have accomplished so much. The prestige of our style 
 and title attracts towards us the faith and confidence of the 
 
peoijle, aucl they will freely lend to us any papers they may 
 possess. 
 
 To suggest recommendations for the action of the Society 
 is one of the duties laid l)y the By-Laws ui^on the Board of 
 Managers. It is thought that there should be some weU-defined 
 policy adopted in the matter of the administration of our 
 revenue and exj^enses. To this end it is suggested the Board 
 of Managers make it their aim to devote as large a part as 
 possible of their surplus receipts to the formation of a sinking 
 fund. 
 
 Moreover, it has been proposed very wisely to increase the 
 annual dues of members to $5.00 each, instead of $3.00 as now- 
 fixed by the Constitution and By-Laws : and this proj)osition 
 jvistly ajipeals to you for prompt action. The Treasurer will 
 report the present condition of the treasury, and it is believed 
 it should be bettered. The financial condition of the Society is a 
 matter at all times to be guarded. Although we maj' have many 
 advantages over some of our wealthy Eastern Societies of New 
 York and Pennsylvania, we cannot afford the lavish display of 
 our more wealthy neighbors. Established, as we are, under the 
 dome of the Federal Capitol and under the shadow of the Pres- 
 idential and Executive Departments of the Government, this 
 Society cannot fail to attract to itself the attention and inter- 
 est which no other can. 
 
 The Board of Managers having met with some embarrassment 
 in procuring a room in which to meet for its business transac- 
 tions, Mr. Lewis Johnson Davis very courteously tendered the 
 use of a room for that purpose in Messrs. Lewis Johnson & 
 Co.'s banking-house. For this courtesy the Board desire to 
 express their sincere and grateful acknowledgments. The time 
 is not yet come, nor is the Society wealthy enough, to rent a 
 room by the year for the Society's meetings. As there is but 
 one meeting a year, it would seem to be not quite discreet at 
 this time to rent a room. 
 
 This Society has now been m existence two years, and yet, 
 notw^ithstanding repeated references to the General Secretary 
 at New York on the subject, no action has been taken to issue 
 diplomas or certificates of membership. It is believed that 
 some prompt action should be taken in this matter, aud delay 
 
no longer tolei-ated. The families of our deceased members 
 can not fail to feel keenly the absence of such certificates. If 
 membership in the Society of the Sons of the Revolution is of 
 the value we hold it to be, )iot only for ourselves but for our 
 descendants, we should have the title deed, and not dei^end 
 upon simple declarations. 
 
 In conclusion, the Board of Managers again congratulate 
 the Society of the District of Columbia upon its ha^jpj' prom- 
 ise for the future. We believe that every member of the 
 " Sons of the Revolution "' may justly be proud of his member- 
 ship in so honorable and glorious a Society ; nor is it a vain 
 pretension or an idle 2)ride to recognize that we are the lineal 
 descendants of the associates of Washington — of the heroes of 
 the Revolution — and of the noble statesmen who have given to 
 our country the heritage of the Constitution of our federal 
 form of government, an instrument characterized by Mr. Glad- 
 stone "as the loftiest and noblest monument of constructive 
 wisdom ever erected by the hand of man." 
 
 FRANCIS ASBURY ROE, 
 
 Vice President. 
 Charles Worthington, 
 
 Secretary. 
 
 To the Society of the Sons of the Revolution in the J>i.'<trict 
 of Columbia : 
 
 In accordance with the requirements of the By-Laws of the 
 District of Columbia Society, Sons of the Revolution, I have 
 the honor to make the following report, as Historian of the So- 
 ciety : 
 
 It is with deep regret that I have to announce the death, on 
 the 13th of October, of Colonel Charles Grymes McCawley, 
 Commandant of the United States Marine Corps. The Board 
 of Managers adopted resolutions of sympathy, which accom 
 pany this report, and directed the preparation of a biographi- 
 cal sketch of Colonel McCawley. The latter task was kindly 
 undertaken by Captain S. iM. CuUom, of the United States Ma- 
 rine Corps, a member of the Pennsylvania Society, Sons of the 
 Revolution. 
 
