Southern standard. [volume] (Columbus, Miss.) 1851-1856, 1853-05-07
ADORE S s
May Sd, 1863,


Delivered IN behalf of the Metropolitan and Amer-
lean Societies Of Bethany College, February,
22d, 1853.
Fillmores Administration and Cuba
An OrQtiom By r. H. Bennett Of Mississippi,
Representative Of tie american Literary hsti
tufe
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN Thsassembled throng,
whose bosoms upheaved by conflicting emotions,
whose faces glowing with sympathy and joy, and
from the impulses of common gratitude rever
emily turned to heaven, sufficiently bespeaks the
Importance of the occasion, and the deep impress
sion it has made upon the hearts of ALL For the
eleventh time have we assembled within the pales
of this venerable institution, as band of brothers
and freemen, to commemorate the birth day of
the great Colossus of American liberty With
hearts overlooking with love and gratitudc-minds
fully aroused to pr per appreciation of the SER
vices of departed mert-we offer up an humble
tribute of respect and remembrance. May I'M
seen spirits bear it aloft, like incense of DID, to
gladden. and refresh the soul of him. who in the
language of panegyric, the first in war. first
in peace, and first in the hearts of his country
men.
Few are the names that rank on history's page
memorate Greater generals, profounder states
men, and more brilliant orators, have lived and
acted but these, ambitious of glory, covetous of
wealth, or, DESTROYS of welding immense nfu-
ence, have passed away, leaving no traces of the
course they ran-no monument to perpetuate their
memories--save ruined and degraded people
How different is the glory that entwines the i'm
mortal verdure around the brow of Washington
What a contrast is his life and actions to those
huge monsters, whose names fill blank in the pa
ges of history Alexander is remembered as a
splendid disqualification of human depravity--a
warning example of misguided, or rather unguid-
ed ambition. Emulating the achievements mot the
virtues, of those who proceeded him; ambitious of
the name and honors of god; DESTROYS of hand
ing his name down to posterity flooded with glory.
imagining true fame and glory to be measured in
proportion to the number of armies defeated and
destroyed, captlves made and chained TO a trium-
phal car-he a career memorable for its num-
erous acts of vice and folly, and died without per-
forming one act of true greatness worthy of re-
membrance, much less commemorative memorial
In doing homage to the virtues of a Washington,
we honor him, not as hero-god, who waded
through seas of blood and over the bodies of count
less thousands, slain to win for himself an imper-
ishable name; nor, as king robed in regal mag
nifcence and splendor, swaying the sceptre of u
UNIVERSAL empire; but, as man possessed of every
quality characteristic of the truly great; and, as
patriot, who loved his country more than glory
freedom more than life. Generation after gene
ration may roll round; cities, nations, and empires
flourish and fade; monuments of brass and gran
ite crumble TO naught; but his fame will continue
fresh and green SO long one free tongue is left
to sing his praise, or one free hand to inscribe il
in golden characters on hstorys brightest page
With liberty it began, with liberty only will end
I II, Eof
gotten and the other loved-the one loved and
the other forgotten?
Let US not pass by in silence his worthy co-wor
kers in the "holy cause of freedom" whose grave:
are green the hills of New Hampshire and in The
plains of Carolina. If high intellectual acquire
ments, ardent love of country, blind disregard o
death in the hour of conflict, mistaken courage
beneath the lowering clouds of adversely, anC
all those requisites that constitute the hero anc
man can win for their names Immortality, theirs
will never be forgotten. They fought. bed, anc
died for liberty No better encomum can b,
passed upon their services; not more eloquen
eulogy pronounced upon their names, nor NOR,
heart stirring epiaph inscribed upon their tombs
Many were cloven down in the tempest of battle
ere they saw the star of their country's liberty a
rise. Many lived to enjoy its beams and see tn,
land of their love prosperous and happy, free ant
queathed to us is without doubt, the best ant
most free in existence Beneath its fostering car
our country, within the narrow compass of a cen
fury, has risen, seemingly to the height of human
prosperity, and now disputes the palm of great
ness with the mightiest. The seeds of cviza
ton and liberty implanted in the alluvial soil 0
the Old Dominion" by our forefathers. ant
f transferred by the pioneering spirit of Boone t.
the woody wilds of Kentucky and Missouri, ant
spreading like fame, their influence is not onl
felt but appreciated and enjoyed from the Atlantis
to the Pacific Aside from other causes, success
> sion of rulers of sound judgment and enlightene,
views, has tended greatly to accelerate its growt
and facilitate the development of its resources
Flllmore'S administration forms a memorable e
pooh in its existence-a seperate episode in its his
: tory-because, from it. we can ante-date conse
quences fraught with deep interest to our nationa
welfare Entering upon the discharge of the du
ties of President IN one of the most trying period
, of our country existence, in most cases he per
formed them wisely, justly, and constitutionally
Struggling against party to which he was boun
, by sentiment and feeling; warning in behalf {
principles repugnant to his education, he has ha
a thousand obstacles to overcome, and difieulte
to surmount. Adopting the constitution as tn
fundamental principle of his action, the beaco
light to direct him in the discharge of the awfu
responsibilities resting upon him, he endeavore
: to act strictly in accordance with its mandates
and to obey its injunctions, as he conceived an
interpreted them, regardless of the remonstrance
of friends, or frowns and threats of enemies Re
lying implicitly on the infalbty of his decisions
the honesty of his intentions, and the rectitude
the course he is pursuing with courage truly Spar