The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1856-03-20
LOCAL MATTEH6.


bapfaH Church. Ia 8. night before the ladies 80 o..
"ount vernon Association, was listened In bx
'Aise ana intelligent audience We append brief
nos'oe OF this cbaste and mastery production.
"a.eh WIN show its scope and the originality with
"neh y treats the subject, though it must ut.
'''y iAtlto give any idea of the felicity of Ian
'ne richness of illustration and tho burning
e'o'iuehce displayed on the occasion:
~ commencing his address, Mr. Everett oh
t. eIat ne was fully sensible of the nature of
1870; ne mad undertaken. 1t was not without
ractar % that he rose to speak of the cha.
rat;.' w asnington before the citizens of his
na'lye state, forever memorable for the h;r,h
piaec, tne nome and the grave of Washinpton of
"Aion 80 many portions are connected with him
, 'o;ne personal association. The subject under
any circumstances was difficult as ii was i'm
portant and this difficulty arose In no small DO
sieo rom the frequency and ability with which II
mas mas already been treated On the deeease of
Connraas ., In 'I99 on the recommendation of
Nongress IN pursuance of report of = Committee
Oh "nich Chief Justice Marshall was ehairman
euiogies were delivered on the 22d of Fehrnar1
next IoIowing, by some of the ablest speakers
ana writer's OF the country; and on the annual re-
currence of his birth day. the same graat s,,h;ao.
mas oeen discussed in many parts of the Union -
Many OF these dseourses have passed into the lite
ralure OF the country, and are familiar to all
Inc more obvious and appropriate tonics of :,
discourse on this great theme-a narrative of tho
life OF Washington, and discussion of his princi
pies and polcy-had been exhausted in the ner.
tormances alluded to. Mr.. Everett would not at
tempt 10 say over in other words what had already
been said so well by his distinguished predecessors
but would endeavor to take a somewhat different
view OF the subject and after alludng to the partic
ular circumstances which render discourse on the
character OF Washington appropriate at this time
would offer some reflections upon his relation NOT
merely to the United States, but to the age in
which he lived, and then attempt to indicate the
true nature and moral foundation of his greatness
Alter some further Introductory remarks of a per
sonal character, Mr.. Everett remarked that the oc.
casion was one of more than ordinary interest II
was the completion of century since General
Washingtons first appearance before the country
at large, in the last week of February, 1866
The seven years war had not then been declared
IN europe, but hostilties had been carried on for
two years upon the inland frontiers of the
British colonies in America. Washington had
already greatly distinguished himself He was
preserved bya manifeat Providence at Braddock's
defeat, and young as he was, had become the SUBJ
ject of public interest and anticipation. He came
with one or two brother officers to consult Gov
ernor Shirley upon question of rank and the gen.
era arrangements OF war. He was then twenty
iour years old,-a model of manly vigor, grace and
beauty. His second appearance before the coun-
try at large was as the commander-in- chief of
the American armies in July, IT'S; and ihe third
in April 1889, as first President of the United
States, unanimously chosen in the hearts of the
people, in advance not merely of the constitution.
al forms of election, but of the poor machinery
of caucuses and conventions, by which, in
later times, it has been found convenient to
relieve the people from the trouble of choosing
their rulers. The relation of Washington to
the country at these three visits was briefly al
luded to-
He would not award all the praise to Washing
ton for there were those in his day who contribu
ted to the success of his wonderful career, among
whom Maryland's own Carroll was one of the
most honored. There were two especially impor
tant days in the life of Washington, one of which
was the % of December, 1888, when at Annapo-
lis he resigned his commission, and the other the
Both of April 1885, in New York, in presence of
the newly organized Congress and the Legisla-
ture of that State he stepped forth and took from
Chancellor Livingston the oath to support the
Constitution and laws of the United States He
would that voice could now speak d own from Hea-
ven words of reconciliation and bind the North and
South by one indissoluble bond of Constitutional
Union B.. .. s-.
The speaker then quoted remark of Lord
Brougham, that Washington was ''the greatest
man of our own or any age adding that if the
first part of this remark true the last must be
equally 80, inasmuch as the period dating from the
commencement of the last century was unques.
tonably the richest in great events, great names,
and the general progress of intelligence in the his
tory of the world. TO illustrate this remark and
show that Washington was not like Alfred or
Charlemange, bright light shining in a dark age,
but the principal ornament of age in almost
every respect the most distinguished, rapid
vey was taken by the speaker of what may be
called the age OF Washington, commencing with
the eighteenth century. The entrance of Russia
into the European systematic foundation of the
British Empire in the East-the commencement of
the great Australian systematic colonization and
civilization of Africa-tha downfall of feudalism,
the establishment of the liberty of speech and the
press-the developement of rnalsm-the growth
of manufactures-the application of the steam
engine-the progress of science, and of the great
moral enterprises of the age, were alluded to in
ann nyin oil fhn tylOT ntDd
with these events although many shone with
brightness each in its peculiar sphere, Washing
ton, by general admission, on the whole, outshOne
them all. This position was further illustrated by
a comparison of Washington, individually, with
the three persons who, in this period, have recev
ed the designation of great" viz Peter the Great
of Russia, Frederick the Second of Prussia and
Napoleon.
The speaker observed, however, that though
Washington was great in an age of great men, his
greatnes was not borrowed reflected but orr
ginal In common with his distinguished associates
he derived but little aid in the formation OF his
character and the grandeur of bis course from the
preceding century. In this respect his position
widely different from that of the men of this
age, who are 30 amply furnished with examples
and illustrations of every kind from the revelation
ary and constitutional period There was no
Washington in the 18th century, on the model of
whom the Washington of the 18th could form
himself. There was none in America there
was none in Europe; there was none in the mo.
dern world, there was in the ancient /
cast my eye lsaid Mr.. Everett along the far
stretching galleries of history behold with ad.
miration the statues of the great and good with
which they are eadorned-Hampden Alfred Cato
Timoleon, Epamnondas-but see no other Wash.
ington"
MIR. Everett then passed to the inquiry in what
the true greatness of Washington consists, and ad
mitted that he found it difficult to furnish an an
swer to the question which fully satisfied his own
conceptions. After all the usual points of great
character were enumerated, there was still some
thing in Washington that escaped analysis as
there was an indescribable charm in his portraits
by Stuart, imparting IN interest to them, but
which II not easy to refer TO It's precise source
There could, however, be no doubt that the e.
sence and strength of Washington's character lay
in two things; first, In bis possession In due pro
portion, each In the golden mean, of all the pow
and qualities required for the useful and
honorable discharge of the duties Of lite; and Sc
cond, in the pure morality which lay at the founda
ton. In reference TO the first point the speaker
maintained that the absence of dazzling traits
which strike the imagination, so far from needing
an apology, was in reality one of the chief excel
lencies of the character of Washington. They are
in reality defects, and would impair the beauty of
a well balanced character. Such a character also
includes the sober and little popular qualities-such
as prudence, Justice, common sense-which, al
though by far the most useful qualities in public