Washington telegraph., 1856-05-14

ing an apology, was in reality one of the
chief excellencies of the character of
Washington. They are in reality defects.
and would impair the beauty of a we'll
balanced character Such character al
so includes the sober and not yery ponu-
lar qualities-such as prudence, justice,
common sense, which, although by far the
most useful qualities In public man,
neither win applause nor strike the imag-
nation They place their possessor, how
ever, in harmony with the great powers
which govern this universe, material and
moral; which, the higher we rise in the
scale OF being, are the more characterised
by quiet equilibrium and silent energy.
But the pure morality of Washington s
character was the most important feature,
and Mr.. Everett declared it to be his de-
cided conviction ''that it was an important
part of the design of Providence, in rails
ing up Washington to be the leader of the
Revolutionary struggle, and afterwards
the first President of the United States,
to set before the people of America, in the
morning of their national existence, liv-
ing example to prove that armies may be
best conducted, just wars most successful
ly fought, and governments most ably and
honorably administered by men of sound
moral prin ciples to teach to gifted and
aspiring individuals, and the parties they
lead, that, though hundred crooked
paths may conduct to temporary success,
the one plain and straight path of public
and private virtue can alone lead to a pure
and lasting fame and the blessings of pos
terity"
The speaker then glanced at the course
OF Washington in moral point of view,
beginning with his nurture as ga good
boy by a mother worthy to be named
with the noblest NATIONS of 'sRoIne and
Israel, on through the various stages of
his career, and asked whether the ludr-
nent of mankind was so depraved that they
would withhold their admiration from such
man and bestow it on men like Alexan-
der, Cesar and Marlborough, whose char
acters and conduct were briefly passed in
review. In this connection Mr. Everett
described Blenheim Castle, the splendid
palace erected to perpetuate the fame of
Marlborough, compared with Mount Yer
non, the modest homo of Washington. and
they awaken in the mind of the observer
He raised the question whether the judg-
ment of mankind could withhold their ad-
miration from Washington, and bestow it
upon Alexander, Caesar and Marlborough
He believed shat God made the former to
stand alone among mankind-possessin
all the lovely traits of character, the love
of the people mounted into veneration and
reverence melted again into love.
In drawing his address to close, Dir.
Everett quoted the language of Hamilton
in his general orders communicating the
tldIngs of Washington's dccease to the
army in 1199, that ''the voice of praise
would in vain cndeavor to exalt a name
unrivalled in the lists Of true glory" and
he spoke of the privilege enjoyed by Amer
lea, IN the first generation OF her national
existence, of being permitted, in exchange
for the bright examples she had inherited
from other countries and ages, to give
back name by Acknowledgement brighter
than all. He quoted the remark of Chas.
Jas Fox, that "a character of virtues So
happily tempered by one another, and so
wholly unalloyed by any vices as Wash
was hardlysts be found in histo-
ry-" lie referred also to the account Civ
en- by Mr.. King, of the veneration in
which the name of Washington was held
in England, notwithstanding his leading
agency in depriving her of great coloni-
al empire; and also to the honors paid to
his memory in Paris by. order of Napoleon
in 1900, when pompous ceremonial was
had in the L,uaLidcs, and eulcgy pro-
nounced by Fontanes. He remarked en-
the different result that might have been
expected to the revolutions Of the last gen.
Grafton in the Spanish and Portuguese
possessions on this continent, in Spain, It
ally, Greece and Germany, had they been
led by men Ike Washington.
Finally, Mr.. Everett observed that it
was peculiarly incumbent on the citizens
of America, as repositories of the fame
and memory of Washington, to follow his
advice and obey his counsels, especially as
contained in his Farewell Address. The
most important of his exhortation was
chat which enjoined the preservation oil
the Union. This was the thought and
care which lay nearest to his heart and
it depends on this whether the United
States shall be broken into group of in
dependent military governments, wasting
each other in perpetual border wars, or
remain a great, powerful, and prosperous
confederate Republic. If ever his part
ing counsels on this head should be for
gotten, on that day it may truly be said
that Washington had lived in vain Such
calamity, however, the speaker exclaim-
ed, should never be permitted to take
place while the memory of the glorious
days and deeds of the Revolution remain
ed
This synopsis-though embracing eve
ry topic discussed by Mr.. Everett-lacks
the charm which attended the spoken
words. The felicity of illustration, and
the elegant and graceful elocution, too,
are wanting to enable those who did moi
hear this masterly performance to appre
ciate how great it was. 1t was an oratior
worthy of the subject.
A Western paper having stated tha