Virginia statesman. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1828-1829, 1828-07-16

and the uowel 10 lay tie cement which IS
to unite the east to thewest, for thecom-
/ mencament of tins great work, which will
commemorate an epoch in the history of
| our beloved country, and that too, on this
Industrious day. which Is celebrated as the
day that tried the souls of men-the day
/ chat gave birth TO a nation Of freemen-
the dav. veuerated sir, with which YOU
are SD consDicuously identlhed-the day
that shaHb be the polar star TO future AGES,
advertising them that men dare declare
themselves a free and sovereign people,
lat republics can exist, that they neither
require the royal diadem or military rule
To- dIcc. the great helm Of state In safe
y
And now, sir, that the present age may
bless the men that touched the spring and
put In motion tins great national work,
and that future ages may bless the memo
by of our beloved Charles Carroll of Car
ro..,on. is the prayer Of those treemen that
surround you
tine stone cutters. was preparing, Mr.. Car
ron accompanied by the Grand Marshall
of Jhc day and by Mr.. John b. Morris,
and bearing In his hand the spade Just pre-
scented, descended from the pavilion, and
advanced 90 the spot selected for the re-
ca1aoa Of the Foundation Stone, in order
90 strike the spade into the ground. He
waibedw.h a firm step and used the n-
strlmeut with q steady hand.
THE CANAL.
On landing from the boats. and reaching
the ground lone or wohuudred yards East
orthc line of the present Canal the Pro-
cass.on moved around it so as TO leave q
hollow space. in the midst of a mass of
People. In the centre which was the spot
marked out bv Judge Wright, the Engineer
of the Chesapeake 81 Ohio Canal Compa-
N.Y.. frthe commencement of the work. A
moments pause here occurred while the
spade. destined to commence the work,
was selected by the committee Of Arrange
mcnts, 81 the spottor breaking ground was
precisely denoted.
At hatmoment the sun shone out from
behind O cloud, and. amidst a silence so
intense as to chastcn the animation of
hope and to hollow the enthusiasm OF Joy
the Mayor of Georgetown handed to Gen.
Mercer. the President of the Chesapeake
and Ohio Canal Company, the cousccrated
instrument which having received, he step
ped forward from the resting column, and
addressed as follows the listening multi
tude.
Fellow Citizens: There are moments.
I'M the progress of time, which are the
counters ofwhole ages. There are events
themouuments ofwhich, surviving every
other memorial of human existence, eter-
MISE the uationt whose history they belong
ajeran other yestges of its glory have dis
appeared from the globe. At such a mo
mont have we now arrived. Such mon
.umalt we are now 10 found.
Turning towards the President Of the
United States, who stood near him, Mr..
. vi. proceeded.
Mr. Presidents On o day hailowed by
the fondest reco,lecuons, beneath this
cheering lmay we not mmbIy trust, auspi-
cl0usl Sky. surrounded 10y the many thou
sand spectators who look nus withloyous
anticipation; In the presence of the repre-
sarativcs of the most polished nations of
the Odd and New Worlds, 6ua spot, where
little more than a century AGO, the painted
savage held his nightly ORGIES; at the re-
quest ortle three cities of the District OF
Colombia [ present to the Chief Magis-
.m.eofLemost power.ulre republic on earth,
for tha most noble purpose that was ever
conceived By man, this humble instrument
ofwral labor. a symbol of the lavoute oc-
cuDqd0n of our couutrymen. May the
.use. (Which 1t is about TO be devoted,
prove the precursor, to our beloved country,
/ If improved agriculture, of multiplied and
diversified arts, of extended commerce a.
navigation. Combining It's social and
moral influences with the principles Otthat
happy Constitution, under which you have
been called 90 preside over the American
People. may 1t become safe guard OF their
Liberty and Independence, &c bond of
. perpetual Union.
TO the ardent wishes ofthis vast assem-
bly,, I unite my tervent prayer to that min
tie and awful Being without whose favor
all human power Is but vanity, that He Will
crown your labor with His blessings, & our
work with Immortality
AS soon as he had ended, the President
ofthe United States, to whom Gen. Mer-
I Ger had presented the spade, stepped for
ward, and, with an animation ofmanner 81
f couutenance, which showed that his whole
. heart was m the thing, thus addressed the