Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1828-07-11

may 1t beco:ne Safeguard OF their Liberty an
Independence, and bond Of perpetual Union.
To the ardent wishes OF his vasl assembly. u
mite my ierVent prayer TO that infinite and awful
Being with whose favor all human power is but
vanity, that lie will crown your labor with His
blessing, aud our work with immortality.
As soon as he had ended, the President OF the
United Ststes, 10 whom Gen. Mercer had
presented the spade, stepped toward. and with an
animation OF inanner snd countenancc, which
showed ti,at his whole heart was in the thing
thus addressed the assembly of his fellow ci,i-
zens:
Friends and Fellow Citizens: 1t is nearly full
century since Bcrkey, Bishop of Cloyne, turn
ing towards this fair land which we now inhabit
the eyes oil prophet, closed few lines Of poeti-
cal inspiration with this memorable predictions:
"fine's noblest Empire is the las.:''
y prediction which, to those OF us whose LOT has
been cast by Diviue Providence in these regions,
contains not only a precious promise, but solemn
injunction OF duty, since upon our energies, and
upon those oil our posterity, its ulh!mcnt will de-
pend, with reference TO what principle could 1t be,
that Berkeley proclaimed this the last, to be the
mobiles. Empire OF Tme' II WAS Us he himself de-
cares Oh the anspsntat,on OF Learning and the
.4its TO America. OF learning and the arts. The
!our first acts--the Empires of the oil world and
OF former ageS--ihe AssyEian, the Persian, the
Grecian, the Roman Einpires-were Empires OF
conquest; dopinions of over man The Elm
pre- which his grea; mind, piercing into the dark
ness oil tu,urity, iorctolt IN America, the En-
pre- oil Learning and the Arts--,l,e dominion OF
! man over himself, and over physical nature-ac-
CURED by the inspirations of genius and the tolls
OF industry; no, watefei with the tears of the
widow and.thc orphan; not cemented in the blood
| oibuinan victims; founded not in discard but in
harmony-oi which the only spoils are the imper-
iections OF nature, and the victory achieved is the
Improvement Of the condition OF all. Veil may this
be termed nobicr than the empire of conquest, in
| which man subdues only his fellow man.
10 the accomplishment of thi. prophecy the
ttau .t.l...
| OF sell! government by the People Of the British
| North American Colonies, achieved by the Decia-
| ration oil Independence, and its acknowledge
fnent by the British Nation. The second was the
union OF all these colonies under one General Con-
! federated governments task more arduous than
| THAT OF the preceding separation, but at last ef-
iected by the present Constitution of the United
| States.
| The third step, arducus still than either or
ooul The others, was that which we, fellow citi-
| zens, may now congratulate ourselves our coun-
tFy, and the world OF man, that il is taken Ii is
.he adaptation oil the powers, physical, moral, and
intellectual, OF this whole Union, to the improve
ment OF its own condition. OF its moral and polit-
cal condition, by wise and liberal institutions-by
the cultivation OF the understanding and the heart;
! by academies, schools, aud learned institues-t,y
the pursuit & patronage OF learning and the arts of
It's physical condition, by associated labor TO i'm
prove the bounties, and TO supply the deficiencies
OF nature; to stem the its course; to level
The mountain with the plain; to disarin and fetter
the raging surge OF the ocean. Undertakings of
which me language now hold is no exaggerated
description, have become happily familiar, no, on
iy TO the conceptons but to the enterprise of our
| countrymen. That, for tie commencement of
which we are here assembled, is eminent among
! Inc number. The project contemplates Il CONQUEST
| over physical nature, such az has never yet been
achieved by man. The wonders of the ancient
| world, the Pyramids of Egypt, the Colossus of
Rhodes, the Temple OF Ephesus the Mausoleum
Of Artensia, the Wall Of China, sink into insight
hcance before it--insiguiiicance in the mass s. mo-
mentum VI human labor, required for the execu-
uon-insisniiicance on The comparison of the p,ir-
! poses 10 be accomplished by the work when exc
cuted tits, therefore, pleasing contemplation to
| nose sdnsuine aud patriotic spirits who have so
long looked with hope TO the completion OF this I'M
deFtaknE, mat IL unes the moral power aud re-
sources-first, OF numerous ndiyiduals-secOndIy
o! tue Corporate cities OF Washington Georgetown
| and Aiexandria-thirtly, oil the great and power.
iui States o! Psnusyivalia, Virginia, and Mary
| iand-and lastly, by the subscription authorized
al the recent session OF Congress, vi Inc whole Un
| len
| Friends aud Fellow-iaboures We are infor-
| med by the Holy Oraclcs OF Truth, that. at
| no creation OF man, male aI!i female, the Lord
ci me Universe, then maker blessed them and said
unto them, DC fruitful, ana multiply, and rep,en
isn the Faith, and SitJdue ii. o subdue the
Earth was, therefore. Onc OF the first duties a..
signed 10 man ut his creation; and nov, in his
iaen condition, il reinaI.ls among the most ex-
| celicnt OF his occupations To su!iue the earth
Is pie-emnenily the pi.rposc OF the undertaking.
10 ;heacconphshment OF which the fist stroke. oil
The spade ID BOW 10 be struck. That il is 10 be.
struck by this hand, il:v,e you 10 witness
Here the stroke OF the spade and in Ne, form.
ing this act, call upon you all to Join me in fer
vent suppiicatioa 10 Him from whom that print
i've injunction came, that he would follow viii,
bis blessing this joint effort OF our graf comInu,
w 10 perform his will i'll the suhjusation OF the
Earth Tor Tie Improvement OF the condition of man
That lac would make it one of his ctusan iustr,,
nentS Tor the preservation. prosperity and pcrpe-
tuity oil ourU nion. hat Ing would have liz hi, holy
keeping all the work:nen by whose labors il IS to
DC completed. That their lives and their health
may be precious IN his sight; and that they NAV
live TO see the WORK OF their hands contribute IN
'he comforts and enjoyments OF millions oil their
cCHtryncn.
Friends aud Brethren Permit the further 10
say mat deem the duiy, now performed az the
request OF te President and Directors OF the Ches
! dPc'se and ONO Canal Company. and OF the Cor
pofdtoiIs CT tbs District Of Columbia une of the
most fortunate incidents of my lie Thoueh moi
among the functions OF fuy official station 1 es
TEEN IL as privilege conferred upon me Inv ,n,,
eiioW-ciirens oil The District. Called, in the ner
torrance Of my service heretofore as one Of the
Representatives OF my native Commonwealth in
me senate, ana now as member OF the Execu-
tive Department Of the Governments nv ,bod. RAJ
been among the inhabitants OF the District longer
than at any other spot upon earth In ayaiiin9
niyseH oil tiiiS occasion 10 return 10 them nv
thanks Tor the nuInberlCss ais OF Kindness tbe. I
nave experienced at thcir hands, tndy be allowed
20 assign II as motive operating upon the hear,
and superadded to my official obligations, for taxi
ing deep interest in their welfare and prosperifv
Among the prospects Of tulurity which we tu5v
indulge the rational hope Of seeing realized bv this
junction Of distant waters that OF tn, aus,,;,;o,
influence which ii will exercise over the Iortuno
e. every portion Of the District is one upoi which
NY mind dwc!ls with unqualified pleasure II is