Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 38.djvu/58

46 A motion was then offered by Mrs. J. Enders Robinson, delegate from the Confederate Memorial Literary Society, of Richmond,

"I move that, in order that the true and accurate history of the construction of the Washington Aqueduct, familiarly known as 'Cabin John Bridge,' may be preserved to posterity, and in order that justice may be done the memory of Jefferson Davis, who, as Secretary of War, under the administration of Franklin Pierce, President of the United States, supervised the construction of this most inspiring and wonderful structure,

"Be it resolved, That we, the Confederated Southern Memorial Association, in convention assembled, in the City of Richmond, Va, on this, the first day of June, 1907, do request the United States Government to have the name of Jefferson Davis restored to the place on "Cabin John Bridge, from which it was removed during the war."

The motion was seconded by Mrs. Robert Emory Parke, of Georgia. It was then open for discussion. One lady thought that Jefferson Davis and his cause were more conspicuous by the absence of his name, because it showed the petty spite of those who had ordered it cut off. The majority, however, were in favor of making an effort to have the name restored.

Among the honored guests were Mrs. J. Addison Hayes, the only surviving daughter of Jefferson Davis. After numerous and repeated requests from the members that she express her opinion upon the question, she very modestly and with great feeling said: "My father considered the erasure of his name a great indignity, and felt that it was done with a view of eliminating from history the part he had taken in the construction of the bridge; that he had been deeply interested in the piece of engineering and had given it his closest attention. It was his wish, and also the wish of my dear mother, that the name should be restored in justice to his memory."

Convention called to order.

The President asked Mrs. Chieves, the Vice-President of