Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1851-03-04
ADDRESS,


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ADDRESS,
Delivered in Marinsburg, Va, Feb. 22d, 1851,
By DAVID H. CONRAD.
b 1T will be the duty of the Historian and
the sage in all ages to let no occasion pass
Of COMMUNICATING this illustrious man, and
until time shall be no more will test of
the progress which our race has made in
wisdom and virtue be derived from the ven
Grafton paid to the immortal name of WASH
INGToN." 3aIs sFns
These are not the words Of the humble
individual who now addresses you-but of
the wise Statesman-the liberal jurist-
one who, as lord chancellor of England,
has presided over the house of lords-Hen.
~ Lord Brougham. q. z
'sHe was brave without temerity, labo-
rious without ambition, generous without
prodigality, noble without pride, yirtnous
without severity ;---l 1t viii be said of him,
at the end of long civil war he had moth
'ng with which he could reproach himself
The continent Of North America from Bos-
ton to Charleston, is a great volume, every
page ofwhich presents bis culogy."
These are the words of the Marquis of
Chastelux, an accomplished French Noble
man.
8 Napoleon the mighty conqueror Of Eu-
rope. by some regarded as the regenerator
of his age, by others as the second Atilla
the scourge Of God, paid homage to his
unsullied name and memory, and when he
heard of his death ordered the colours of
the French nation to be draped in mourn
ing, because the Great and Good Wash
ington was no more.
Mr.. Guizot, the late prime Minister of
France, says Of him 10 work bearing his
name. The wise planter was great
man" He had in superior degree tico
qualities which il, aessssslliile, make men ca
pable of great things.
1st He knew how to believe firmly in
his own opinion.
I'd. And TO act accordingto what he be-
lieved, without fear Of responsibility. y
The noble poet of England. member
of the aristocracy by his birth, fred by the
contemplation of the majestic simplicity
and the noble grandeur of the character of
the father Of our country links his name
IN immortal verse with that Of Leonidas--~
Not 50 Leonidas and Washington
Whose every battle field is holy ground
Which breathes of nations saved, not worlds
undone; tah t W estsH
How sweetly on the ear such echoes sound -
While the mere victors may appal or stun
The seryile or the vain such names, will be
A watchword, till the future shall be free.p
My countrymen, we are met this day to
commemorate the birth day, and pay heart
tribute to the memory, and learn wisdom
from the counsels of him Of whom---a for
eigncr and monarchist has said, "He was
the greatest man that ever lived in this
world, uninspired by divine wisdom and
unsustaiued by supernatural virtues"
1t would be tedious to eollatc all the
high testimonials to his unsurpassed ex-
cellence. The loftiest Imagination would
have to imp the tired wing" in the endea-
your to reach the height Of the moral stat
ure of this God-like man. it is enough for
us, this day, to know and to feel, that he
was our Washington, the father of Dur
common country, native of our own be-
loved State, that his early manhood was
trained in defending the very soil of our
own beautiful Valley. Almost within the
scope of my vision is the old Braddock
road, laid out, and cleared under his di-
rcctions the very trees of some Of your
forests, bear the marks Of his surveyors to-
mahawk, and the bounds of some of our
lands were vocal to his manly footsteps,
the names of his family and near relatives
are familiar to our ears, in our daily inter-
course: He is not dead 7 my countrymen,
such spirits never die, for while the immor-
tai spirit is in heaven, the SAVIOUR of a
great and good name, is left upon earth;
and the holy inheritance of hig ID example,
and the safe guidance of his imperishaole
precepts; are in our midst.
will however in the performance Of the
duty, gladly assumed by me- this day, en-
deavor to vary a little from the course usu-
ally pursued on such occasions.
will, avoiding as far as | can, the
temptation to pass in review the striking
events of his life, endeavor to illustrate the
character of our great countryman by a
few authentic anecdotes of his history, and
then come to the more important duty of
bringing the present condition and opin-
ions of our people to the test Of has noble
standard-to the tombstone of his pure
patriotism, parts of which you have heard
read to you, on this day
The true way to celebrate this day is to
commemorate it, as children would honor
the memory of a father. and try ourselves
by his paternal prccepts, and thus see if
we be worthy or not Of the noble inheri-
tance which he bequeathed to us.
The most striking thing in the character
of Washington---was the balance in his
character, he lDaS a ieell balanced man.
When a little boy he made for himself a
book containing precepts for his behaviour
and conduct, in company, al table, 10 IN