Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1833-06-05

Address Of the Chairman Of The Monumental
Committee to the President Of the United
States, at the laying ofMe Corner Stone Of
the Monument to the Mother Of Washington
In the name of the Monumental Committee,
l present you, General, the plate which is in
tended to distinguished that stone Just ADJUSTED
by the Master of the Lodge as the corner stone
OF this pile. | am happy, sir, that he who has
defended his country's rights when perilled i'll
the cause Of freedom, her cities when the
naughty foe, confident of success, pressed
eagerly to seize their beauty and booty, has
bled for her, risked life, fortune and honor in
her cause, is here to add to the honors of this
occasion. Who so meet to make pilgrimage
to this shrine of hallowed relics? Who 50 fl
to seal the stone which crowns the corner of a
monument to the mother of Washington, as
he who now occupies that exalted station first
filled by the son of that mother? Let the oc-
caslon, General, and its circumstances, excuse
this, while we turn to remark more immediate
" on the object of our present regard. If vel
look to the page of history, or survey the
Earth, we see monuments have in every age
and every cline marked those spots distin
gulshed by the happening of some great even,
or risen as memorials of the once active VIRTUES
OF departed worth. Frai man is ever apt to fo
ge! the past, and seek new hope of pleasure ~
the future. He seldom learns from the expe-
Renee of others the means of attaining what
he aims at, and too often stnmbles over new,
unbroken tract, unmindful of the brightest OBJ
Jects by which he might trace his road to those
distinctions after which natural desire SO ar
DENLY tolls. Hence, enlightened posterlty
canonize the fame of their ancestors by ems
blems the most unfadlng their minds can devise
OF their powers execute.
Such is our constitution, that the strongest
appeals to our better feelings is through the
medium of our grosser faculties. Thus Monu
ments are lasting incentives to those who view
hem, to initiate the virtues they commemorate,
md attain by their life and spirit, glory and
honor. Nations share in the common SYM
pathies of nature, and participate in all the
honors heaped upon their mighty dead. ln
looking upon this monument, (raised chiefly
by the munihcence IF patriotic individual
| he citizens of these States will remember tha,
| hey are brothers They will remember thai
here lie the ashes of the mother of the "Father
If his Country" They will acknowledge,
too, this Just tribute to the merits of her who,
early deprived of the support of her consort,
Encouraged and fostered, by precept and exam
lple, the dawning virtues of her illustrious son,
and nurtured into maturity those noble tacui-
ties which were the ornament and glory of her
waning years. They VIII acknowledge the
hallowed character of this romantic spot, e, er
to be remembered as the place chosen for her
private devotlons-the spot to which she often
led her offspring, and, pointing to the order and
beauty Of the works of nature, here so emf
nently displayed, she guided their youthful
minds to contemplate the power and benevol-
ence of the great Author oitheir being. Here
she taught the attribute Of God-that to him.
as their Creator, all praise belonged hat to
glorify Him was the Object of their creation,
and to this end their every energy should be
devoted Here she asked, as dying request,
that her mortal remalnsmight rest Hallow-
ed be this wish--sacredihis spot--lasting as
time this monument. Let us cherish the re.
memberance of this hour Let US carry with
US hence, ongraved our hearts, the memory
Of her who is here inferred. Her forttnde-
her piety-her every grace of ife--her sweet
peace in deaih-thro' her sure hope of bless
sed immortality.
10 UhlcR NE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED
| STATES replied as .follorS:
SIR: To you, and to your colleagues Of the
Monumental Committee, return my acknow-
Judgments for the kind sentiments you have eX-
pressed towards me, and for the tlattering terms
in which thev have been conveyed. cannot
but feel that am indebted to your partially,
and not to any services of my own. for the
warm hearted reception you have given me-.
| Ga this occasion, as well as on many others, in
the course of life now drawing towards its
close, have found the confidence and attach
ment of my countrymen as far beyond my me-
rits as my expectations.
We are assembled, fellow citizens, 10 wits
ness and assist in an interesting ceremony.
More than century has passed away since
she to whom this tribute Of respect is about to
be paid, entered upon the active scenes o. HE
century fertile in wonderful events, and In
distinguished men who have participated in
them. OF these events our country has turn-
ished her full share; and of these distinguish
ed men, she has produced Washington. Ii
he was ''frst in war, first in peace, and first IN
the hearts of his countrymen," we may say,
without the imputaion of national Vanity,
that, if not the first, he was in the very front
rank of those, too few indeed, upon whose
career mankind can look back without regret,
and whose memory and example will furnish
themes of eulogy for the patriot, wherever free
| institnt,ons are honOred and maintained, His