On March 21, the Board of Managers instructed me to " col 
 lect, edit, and arrange for the publication of such letters and 
 manuscripts as might be of vahie " in illustration of lievolu- 
 tionary men and events which were in the custody of mem- 
 bers of the Society. The collection has proved satisfactory 
 and is now in the hands of the Brooklyn Historical Club. 
 They accepted the manuscript upon the following terms : All 
 cost of in'inting and sending out the circulars announcing the 
 book to be borne by the publishers, excejjt the circulars going 
 to the members of the Society, the cost of which must be j)aid 
 by the editor ; all receipts from the sale of the book to be 
 kept by the publishers until the cost of printing is covered ; 
 after that, half to go to the editor, half to the publishers. 
 
 Under the terms of the resolution of the Board, I was for- 
 bidden to incur any expense for the Society other than was 
 necessary to put the action of the Board before the members 
 of the Society. How much the circular which accomplished 
 this cost the Treasurer's books will show. All subsequent 
 expense, which has thus far not been excessive, I have defraj'ed. 
 When the work is finally comjileted I shall ask reimbursement 
 for my exjienditures if the sale of the book warrants it. It is 
 now in press and will ajjpear in a few months. 
 
 The By-Laws require the historian to keep accounts of such 
 celebrations as have been held by the Society during the year. 
 These have been two : the banquet on the 26th February in 
 commemoration of the birth of George Washington, and the 
 excursion of May 20th to Mt. Vernon in commemoration of 
 the agreement to the Act of Confederation and jjerjietual 
 union between the Colonies. I have the honor to submit, as a 
 part of this report, a full account of the latter celebration. 
 
 I would ask of the Society authority to have printed the 
 biographical sketch of Colonel McCawley and the account of 
 the celebration of May 20th. 
 
 I would also ask for instructions relative to the financial 
 arrangement of the publication of the book under the resolu- 
 tions of March 21st. 
 
 Respectfully submitted. 
 
 GAILLAED HUNT, 
 • Historian. 
 
 Washington, November 30, 1801. 
 
EXCURSION TO MOUNT VERNON. 
 
 May 22. i8c)i. 
 
 May 22 was the date selected by the Society on which to 
 commemorate the agreement by the Colonies in 1775 to an act 
 of confederation aud jierjietual union. However imperfect a 
 form of government this act developed into after the Revolu- 
 tion, it must, nevertheless, be deemed of very great importance, 
 since it was the onlycivU act which bound the Colonies together 
 during the struggle for inde2)eudence, aud it is believed that 
 the celebration by this Society is the lirst ever held in com- 
 memoration of it. 
 
 The Board of Managers selected as a committee to ai'range 
 for the excursion the following gentlemen : 
 
 John Lee Caeeoll (Chairman). 
 
 Brig. Gen. Wm. Be.\tty Rochester, U. S. A. 
 
 Chief-Justice Chaeles Adams Richardson. 
 
 Lieut. Richard Graham Davenport, U. S. N. 
 
 Rev. George William Douglas, D. D. 
 
 Alexander Brown Legare. 
 
 Gaillard Hunt. 
 
 The steamer W. W. Vorooran was chartered for the occa- 
 sion, and about 200 guests were carried to Mount Veiuon by 
 the Society. The Reception Committee in charge of their en- 
 tertainment were : 
 
 William Sdter Yeatman. 
 
 Alexander Brown Legare. 
 
 John Sidney Webb. 
 
 Cajjtain Daniel Morgan Taylor, U. S. A. 
 
 The honored guests of the day were the Minister of France, 
 M. Roustan, and the members of his Legation. As they stepped 
 aboard the boat the Marine Band played the " Marseillaise,'^ 
 and during the whole celebration every attention was shown 
 the repiesentatives of the nation which had come to our as- 
 sistance in our hour of need. 
 
