T H E LUT H E R STAT U E AT TH E N ATIO N A L A P ITA L C . H — V — R E ISTO RY UN EILING A DD ESS S. ED IT ED BY e’ ow e ov g J . Gr . I > U T L E R § . ' - P a to r L u h r - s t e P la ce fifem o r za l Ch m dz . R ES F O R D R I E E E E E E E E R B E P E E E E E E EE EE E E E E E E E C ONTENTS . DI C I O N DE AT . UT H ER A N D T H TAT E E L S U . T H E FEA ST O F U N V EI L l NG . P M O P R OE EV . DR . M . SH E E LEIG H . IST OR Y O F T H TAT E E H S U . A D D SS O F H O RE N . E N ATOR CO ER S NG . DD SS O F R EV O RE . D RR R . M I A S . TAT U E NV E E I L D S U . P OE M O P OE L W ART J ' S , D . D . D ED I CATED TO T H E F RI EN DS O F CO NSTI T UTI ONA L L I B E RT Y D OF M R C I N T H E UNI T E STAT ES A E I A , T H E R EP U B L I C \VH OSE V ITA L P R I N CI P L E W' M \VAS ASSE RT ED BY M ART I N L UT H E R AT O R S . H E H I '' S TE E 'Cf'. iafia fimm n . In co rp o ra t ed by Co ng res s D D LL D . G. J M O R R I S , , , P res iden t . G . A . D O B LE R , R eco rdi n g S e c r et ary C S . HA R LE A SC H I E RE N , r eas u rer T . B TLER G. U J , Co rr es p o n di n g S ec re ta ry . K ' AUGUSTUS OU NT E , G RY NEA L EO R GE , fi g M F O ' . DA N I E L . uth er an dth e tatu e S S . B H Y T E EDIT OR . The u nvei l i ng of a statue of Marti n Luther , the first i n the ’ ‘ e o Unit d States , and i n the Nati n s Capital , marks an epoch i n the h istory of Protestantism . It i s fitti ng that this ‘ first statue o f the Reformer Shou l d stand among the mon u ments that beauti fy the Capital o f o u r Republ i c , a republ ic whi ch , u nder God; b ut for Luther , had not Lu been . M i chelet , the Catholi c histori an of France , cal ls ther the resto rer of l iberty i n modern ti mes , the l iberator of ' “ modern thou ght . O u r own Webster says the asserti on and maintenance o f rel i gi ou s l iberty have thei r sou rce i n the Re o f fo rmati on Luther , and thi s l ove of rel igi o us l iberty b rin gs ' with i t an ardent devoti on to the pri nci ples of c ivi l l iberty . The fou ndati ons of o u r Republ ic l ie back of the Declaration O f I ndependence , even beyond Plymouth Rock and the May o f flower ; they were lai d by the grani te , Alpi ne man faith f and O c ou rage at Erfu rt an d Wittenberg an d Worms . When Col u mbu s di scovered this Western wo rld and dedi cated it to 1 8 Ch rist , Luther was a boy at Ei sleben . H e was born i n 4 3 . The fou r h u ndredth an niversary of h is bi rth sti rre d al l Ch ris t en do m ' n as i t has never been sti rred by the b i rth of a y man . Sin c e l Pau l n o man l ike hi m has l i ved . AN LUTH ER D THE STATUE . ’ h w Lut er stands i n the orl d s heart for free thought , free men , w r free Govern ment , hose Magna Cha ta i s the Bi ble . Thi s o w n l iberated h i s conscience from al l enslavement , and was f w eve r the focal po w e r of hi s l i fe and o hi s o rk . The Reforma w w as ti on , i n hi ch th i s emancipated monk the central figu re , \ o f w as both radical and conservati ve . Vith al l the energy h is ’ honest , earnest so u l he h u rled H eaven s engi nery agai nst the f usu rpati ons o a corrupt h ierarchy . H i s u lti mate appeal ever s r h w a to the \Vo do fGod . Wit equal earnestness he contended for the freedom of eve ry i ndi vi d ual , for the ri ght of private j udgment , yo u r God given and i nal ienable i n heritance and ‘ “ o w n re mi ne . O u r honored Banc roft says , tru ly , Luther pelled the use o f vi olence i n rel i gion ; he protested agai nst w w propagati ng reform by persec u tion , and , ith a ise modera o f o f ti on , he mai ntai ned the s ubl i me doctri ne freedom con science . ’ The ch u rch beari n g Luther s name and ci rcl i ng the w orl d w o f i th his faith , preach i ng the g ospel i n most the languages o f Of Ch ristendom , an d n u mberi ng fifty mi l li ons people i n i ts w S comm u ni on , has al ays been marked by i ts c riptu ral conser is m w w h i l r v at . I f there be fou nd ith i n i ts fol d those o are n to e o r ant an d excl usive , there i s noth i n g i n the l i fe spi ri t of th e w Reformer to arrant any such i ntol erance . The spi ri t of sect w i s h ol ly i n con flict with the gospel ; In essentials un ity , i n ' - w as n o t n on essenti al s l iberty , i n al l th i ngs chari ty . I t h i s w h o w fri en ds , but h i s enem i es , , i n deri si on , cal l ed h i s fol l o ers w Lu therans . H e ou ld be known onl y as a defender o f th e gospel , hen ce th e h istori c nam e , Evan gel i cal Lutheran Ch u rc h . w o fo u r w The conservi n g po er gro i ng Republ i c , representi n g w w so many an d d iverse nati onal i ti es , i s th i s same B ible ith hi ch th e Reformer fou ght the battl es of the si xteenth centu ry . Great \'Ve peri l s e nvi ron us . are yo un g among the nati ons , the h istory LUTH ER AN D TH E STATUE . u r o fw hose ri se and fal l su ggests both ou r dan ger an d o d uty . - The agitating an d unsolve d probl ems of to day , the problems t o u r hat center i n i mmense i mmi grati on , i n Soci al i sm , i n M o r i i n w w mon sm , the l i quor po er , i n o u r rapi dly gro i ng wealth , a n d o f o i n the u n rest lab r , can fin d thei r sol u ti on al one i n th e wel l defined pri nci pl es Of truth and pu rity and j usti ce an d equ i ty o fthe Word of God . J eh ovah i s the supreme law giver h and final arb iter . Th rough M oses and the Ch ri st have we t e u n derlyi ng pri nciples and framework of al l abi di ng govern “ o o u ment . As ye wou l d that me n shou l d do t y do ye even o f s o to them , is th e germ pri n ciple , the seed corn eternal “ ri ght between man and man .