American Monthly Magazine

VOL. XXXII. WASHINGTON, D. C., MAY, 1908. No. 5.

ADDRESS OF WELCOME OF THE PRESIDENT GENERAL, MRS. DONALD MCLEAN, TO THE SEVEN

TEENTH CONTINENTAL CONGRESS

Members of the Continental Congress, welcome. Welcome not only for yourselves sitting here, the largest delegation yet accredited to a Daughters of the American Revolution Congress, but welcome to those whom you represent, sixty thousand great American women, most of whom are still living and doing their work in the flesh; but believe me those who have gone before are also with us here to-day; thus I welcome you, in the name of the corporeal and the spiritual body of the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution. And welcome to the Sons of the American Revolution, our progenitors in patriotism, welcome with all our hearts. Welcome to the advisory committee of the Continental Hall, and to you Madam always (speaking to Mrs. Walworth) and to our distinguished guests who are with us this morning, proving by the presence of the great illustrious public that the Daughters of the American Revolution are known to it and I hope and believe beloved by it. It is a strange and most happy coincidence that twice within the three years that I have been your President General I have been able to welcome you on Easter Monday morning. It is a rare fact that the calendar of the seasons and the church calendar should within three years bring twice this coincidence, but by some great guidance we are here this morning when all nature and all the world sings the resurrection song. J say to you Alleluia! "The strife is o'er, the battle done. The victory of life is won." Welcome then to you all in the name of the highest and the widest life. (Applause)

Now let us counsel together for a moment and see what has been done by the "Daughters" throughout the past year. To your President General it has been the most arduous year of her Daughters of the American Revolution work and that is saying much. As I look back to the beginning of this society when a few hundred of us gathered together-even before we assembled in the old church-when a few hundred of us gath. ered together in the drawing room of Mrs. Cabell, wonderful, incredible is the growth. Only the vital love of the Republic makes it possible, and to think that we should be here now representing countless thousands, for as such you represent the great membership all over the country. We have accomplished in the past year, not only the continued work upon this great memorial hall, not only the magnificent work of patriotic education, not only the continued marking of historic spotsone of the most virile arms of the work of this organization— but we have left a memorial, a lasting permanent memorial down in dear old Virginia. (Applause.)

The nations of the world were gathered together there at Jamestown to celebrate the landing of the English speaking nations. 1607 was the beginning of our national life. In 1907 the Daughters of the American Revolution, broad in their sympathies, joined in the work (though this always remained the chief work-Continental Hall) and built there a memorial house and gave it into the hands of the association for the preservation of Virginia antiquities, which remains a beautiful memorial dear to every Daughter of the American Revolution. While we were not born in the Colonial period, we, as I said in Virginia, stretch back one arm to that Colonial period, the American period, and stretch forward the other arm to the great harbinger of the marvelous future, which will make this nation the greatest the world has ever known. All this work has not been accomplished easily; buildings do not grow like "Jack's beanstalk." All the work that has gone on has meant the countless energy of thousands of Daughters in every part of the country. I am grateful from my heart for every particle of help and support which have been invaluable, and the members helping me have been legion, in order that I may present to you the completed work of this year. All our na

tional officers have succeeded well in their respective offices. Our chapters, to whom my heart is ever faithful, have made it possible by their ballots and contributions that this Society should exist and support this great organization. There have been unanimity of sentiment and an enthusiasm of feeling for which I have no words to express my gratitude. (Applause.) For that work in Virginia (and I must here bear tribute to the beauty of that great gathering-other stories to the contrary, and we have all heard things about the Jamestown Exposition) in real truth it was a jewel. It glowed not only at night with its thousands of iridescent lights, but in the day with its historical associations. (Applause.) I believe I speak aright when I say that never in the nation's history has there been such an historical exhibit as the one to be seen in that historical building. I was about to say that it was a member of this society-it was the husband of a member of this society (and that is glory enough for any man!) the Lieutenant Governor of Virginia-who did so much to make that historical building the magnificent success that it was. The Colonial States all loaned most generously and most lavishly of their priceless treasures. They were good to trust them to us, but they were safely cared for and returned to them. And I am now about to make an unusual announcement-and this comes from the committee that had this in charge-Mrs. Benjamin Purcell, chairman, that not one of the thousands of relics sent to us was injured, lost or hurt in any way. (Applause.) They have been returned to their owners in perfect condition after having taught an invaluable lesson. The society received a medal of approbation from the judges and commissioners of the great States there gathered. To the President of the Jamestown Exposition and to the Governor of Virginia I desire to bear this public testimonial of gratitude for the courtesy, the consideration and the hospitality shown by them to the Daughters of the American Revolution when they were gathered there for their great day, October 11, 1907. To those present with us here this morning and to the Virginia Daughters we are lovingly grateful for that hospitality which the world knows so widely and which showed no di

minished ardor, but it was at its flood tide when the Daughters gathered in your great old State. (Applause.)

I regard the most important step to be taken by this Continental Congress, which after this morning will resolve itself into a business meeting, I regard the most important policy to be undertaken by this Congress the project I intend to bring later before you for action, but I mention it this morning because of my desire that every member shall feel a personal interest in the completion of this great memorial hall. While never ceasing from the earnest appreciation of the smallest contribution which may be made to us for that purpose, I shall bring forward later the project of bonding this great property. We have very nearly $300,000 worth of property in and upon which we now stand and we have in the bank over $50,000 to appropriate to the purpose of building. There seems no reason that under business management we should not proceed in the usual manner of building enterprises and bond and complete our hall, and let us see in our generation whereof we have builded.

And now, as I look around, I feel almost as St. Paul did on that long evening when he was speaking to one of his churches. "And most I grieve that I shall see your face no more." I do not say that entirely, because we have one more year whilst I am your President General, and we have other Congresses. But I mean that I shall not stand before you again as I stand this morning, as just your own President General. Next year 1 will be your outgoing President General, and I shall stand here with my arms open to welcome your incoming President General (applause) to strive to ease where I can the hard places. But this Congress I am yours and you are mine alone. Let me beg of you that because of that thought and because of the prayer of our chaplain general, and because of your higher nature which would fill your spirit with peace, that this Congress may be notable for its love and concord. (Applause.) I have done all that it is possible for me to do for the society during the past year and during my whole administration, and I know that all those associated with me have done just as much. I ask you to let this be one outgoing, out