 When the landing at Mount Vernou had been efTected, the 
 members and their guests tuarched slowly to the tomb of Wash- 
 
11 
 
 ingtou, the President of the Society, with the French Minis- 
 ter, at the liead. All stood with uncovered heads about the 
 tomb, and after the band had played " My Country, 'tis of 
 Thee," Dr. Douglas, as Chajjlain of the Society, delivered the 
 following 
 
 Prayers. 
 
 O God, who art the author of jieace and lover of concord, in 
 knowledge of whom standeth oiu- eternal life, whose service is 
 perfect freedom, defend us Thy humble servants in all assaults 
 of our enemies, that we, sui'ely trusting in Thy defence, may 
 not fear the power of any adversary, through the might of 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 O Lord, our Heavenly Father, the high and mighty Ruler 
 of the universe, who dost from Thy throne behold all the 
 dwellers upon earth, most heartily we beseech Thee with Thy 
 favor to behold and bless Thy servant the President of the 
 United States, and all others in authority, and so replenish 
 them with the grace of the Holy Spirit that they may al- 
 ways incline to Thy will, and walk in Thy way. Endue them 
 plenteously with heavenly gifts ; grant them in health and 
 prosperity long to live ; and finally, after this life, to attain 
 everlasting joy and felicity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 Ameu. 
 
 O God, by whom the whole world is governed and preserved, 
 we give Thee hearty thanks for the privilege of commemora- 
 ting to-day, on this sacred sjjot, the first confederation of the 
 United States of America, whose union has been since cemented 
 by baptism of blood and fire, and is to-day so glorious. O 
 Thou, who turnest the hearts of the children to the fathers, 
 and hast declared that the righteous shall be had in everlast- 
 ing remembrance, we thank Thee for the inspiration which 
 called into existence the Society of the Sons of the Revolution, 
 and the blessing which has hitherto attended it. And we 
 pray Thee to continue to aid our Society in this and succeed- 
 ing generations in the pious work of perpetuating the memory 
 of the sacrifices and sufl'erings and valor of our fathers, 
 through which our priceless heiitage was won. 
 
12 
 
 And fiiiuUy, wbcu we also shall have served Thee in our gen- 
 eration, may we be gathered unto our fathers, having the tes- 
 timony of a good conscience, in favor with Thee, our God, and 
 in perfect charity with the world. All which we ask through 
 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
 
 Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed Vie Thy name. 
 Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in 
 heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us 
 our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. 
 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil : for 
 Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, forever 
 and ever. Amen. 
 
 The God of Peace, who brought again from the dead our 
 Lord Jesus Christ, the Great She^jherd of the Sheep, through 
 the blood of the everlasting covenant, make us perfect in everj' 
 good work to do His will, working in us that which is well 
 pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to Tyhom 
 be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 
 
 It hajspened very fortunately that the ladies of the Mount 
 Vernon Regents' Association were in session while the Sons of 
 the Revolution were doing homage at Washington's tomb, and 
 they very courteously accorded the Society and their guests a 
 reception, and afterwards participated in the ceremonies which 
 took place. 
 
 On the porch of the mansion were seated the President of 
 the Society, Mr. Carroll, M. Roustan, the ChajjlaiB, and Mr. 
 Justice Brewer, of the U. S. Supreme Court, who had kindly 
 consented to say a few words to the members and their guests, 
 and also the ladies of the Mount Vernon Association. The 
 members and their guests were grouped about the turf on the 
 lawn. At about four o'clock in the afternoon, President Car- 
 roll stepped to the edge of the j^ortico and spoke as follows : 
 
 President Carroll's Address. 
 
 I think that I may safely say that it has been given to few 
 among us to amass a large personal fortune, and then from the 
 giddy height of prosperity, comfort, and abundance to look 
 
13 
 
 back upon the dreary years when destitution stared us in the 
 face, and the cold charity of the world turned its back upon 
 us and left us in a condition of hopelessness and desjiair. And 
 yet if as individuals we have not experienced this sensation, 
 may we not to-day, as citizens of this great republic, confess 
 that we are not entirely sti'augers to such a feeling as I have 
 attemjDted to describe. 
 
