New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1843-02-11

the oroner,y of his sou whe animated by that pat
rio,sun which so characterized the Eeiher of his
Coun,r;. has consented that such relic ought not
to be appropriated by an individual citizen, and
has Instructed me- his representative, to offer it to
the nation, to be preserved In its public deposi,o-
res as the common property of all, since Its office
has been TO achieve and secure the common liberty
of all.
He has, in like manner, requested me to present
this Cane to the Congress of the United States,
deeming it not unworthy of public acceptance
This was once the property of the philosopher and
patriot Benjamin Franklin.
BY codicil TO his last will and testament, we
find it thus disposed Of:
"My fine crab-ree walking stick, with a gold head. Gu
rousy wrought in the term OF the Cspot bibeny give 10
my friend, and The friend Of mankind Cen Washiagtos
II il csptre. he IS merited H. and woud become IL
General Washington, in his will, devses this
cane as follows:
@irEM-To my brother, Charles Washington, give and
bequeah the godbeaded cane left ne by Dr. Franklin 10
bis will y
Capt Samuel Washington was the only son of
Charles Washington, the devisae from whom be
derived, BY inheritance, this interesting memorial
and, having transmitted it to his son, Samuel l :.
Washington, the latter thus seeks to bestow 1t
worthiy, by assocating it with the battle sword IN
a gift to his countrymen.
/ cordia, concur with Mr.. Washington in the
opinion that they each merit public preservation ;
and obey, with pleasure, his wishes in here pre-
senting them, in his name, to the Nation
Let the sword of the Hero and the staff of the
Philosopher 20 together. Let them have place
among the proudest trophies and most honored
memorials OF our national achievements.
Upon ,ha, stat once leaned the sage, of whom
it has been said, He sna,ched the lightning from
heaven, and the scepue from tyrants."
A mighty arm once welded this sword In a
righteous cause, even to the dismemberment of
Empire. In the hand Of Washington this was
"tbe sword of the Lord, and of Gideon"
It was never drawn except in defence of public
liberty it was never sheathed until glorious and
trump hant success returned it to the scabbard,
without q stain of cruelty or dishonor upon Its
blade; i, was never surrendered except to that
country which bestowed it.
Atthe conclusion Of this address, the galleries,
which were crowded sent forth emphatic mani
festations of appreciation.
Mr. JOHN QUINcY ADAMS then rose and address
sed the House as follows:
In presenting this resolution to the House, it
mag perhaps be expected tina, should accompany
it with some suitable remarks and yet sir, never
roae to address this House under deeper convic-
ton Of the want of words to express the emotions
tnaL ieel. II rs DEeClSciS UeCduSc oCCdSioHo line
thi. are adapted to produce universal sympathy,
that little can be said by any one, bu. what in the
language of the heart, in tones not loud but Deep
every one present has silently said to himself. My
respected friend from Virginia, by whom this Of
fering of patriot sentiment has been presented 10
the representative assembly of the nation, has, it
seems to me, already said all that can be said suit
able to this occasion. In parting from him, as, after
20, oh Spyc all do nv
part, be sorrowing that in all probability shall
see his face aud hear his voice no more. But his
words of this day are planted in my memory, and
will there remain till the last pulsation of my heart
The sword of Washington! The staff of Frank
lin Oh, sir what associations are linked in ada
mant with those names! Washington, the warrior
of human freedom-Wa shington, whose sword, as
my friend has said, was drawn but in the
cause of his country, and never sheathed when
welded in his country's cause! Franklin, the
philosopher of the thunderbolt the printing press,
and the ploughshare What names these in
the scanty catalogue Of the benefactors Of human
kind Washington and Franklin! What other
two men, whose lives belong to the eighteenth CEN
fury Of Chlistendom, have left deeper impression
Of themselves upon the age in which they lived,
and upon al after time Washington, the warrior
and the Legislator! In War, contending by the
wager of battle for the independence of his ceun-
try and for the freedom of the human race; ever
nanifesting, amid its horrors, by precept and ex.
ample, his reverence for the laws Of Peace, and
for the tenderest svmpathies Of humanity: in
Peace, soothing the ferocious spirit of discord,
among his countrymen, into harmony ard
union, and giving that very sword now presented
70 his country charm more potent than that atri-
buted in ancient times IS the Tyre Of Ocpheus.
Franklin he mocha of his own f,r,, 1ne
teaching, in early youth, under tho shackles of in
digence, the way to wealth, and in the shade of
obscuyity the path greatness in the maturity OF
manhood, disarmRg the thunder of Us terrors, the
lightning Of its fatal blast, and wrestling from the
tyrants hand the still more affective sceptre OF
oppression. while descending into the vale of
years, traversing the Atlantic Ocean, Drawing in
the dead of Water the battle and the breeze, bear
ing in his hand the charter of Independence,
which he had contributed to form, and rendering
from the sclfcreated nation to the mightiest mon
archs of Europe the olive-branch of peace, the
mercurial wand of commerce, and the amulet OF
protection and safety TO the man of peace on the
painless ocean from the memorable cruelty and
mercless rapaclty o. war.
And, finally, in the last stage Of life, with four
score winters upon his head, under the torture OF
incurable disease, returning TO his native land
closing bis days as the chief magistrate of his
adopted Commonwealth, after contributing By his
counsels, under tho Presidency of Washington,
and recording his name under the sanction of de-
vout prayer invoked by him to God, to tha, Consti-
tuition under the authority 81 bch we arc here as
sembled, as the Representatives of the North
American People, to receive, in their name and
for them, these venerable relics of the wise, the
valiant, and the good founders of great conteo
Grated Renuhlic--fhesp sacred eypbnis 0f orr
golden age.
May they be deposited among the archives of
our Government and may every American who
shall hereafter hehold iham eiacnlate N ninrls ed