Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1824-01-22

murta, remains, have, at orr request, and bv |
her consent, become the property Of the puh-
lie yet thy still lie rejected. Indeed, |
have been crpdlbiy informed, that IN attempt
has hren made Ia steal them away from his
country, which had aimos; proved success
Dove, Mr.. Speaker, cousldrrita matter al
necessity, in all other respects, L. preserve the
public faith in,inlate and shall we prove
fathless only in what concerns the mem"ry
of Washington? The danger of the precedent,
the argument So often repeated ia Ills House,
against the adoption Of measures. will. IN This
case, he unavailing. Srbe long list nj ages,
which preceded the birth of Washington, had
ne, er presented human character STA p ri-ct
and there is but bare possibility, that future
Senrraii"ns will prOdnc. his equal
| Mr.. Il. hoped the resolution would pass
unanimously.
| Mr.. CARY, of Georgia, arose, and said, that,
before the question WAS taken on the rrsoiu-
ton. he would ask leave to occupy thu. aIten-
tim of the House fur Il few mn,nfnts, while
he gave eXprcssion Ia what he believed were
| the ust sentiments and feelings uf an Am"rican
! ON the suhl-c; il contemplated. The resolution
directs committee of;hs House To report, by
bill, or otherwise, On the propriety of erecting
| monument, or maus0leum, To the memory
of Washington. He had listened with atten-
| ton In the Ingenious and unimpassiuned ad
dress of The mover of the resolution, In which
he had endeavored to prove that it was duty
orjusticr, and of gratitude, in this nation, In
give such an expression nf what il feels itself
Ia owe Ia the memory OF lis iustfious bene-
factor but he disscntrd from that honorable
| gentleman, In the opinion he had expressed,
and II was the purpose OF his present address, To
indicate 10 that gentleman, and Ia the House,
the dissent he had now expressed in doing
this he would empty his mind of the srnti-
mems he held on tins subject, The gentle
| man had very truly said, that il had long been
the practice of nations To express their ,enera-
lion for the memory of ilustrious men. by
erecting splendid monuments over their ashes
But, he would ask, in what spirit, and at Ina,
period, did that practice originate i; was
before the lights of reason had penetrated The
darkness of society, and the depostes of his
tory had taught mankind the true mode of
COMMUNICATING and eterniZng the deeds of
| nstrious men: il had had It's beginning i'm
successful conquest when some military chief
tain first plunged his sword in;o nations
bosom, and then lavshed lis wealth in monu-
ments 10 perpetuaie his name il was "A prin-
| ciple of vanity which had given existence ia
| the practice. We were, 10 be sure, and had
long been, in the habit of going for prccedenls
Ia Greece and Rome, and that classic en-
thuslasm which anlmates every scholar, that
consrcrated reverence which he must ever fee,
for the labOrs and achievements ofdeparted
genius, deludes our judgment, and would
persuade 10 bring the associations de
| rived from the venerable remains of an
Gent sculpture, To times of wholly differ
ent character, and IA country in wholly differ
rnt circumstances. Tie Government of this
Union was entirely and widely different from
those of the old world; it had different
origin; il was ph9nix- like government,
which sprung from the ashes of all the cor
| ruptions of those which had preceded il; and
| as the Government itself WAS new among
men, those who had achieved lis establishment
should be COMMUNICATED in new style We
need, Mr. Speaker, (said Mr.. C.) no monu.
ments To tell us that Washington has lived ::
he has monument, he will continue to have
one, in the heart of every American such
monument as none before him ever had and
lei it be our peculiar pride TO enshrine him
there alone. Yes, sir, we will keep Wash
DgtOn's monument in our bosoms We will
commit ii To no pershable stoDe-his name
shall have purer, 4 more enduring memorial
| Sir, my heart beats ardenlly and fires IA
| high as that of any Of my counIrymen on this
subject but | would erect no tomb. sup
pose we build one, and determine its place TO
be here in this CapiOl-w il be seen by the
nation ? No, 1t will only be visible to the
| favored few who are drawn to this spot by
of pleasure, or attend il on concerns of private
business. But w Washing to has monument al
ready, far greater than you can build Ibis
memorial is every where from Maine to-
| Louisiana from the ocean To the mountains
and Wherever, in their widely spreading emf
sra,ions the people Of this cSnfederacy shall
direct their steps, Washington travels with
them, and they will continue to bear on his
living monument till they have fixed it OH the
farihest shores of our continent.
! Mr.. BucHANAH observed in reply, that
when ne brought forward the resolution he
had the honor Ia present to The House, he did
not suppose that any gentleman would feel il
to be his duty to oppose lis adoption. He
differed wholly from the hon. gentleman from
Georgia. That gentleman maintained that it
was not proper for a republic, by munnmen-
tai marble, To excite its citizens 10 NirtuOus
deeus by publicly honorins the memory of
those VINO had been the benefactors of their
country. he, on the contrary, thought that
| in the case of republics there was in the prac-
tice IA peculiar aud special pr0priety. Such
monuments had, IN all ages and countries, ex-
erted powerful effect in melting men to pat
| TIOtic virtue our government rests, lis very
foundations are laid, on that virtue and II
therefore seemed in peculiar manner adapt
ed to the circumstances OF Ibis republic. It
was, too, practice which had been already
sanctioned Ivy the example of some Of the
most respectable states IN the u MON. But il
was now too late Ia talk about the policy of
the measure. Is not, asked Mr.. y. the faith of
the nation pledged ? Has not the measure
been publicly resolved upon by both Houses
of Congress? Has il not received the sanction
OF the President Of the United States? Is the
country Ia promise to-day, and violate lis pro-
mise fO-mOrrOW The faith of the GOysrn-