 Surely, my friends, no words of mine can exaggerate the ut- 
 ter destitution and helplessness of these thirteen Colonies, 
 when, 116 years ago, they met and bound themselves to stand 
 by each other in the fearful struggle upon which they were 
 about to enter. With a sparse and scattered population, with 
 no government of their own, but living from year to year at 
 the dictation of a tyrannical and arbitrary king ; hemmed in on 
 every frontier by savage and relentless foes ; \vithout trade ; 
 dependent on the outside world for everything that makes up 
 the daily necessities of man, they stood without a friend or 
 helping hand on earth, except the great and gallant nation 
 whose distinguished representatives have honored this occa- 
 sion with theii' presence, and there they stood to do battle 
 against a power to which, for purposes of conquest and subju- 
 gation, even Rome in the height of her glory was not to be 
 compared. 
 
 It will not be within my pur^jose to lay before you the pro- 
 gress of that unequal contest, or to show the glories of that 
 Union whose birth we commemorate to-day. But this I may 
 say in all sincerity, that, looking back over the years which 
 link the helpless Colonies of 1775 with the j^i'osperous Union 
 of 1891, we will not fail to find abundant cause of gratitude to 
 Him who holds the fate of kingdoms and of kings in the hol- 
 low of His hands. 
 
 Sons of the Revolution, and gentlemen, our honored guests, 
 the purpose of this meeting, the object of this Society, is to 
 keep alive in the breast of the American people the memory of 
 those heroic men who braved every danger that their posterity 
 might enjoy for all time the blessings of civil and religious 
 hberty ; and here ujjon this hallowed ground, so dear to the 
 hearts of our countrymen, let us always bear in mind that the 
 lasting hapipiness of a nation does not consist alone in the pos- 
 
14 
 
 session oi miiteiiiil thiuys, ;iu aljund;iiK-e of liiuil. an aljimdauce 
 of money, but rather, in the words of a great statesman who 
 lived 100 years ago, iu good laws, in faithful public servants, 
 in virtuous j^eople, in wise and moderate counsels, and in 
 manly power. 
 
 Mr. Carroll then presented INIr. Justice Brewer. 
 
 Mu. Justice Brewer's Rem.\rks. 
 
 Jlr. Presidoit, Ladies of the Mt. Vernon yissociation, Sons 
 of the Revolution : 
 
 It is fitting that that event which was for these United States 
 the beginning of things be commemorated. It is fitting that 
 such commemoration should be by the sons of those whose 
 toils and struggles made possible that which we now enjoy ; 
 and it is fitting, also, that such commemoration be had at the 
 home of him who was the great leader in those days, and in 
 the presence of those honored ladies who have rescued from 
 private hands, for an enduring heritage of the Nation, the 
 home of Washington. It is pleasant, also, to have with us on 
 this aimiversary the representati%e of that great nation which 
 sent to the young and feeble United States that illustrious 
 man whom we are proud to honor as — not by ties of lilood but 
 in the higher kinship of the soul— the brother of Washington, 
 the Marquis De La Fayette. 
 
 We boast, and rightfully, of these United States, with its sixty 
 million of ha]5py citizens ; of that banner which floats peace- 
 fully and triumijhantly over forty-four States — a banner which 
 is honored and respected the wide world roimd, and loved by 
 every aspiring son of humanity ; the banner which has been 
 borne with pomp and splendor into every quarter of the globe. 
 
 In that far North, where ceaseless cold 
 Has built its alabastar hold : 
 And where the sun disdains to show 
 Its brightness on unbroken snow. 
 Where icj' pillars tower to heaven. 
 Pale sentinels to nature given, 
 To watch the only spot she can 
 Withhold from grasping hand of man ; 
 There Kane unfurled this banner bright, 
 llespleudeut with auroral light. 
 
