Thursday, July 06, 2006

"give me liberty or give me death"

"The bosom of America is open to receive not only the Opulent and respectable Stranger, but the oppressed and persecuted of all Nations And Religions; whom we shall wellcome to a participation of all our rights and previleges, if by decency and propriety of conduct they appear to merit the enjoyment. "
george washington, 1783




the deed of gift of the statue of liberty
july 4, 1884

The Fourth of July, 1884, Anniversary Day of American Independence.

In presence of M. Jules Ferry, Minister of Foreign Affairs of France, and President of the Council of Ministers.

Count Ferdinand de Lesseps, in the name of the Committee of the Franco-American Union, and of the national manifestation of which that Committee has been the organ, has presented the colossal statue of "Liberty Enlightening the World," the work of the sculptor Bartholdi, to His Excellency, Mr. Morton, United States Minister at Paris, praying him to be the interpreter of the national sentiment of which this work is the expression.

Mr. Morton, in the name of his compatriots, thanks the Franco-American Union for this testimony of sympathy from the French people; he declares that, in virtue of the powers conferred upon him by the President of the United States, and the Committee of Work in America, represented by its honorable president, Mr. William M. Evarts, he accepts the statue, and that it shall be erected in conformity with the vote of Congress of the 22nd of February, 1877; in the harbor of New York, as a souvenir of the unalterable friendship of the two nations.

In faith of which there have signed:

In the name of France:
Jules Ferry—Jules Brisson.

In name of the Committee of the Franco-American Union:
Ferdinand de Lesseps—Edmond de Lafayette.

In name of the United States:
Levi P. Morton.




the new colossus
emma lazarus

Not like the brazen giant of Greek fame,
With conquering limbs astride from land to land;
Here at our sea-washed, sunset gates shall stand
A mighty woman with a torch, whose flame
Is the imprisoned lightning, and her name
Mother of Exiles. From her beacon-hand
Glows world-wide welcome; her mild eyes command
The air-bridged harbor that twin cities frame.
"Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!" cries she
With silent lips. "Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!"


7 comments:

dawn said...

I see weve been historically busy. Very interesting. I have to admit I've seen the statue from afar often. Last year we took a dinner cruise that circled the statue and it is quite beautiful

billie said...

i want to say that i think that she is re-opened. i think that i read it somewhere.

DivaJood said...

How many of us had family that came through Ellis Island, and were processed there? Both sides of my family did - my mother's parents and my father's parents. My father's family name was changed at Ellis Island, from something difficult Americans to say to something rather British. Odd, for a Jewish family.

Oh, wait. I have an idea. Let's build a fence along the border with Mexico to keep the riff-raff out.

Peacechick Mary said...

Your post brings us back to what we are all about, what this nation really stands for and reminds us we once had a heart. It's still beating, but getting fainter. Thanks.

Anonymous said...

'the new colossus'. How beautiful...

May I borrow it for me ship?

BTW, thank'e for your support o' this cap'n. xoxoxo

billie said...

absolutely cap'n- it's free like liberty! aargh!

Anonymous said...

Ye bust me breeches, Me Inigo. (I'll got change 'em now...

Thank'e for Lady Liberty!