Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1851-07-09
THE FOURTH OF JULY AT WASHING


Yesterday was great day in Washington TIL
corner stone of the addition to the Capitol wa
laid by President Fillmore, and speech was de
Gvered on the occasion by Daniel Webster Tn,
following letter from correspondent, giving al
account of the scene and the ceremonies of the oc
casion will be read with irterest-Patriot
WASHINGTON, July S, 1851.
Yesterday, according to the arrangements alrea
dy announced, the cornerstone of an addition tC
the Capitol of the United States was laid by the
President, in the presence of the high officers OF
the Government and vast concourse of the peo-
pie. ThNday was peculiarly favorable. There
was cool and refreshing breeze, and although the
sun shone out at times with great fervor, the in
tensity of his rays was during nearly all the time
of the ceremony, tempered by light mterposing
clouds
a'hc procession, composed Of a fine military dis
play, all the officers of the Government, the Ma
sonic Fraternity, and other associations, reached
the Capitol with great punctuality, and under the
direction of ]. MADISON CUTTs as Marshal, the
ceremonies took place as follows:
l. Prayer by the Chaplain of the Senate.
g Laying of the cornerstone, by the President
of the United States
3. Masonic ceremonies by the NJ. W. Grand
Master and Grand Lodge of Freemasons of the
District of Columbia.
d. Address to the Masonic Fraternity by the
Grand Master
s. Address by the Secretary of State.
Is. Benediction by the Chaplain ofthe House Of
Representatives.
The addresses were delivered from the east front
of the Capitol-where large staging had been
erected for the accommodation of persons of Off
'cial position, and of ladies. 1t was crowded with
the latter particularly. The President sat near
the desk offthe orator, surrounded by the members
of his Cabinet
The address of Mr.. WEBSTER was preceded by
la1sx H. IL
FRENCH Esq, Grand Master oft he Grand Lodge
'of the District.
He announced that he was invested with the
same identical Masonic Apron and other insignia
which were worn by WAsHINGToN, when fifty
eight years ago, he laid the corner stone of the
present Capitol.
When he sat down, Mr. WEBSTER was conduct
ed to the front of the platform. He received
10y the crowd with enthusiasm not to be mistaken
but he waived his hands as if to mplore silence.
His first words were ''Fellow citizens-I greet
you well, - and he went with constantly in
creasing power, to exhibit the blessings and bene-
fits which the general government had conferred
upon the whole people Of the United States, and
the ruin, devastation, sorrow and dismay which
must follow Its overthrow. The address was in
manuscript and he found it necessary to omit large
portions Of it. Much of it was statistical and d.
dastic, and OF course, not so well adapted to ora
torical display as other parts, but, whole, we
have no doubt it will be one of the most valuable
Of all Mr.. WEBsTER's notwithstanding from
him-the Secretary of State-deivered on the
tai day of the Independence of the United States
in the presence of the President and heads of de-
partments- upon SO important an occasion as
the commencement of building designed to &C
'conmodate the representatives of nation occupy
ing nearly whole continent and stretching from
ocean to ocean-it will be read in other lands as
an authentic, and, as it were, an official promul-
cation of our progress for the past and our hopes
and designs in the future.
Upon the conclusion of Mr. WEBsTER's address,
which occupied nearly two hours, he was greeted
with three hearty cheers, the artillery. at four sta
tions, fired salutes which reverberated for miles
around, and the vast crowd poured through the
shady avenues of the capitol grounds to the dust
and heat of the avenue. No accident occurred
that we have heard of, and the happy conclusion
of these interesting ceremonies will, trust, be
the faithful omen of wise peaceful, and united de-
alterations in the great building, which is to
rise alongside of the capitol whose foundation stone
was laid by Washington.