15 
 
 We boast of our wonderful material develojjment, the like 
 of wliicb the world has never seen. Of our one hundred and 
 sixty thousand miles of raOroad, bringing ocean near to ocean, 
 and binding State to State with bands of iron and "hooks of 
 steel." Of the telegrajih system, going everywhere, bearing 
 Atlantic's morning greeting to the Western Ocean, and receiv- 
 ing back its fraternal response ere the end of a single heart- 
 beat. Of the telephone system, by which we talk from home 
 to home, and from city to city. Of the press, whose eager feet 
 hurry to every nook and corner of the globe, and spread before 
 our morning eyes the story of the day's doings of the world. 
 Of a banking system, extending into every city and town, and 
 furnishing abundance of money to everybody, excejjt the far- 
 mers and the judges. We boast, also, of a civilization, sweeter, 
 truer, and more tender than any yet seen, the flower of all the 
 ages, with an education so wide-spread that knowledge of read- 
 ing and writing is almost as universal as air and sunlight. Of 
 public schools in every city, town, and hamlet, beneath whose 
 roof echoes and re-echoes the intellectual cry of the dying 
 Goethe, "mehrlicht," more light. Of churches on every hill 
 tojj, whose heavenward pointing spires are incarnate projjhe- 
 ■ sies of a coming millennial. Of a spirit of charity and benevo- 
 lence, which reaches out the strong and eager hand of sympathy 
 and helj) to all the son-owing and afflicted ones of humanity. 
 
 We boast of all these things, and rightfully too : and while 
 boasting, it is fitting that we should commemorate the events 
 and do honor to the men through which and by whom we are 
 enabled to enjoy these precious blessings. It is fitting for 
 gratitude's sake. One of the immortal heritages of self-deny- 
 ing deeds is gratitude ; and neither individual nor nation is 
 worthy which withholds from any rightful heir this due inherit- 
 ance. We pass through the National Cemeteries and behold 
 the long rows of silent marbles : yet, though silent, they voice 
 to us the glad assurance that the nation has willed that they 
 who died for Union and Liberty shall pass into the future as 
 among the remembered dead. Who is so dvdl or unpatriotic 
 as not to be touched by the fitness and pathos of these memo- 
 rial tributes '! In like manner, these commemorations of revo- 
 lutionary events are the nation's tribute to the noble and self- 
 
16 
 
 (lenj'iug nieu of tliose days, and for gratitude's sake it is fitting 
 that they be oft observed. 
 
 It is fitting, also, for the sake of instruction. In tbifs world 
 nothing happens — it is caused. Our glory and civilization are 
 not an accident. On the banks of the Congo man has lived 
 and toiled for fifty centuries, and today he walks from the 
 cradle to the grave the same barbarian that he was in the 
 morning of time. Not three centuries have passed since 
 Jamestown and Plymouth Rock were occupied ; and to-day, 
 behold what we are and what we enjoy. Yet all this is not 
 mere chance. We are in the foremost files of time because we 
 are the heirs of all the ages ; and that which is, is that which 
 has been wrought out of that which has been. So as we study 
 the men and the events of an hundred years ago, we learn the 
 causes which have made that which is to-day : and knowing 
 those causes, we are enabled to continue them at work, and 
 thus bring it about that both our nation and our civilization 
 shall grow. 
 
 It is fitting, also, for inspiration's sake. In these eager and 
 busy days we need to be lifted up at times above the mere toil 
 of accumulation, and realize that we are builders for the f utui-e. 
 Seeing what has been done by those before us, we feel the in- 
 spiration of a higher purpose — a purpose in all our lives to do 
 well our part, that we may put into the walls of the great 
 temple of humanity some polished stones of grace and beauty, 
 and thus leave, when we die, to those who come after us, a 
 nobler civilization and a grander hope. 
 
 For these reasons, my friends, it is fitting that we are here 
 to-day in this presence to commemorate the anniversary of the 
 first organic act of union between the various members of the 
 United States. We stand in the shadow of sacred and iusijii-- 
 ing memories. Let us go from this mansion with a stronger 
 jjurijose to do well our work m life, fiUed and inspu'ed more 
 than ever with the spirit of him who was " first in wai', first in 
 peace, and first in the heai-ts of his countrymen." 
 
 After brief and api)VO])riate remarks from Dr. Douglas the 
 assemblage returned to the boat and made a pleasant journey 
 homeward. 
 
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