Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1851-07-17


means of Ubtainiag god euucatloh-
where there are academies and colleges,
r,ofessional schools aud librsrles---shoulo
continue 10 receive, as II has heretofore, the
fostering care of Congress, and should be
Yecarded as the perma uenl seat of the ma
,;onal Government Here, too, a citizen o.
,be great republic Of etters--a republic,
which knows not the metes aud bounds OF
political geography Indicated, trust,
rropheticaily, to this nation, VIDE and
nowcrfnl influence IN the intellectual world
and TO tins CITY commanding position III
the field Of science and literature, by en-
dowinr here, and placing under The guardian
ship of the government, an institution "ior
the increase aud diffusion OF knowledge a.
mong men,"
With each succeeding year new inter-
est is added 10 the spot. IT becomes
connected with all the historical associa
lions OF our country, with her statesmen
aud her orators and alas. lis cemetery,
is Annually enriched with the ashes Of
her chosen sons. Before us is the broad
and beautiful river, separating two of
the original thirteen States, and which
a late President n man oi determined
purpose a, d inhexlble will, but patriotic
heart, desired to span with arches of
ever enduring granite, sy'nbohcal OF the
firmly cemeuled union of the North aud
South. On its banks repose the ashes
of the Father of his Country aud at our
side, by a singular felicity of position,
overlooking the city which he designed
and which bears his name, rises TO his
memory The marble column, sublime in
It's simple grandeur, and fily intended
to reach loiler height than any similar
structure on the surface OF the whole
earth. CT the yotIve offering his CRATE
full countrymen he freely contributed To
carry higher this monument. May |
say, as on another OCCASION Let 1t
rise let il rise I'LL il shall meet the sun
in his comiGg-let the earliest light OF
the morning gid 1t, and parting day
llnger aud play on its summit"
Fellow cillzens--What contempla-
tons are awakened IN our minds as we
assemble here to re-enact a scene like
that performed by Washington Me
thinks | see his venerable form now be-
fore me, as presented in the glorious
statue by Houdon, now in the Capitol
of Virginia. He is dignlfied and grave,
but concern and anxiety seem TO soften
the llncaments oil his cuuntenance. The
government over which lie presldes IS
yet in the crisls OF experiment. Not
free from troubles at hume, he sees the
world IN commotion aud arms all around
hun. He sees that imposing foreign
powers are half disposed TO try the
strength of the recently established A
merlcan government. We perceive that
mighty thoughts, mingled with fears as
well as with hopes, are struggling within
hm. He heads shOr procession over
these then naked telos; he crosses You'd
er stream on tai zen Tree; he asceuds 10
the top OF Tins cniucucr, whose original
oaks OF the forests stand as tnICk around
him as II HE spot had been devoted to
Diuidlcdl worship, and here he performs
the appontei duty Of the day.
and now, fellow ciizeus, # this VISION
were "A rellity-Ii Washington actually
WIZ nov diipiiSSl ho--dlib IL nc tbuli
draw around him the shades OF the greai
pubic men OF ms own day-patrlots and
warriors, orators and sIatesmen-and
were 10 address us ~ lhelr presence,
would he not say Ia us-''Ye men OF
Tins geneTallon, | relOIce and thank God
fof beng able 10 see that our labOrs, and
tols ana sacrifices, were not IN vain
on are prosperous you are happy
you are graceful. The lire OF liberty
burns brignuy aud steadily IA your hearts
while dul, aud the Jaw RESTRAIN It from
bursting forth III wild aud destructive
comllragralIon. Cherish liberty as you
love it-chcrlsn lis securities as ,ou
WISH TO preserve II. Maintain The con
slnullon which we labo.ed 50 painfully
10 establish, and which has been Il you
such source OF inesilnable blessings.
Preserve the UNION oi The States, cement
ed as II WAS 10y our prayers, our tears
and our blood. be true 10 God, your
country, and your duly. SO shall the
whole Eastern world follow the morning
sun, 10 contemplate you as n nation; SO
sliall all succeeding generations honor
you as they honor us; and SO shall thai
Almighty Power which SO graciously
projected US, and which now protects
us, shower It's everlasting blessings upon
you and your posteriiy."
President Fillmore Ii is your sin
gularly good fortune to perform an act
such as that which the earliest of your
predecessors performed tlty-elghl years
ago. You stand where he stood. on
lay your hand on The corner stone Of
building designed greatly to extend that
whose corner stone he laid. Changed,
changed, is everything around. The
same sun, indeed, shone upon his head
which now shines upon yours. The
same broad ryer rolled at his feet and
balhcs his last resting place, That now
rolls al yours But the site of this city
was then mainly an open field. Streets
and avenues have since been laid out
and com leled-squares and pubic
mounds enclosed and ornamenied, until
the city which bears his name, although
compaTatlyely moons derabie IN numbers