The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1828-07-17
From The National Intellir.nc,r.

~ 'Nay last. tne anniversary Of tho
Declaration of the Independence Of the u.
. was proud day for the District OF Co.
iuinoia-for the States interested in an op.
: sp navigation from the Chesapeake 10 the
Lakes, and 20 the waters of the Mississip.
p'- Tor the fliends of Internal Improve.
ment every where.
On that day, which by concurrent votes
OF The Canal Company, aud the CORPORA.
lions OF Washington, Georpetown and Al.
exandris, had been hxed upon TOR break.
ing ground upon the line of the Canal, thix
interesting ceremony took plsve. 81, Tia
ofder prescribed BY n.s Committee Of Ars
Engagements.
Al an early hour, the officers and mem.
bers OF the several Corporations, with na
President Of the H. S. and many disiin>
| gushed Euests--sssembled--a and at { o..
clock the procession embarked on board
the Steamboats,, and proceeded up The Po-
iomac, to the ground destined tor the com>
mencement oi the Canal The procession
having arrived on the spot addresses were
made by the Mayor OF Georgetown, and
by General Mercer, President OF the Ca-
nal Company.
AS soon as he had ended, The President
OF the United States, TO whom Gen. Mer~
Ger had presented the spade, stepped ior~
ward, ana with an animation OF manner
and countenancc which showed that his
whole heart was in the thing, thus address
scd the assembly ol his fellow. citlZens:---
Friends and Ftllop. Citizens 1T is
nearly full century SINCE BERKLEy, Bish-
op OF Cloync, turning towards this iur
land which We now inhublt, the eyes of u
prophet, closed few lines OF poeuoal M
spration, with this memorable predictions.
Times noblest empire is the last"
prediction which, 10 those Of us whose
lot has been cast by Divine Providence in
these regions, contains not only precious
promise, hut solemn lnjupctlo Of duty;
since upon our energies, and upon those OK
our posterlty, It's iulhlment viii depend.
For with reference TO what principle could
it be, that Berkeley proclaimed this, tho
lust, 10 be the nobcst empire Of Tine? lt
was, as himself declares, on the transplant
toton of Lodrning and the .Arts to Amer
ica--of learning and the arts. The four
first ncts--the empires of the old world
and of former nges-the Assyrlsn, tho
Persian, the Grecinn, the Roman empires
were empires of conquest dominions OF
man over man. The empire which his
great mind, piercing into the darkness OF
futurity, foretold in America, was the om.
pire OF learning and the Rrts--the domin-
ION OF man over himself, and over physical
Dsture--ncquifed by tho Inspirations OF ge-
MUS and the tolls of industry not watcred
with the tears Of the widow aud the or
phan--not cemcnted in the blood OF hu-
man yictms--iounded not in discord bue
IN harmony, Of which the only spoIls urn
the i1feriections OF nature, and the victo-
ry achieved is the improvement Of the c0n-
di,on of all. Well may this be termed
noblor than the empire OF conquest, III
which man subdues only his fellow man.
To the accomplishment OF this prophecy
the first necessary step WINS the acquisition
of the right OF self government by the pco-
pie fthe British North American Colonies,
achieved by the Declaration Of Indcpen-
dcnce, and its acknowledgment by tho
British Nation. The second WINS tho un-
ion Of all these Colonies under one Gene
raj Conicdcrsted Govcrnment-.a task moro
arduous han that Of the preceding scpara-
ton, but OF last effected by. the present
Constitution ofthe United States.
The third step, more arduous still than
either or both the others, was that which
we, fellow citizens, may now congratulate
ourselves, onr country, and The world OF
man, that il is taken. IL IL the adaptation
OF rbe powers, physical moral and intel
lectual, of this whole Union, to the im-
provement Of its own condition. by wlso
and liberal institutions by the cultivation
of the understanding, and the heort--by IA
cademies, schools, and learned Institutes
by the pursuit ard patronage Of learning
and the arts: Of It's physical condition, by
associated labor 10 improve the bountloe,
A l.. Il. l..E.. -. e
TO stem the torrent in its course; TO level
the mountain with the plain, TO disorm and
fettcr the raging surge Of the ocean. I'M
dertakings OF which the language now
held is no exaggerated description. have
become happily familiar, not only 10 the
conceptions. but to the enterprise Of our
countrymcn. That, for the commence
lnent Of which we are here assembled, is
eminent among the number The project
C contemplates a conquest over physical ma
tuTe, such as has never yet been achieved
by man. The wonders Of the ancient
world, the Pyramids Of Egypt, the Colos-
sus of Rhodes, the Temple Of Ephcsus the
MaUsoleum of Artemisia, the Wall Of Chi
ma, sink into insigDicsnce before tim
significance in The mass and momentum Of
human labor, required for the execution
insignifcance IN the comparison Of tho
purposes 10 be accomplished by the work
when executed. II is, therefore, a pleas
ing contemplation to those saDguino and
patriotic spirits who have so long looked,
with hope to the completion Of this UNDER
mixing, that il unites the moral power and
resourc es-.f first, Of numerous individuals
secondly, OF the corporate cities Of Wash
ingion, Georgetown aud Ale,a andrin--
thirdly. Of the great md powerful States
Of Pennsylvania, Virginia and Maryland
and lastly, by the subscription authorized